How Keith Davey Brought Trudeau Back

If Canadians are happy with Pierre Trudeau's repatriation of our Constitution and charter, in some ways we have the late Keith Davey to thank.

As Pierre Trudeau’s press secretary in 1980, I so well remember coming back to Ottawa on the last day of what we knew was the winning campaign to bring him back to office. Keith Davey, Trudeau’s campaign director, gave me an ebullient, “You did a great job, Patrick.”

Davey, who died on Jan. 17, 2011 at age 84, was the kind of guy who always made you feel appreciated in the tense, grinding, atmosphere of a political campaign. I worked alongside him during two of Trudeau’s runs for office – when he lost to Joe Clark in 1979, and when he defeated him a year later.

Davey was a politician’s politician and a studious strategist. On the campaign plane in 1980, he told the gang that we were going to “low-bridge” this one and win it. The campaign would have to be disciplined – always on-message, which would preclude Trudeau doing any spontaneous media appearances.

We would not debate the other leaders. We would announce a series of leftish policies in carefully scripted speeches, mock Clark, and move quickly from place to place. This was and is (viz Rob Ford) the classic strategy for politicians leading in the polls.

Davey’s careful battle plan became a tough challenge for me and my fellow media wranglers. Members of the press liked Trudeau a lot more than the “bumbling” Clark, and were insulted and hurt when Trudeau wouldn’t talk to them. “Just gotta tough it out!” Davey would say. “We’re winning.” And at Sunday meetings he’d show us the numbers that proved it.

It was in fact Davey’s beloved polling numbers that persuaded a reluctant Trudeau to throw his hat back in the ring after being defeated by Clark, whose popularity started sinking after he took power. Davey and former principal secretary Jim Coutts, Trudeau’s chief political advisor, told Trudeau, “You can be prime minister again!” And Trudeau succumbed.

So if we are happy with Trudeau’s subsequent repatriation of the Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, in some ways we have Keith Davey to thank. His daring and political savvy, along with his ability to galvanize and inspire a winning team, brought Trudeau back to finish achieving his life’s work.