What did Canada’s prime ministers do after leaving office? A look back

From careers in law and consulting on geopolitics to teaching, Canada’s former prime ministers have had a wide range of jobs since leaving office.

Former prime minister Justin Trudeau remains as the member of Parliament for Papineau until the next federal election. After that, it remains to be seen what he will do next.

“Once you’ve been prime minister,  you have a certain name and profile, so that carries a lot of weight with a lot of corporations, corporate executives and especially carries weight with the developing world,” said Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.

But while Trudeau’s path is not yet known, here’s a look at where some of those before him went when they left office.

After his defeat in the 2015 federal election, Stephen Harper launched the Calgary-based consultancy firm Harper & Associates Consulting Inc., which was incorporated in December 2015.

The consultancy firm’s website says it combines the global network, experience and insight of a G7 leader to create value for clients.

Barely a year later, Harper took on a “strategic affiliation” role with international law firm Dentons, where he would “provide advice to clients on market access, managing geopolitical and economic risk, and how to maximize value in global markets,” a statement from the company said at the time.

He also was named a board member of the Conservative Party’s fundraising arm, the Conservative Fund, in May 2016, about the same time he announced he would resign as an MP.

In addition to signing on with the Worldwide Speakers Group to deliver speeches around the world, Harper also was elected in 2018 as chairman of the International Democracy Union, which describes itself as a “global alliance of the centre-right.”

The group was founded by former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and then-U.S. vice-president George H.W. Bush.

“He’s worked on remaining politically active on the world stage,” said Mary Anne Carter, a principal at Earnscliffe Strategies. “With his consulting firm, he has used that to sort of continue to influence shaping conservative political movements globally.”

Former prime minister Paul Martin remained as an MP following his defeat in the 2006 election and subsequent resignation as Liberal Party leader.

Before resigning as an MP, he established the Martin Family Initiative, which focused on educational, health and well-being support for Canada’s Indigenous people.

He also was a founding co-chair of the Congo Basin Forest Fund in June 2008, aimed at taking action to protect the forests of the region.

After leaving political office, Martin went on to serve as a commissioner of the Global Ocean Commission and advisor to the African Development Bank.

“He really went down the philanthropic route but working predominantly and connecting international development work with building economic policies both in Canada and abroad,” Carter noted.

After leading the federal Liberals to three consecutive majorities, Jean Chrétien resigned as party leader and prime minister in 2003 and with his departure came a return to his career before politics: law.

Chrétien became counsel for the law firm Heenan Blaikie LLP in 2004, before joining Denton’s Canada in 2014 after Heenan Blaikie’s partners voted to dissolve the firm.

Chrétien remained involved in politics, working with former NDP leader Ed Broadbent in 2008 on the possibility of a coalition between the parties and the Bloc Quebecois amid a confidence challenge to Harper, who then prorogued Parliament.

The longtime prime minister also has served on various committees since leaving office, including the Fondation Chirac’s honour committee, which strives for global peace, and the Club de Madrid that works to respond to global crises and strengthen democracy.

“He somewhat picked up where he left off, in addition to doing a number of things that former prime ministers do often like write books or do speaking engagements,” Carter said.

“He definitely checks those boxes, but he really did dive back into his legal work.”

Kim Campbell left politics after serving as prime minister for 123 days, but while she left Parliament, she continued to serve the country, including as consul general to Los Angeles from 1996 until 2000.

She also took on the role as chair of the Council of Women World Leaders from 1993 to 2003, before serving as president of the International Women’s Forum between 2003 and 2005.

Campbell also served on various committees and boards out of office, including the World Movement for Democracy, the International Crisis Group and was a founding member of the Club de Madrid.

She also chaired the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments in 2016 and 2017.

The first female prime minister has also been known for her commitment to education, having taught at John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and as a founding principal of the University of Alberta’s Peter Lougheed Leadership College.

Following his departure from politics, the late Brian Mulroney also took to law and consulting, serving as an international business consultant and a partner at the global law firm Norton Rose.

Mulroney sat on various corporate boards after leaving office, including Barrick Gold, Blackstone and Wyndham Worldwide, and was chairman of the Montreal-based media company Quebecor.

But politics was not completely gone from Mulroney’s life either.

Trudeau in 2017 asked him to serve as Canada’s envoy in talks for the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, a deal that replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Mulroney’s own government had put into place.

Education was also a passion for Mulroney, having served as vice-president of the board of directors of the Horatio Alger Association of Canada, an organization dedicated to education.

The Brian Mulroney Institute of Government was opened in his honour at St. Francis Xavier University.

Both Carter and Wiseman say it’s yet to be seen where Trudeau will head, but that name recognition means something.

“What happens sometimes is you become a corporate director even though you don’t have corporate experience and that’s because they want to flash your name there,” Wiseman said.

When Trudeau steps down as MP, Carter said she anticipates there’s one thing he’ll likely do first.

“I think he’s probably going to take a well-deserved break,” she said.