- Edgar Benson
Infobox CanadianMP
honorific-prefix =The Honourable
name=Edgar John Benson
imagesize=150px
term_start=1962 election
term_end=1972 election
predecessor=Benjamin Graydon Allmark
birth_date= Birth date and age|1923|5|28|mf=y
birth_place= Cobourg
successor= Flora MacDonald
death_date=
death_place=
profession=Chartered Accountant
party=Liberal
religion=Protestant
party colour=Liberal
residence=
riding=Kingston (1962-1968);
Kingston and the Islands (1968-1972)
footnotes=
term_start2=
term_end2=
predecessor2=
successor2=
spouse=|Edgar John Benson, PC, FCA (born
May 28 1923 ) is a retired Canadianpolitician , businessman,diplomat , and university professor. He held three different Cabinet posts. He is married to prominent Ottawa lawyerMary Jane Binks of theGowlings law firm. [http://www.gowlings.com/professionals/professional.asp?profid=26]Benson was a
chartered accountant by profession, and co-owner of a local radio station. Prior to his entry into politics, and while practising his CA profession, he was a lecturer inBusiness Administration at Queen's University, hisalma mater , in the capacity of Assistant Professor of Commerce. [http://empireclubfoundation.com/details.asp?SpeechID=2811&FT=yes]He was first elected to the
Canadian House of Commons in the 1962 general election as the LiberalMember of Parliament (MP) for Kingston, Ontario. He entered the Cabinet of Prime MinisterLester Pearson in 1964 as Minister of National Revenue, and served concurrently, from 1966 to 1968, asPresident of the Treasury Board .He was an early supporter of
Pierre Trudeau in the 1968 Liberal leadership campaign to replace the retiring Pearson, and advised Trudeau. Benson was Minister of Finance under Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau from 1968 to 1972. He was the last finance minister in over twenty years to introduce a balancedbudget . His 1969 budget introduced acapital gains tax that was severely criticized by the business community, particularlyIsrael Asper who wrote a book called "The Benson Iceberg" condemning the measure. In his final budget he introduced atax deduction forchild care as a means of helping mothers enter theworkforce .He served as Minister of National Defence from January to August 1972, when he retired from politics, choosing not to run in the 1972 election. He served as Canadian
Ambassador toIreland from 1982 to 1985.External links
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