St. Laurent speech book in the works

pbest@globeandmail.com

Arthur Milnes, a fellow at the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., is canvassing his business, political and academic contacts to help finance publication of a collection of speeches by Louis St. Laurent, who became Liberal prime minister in November, 1948, and led the country until 1957.

Next month marks the 60th anniversary of his majority win at the polls, in June, 1949. Mr. Milnes and Tom Axworthy, former principal secretary to Pierre Trudeau and now chair of the centre, also founded the Library of Political Leadership, a series of collected speeches published through McGill-Queen's University Press..

The St. Laurent project already has the backing of one of his last living colleagues, Paul Hellyer, who has pledged up to $10,000.

"It will be the 60th anniversary of his [Mr. Hellyer's] first election to Parliament under Mr. St. Laurent's banner this coming June," Mr. Milnes told us, adding that he finds Mr. Hellyer's donation "very touching and honourable."

Mr. Hellyer was sworn in to the final St. Laurent cabinet, as associate minister of defence, a few months before the 1957 vote that swept Tory John Diefenbaker to power.

Mr. Milnes needs to raise $20,000 more for the St. Laurent book.

"I thought there would be interest, as this year is the 60th anniversary of Newfoundland entering Confederation. And, the 60th anniversary of his majority victory in 1949 election. I'd mark that if I were the Liberals, but I recall this is the party that didn't even honour the 40th anniversary of the election of Trudeau in 1968. "

Another of the centre's books, In Roosevelt's Bright Shadow, which is a collection of U.S. presidential speeches in and about Canada, became a popular gift earlier this year.

House of Commons Speaker Peter Milliken and Bob Rae, the Liberal foreign affairs critic, each gave President Barack Obama a copy when he visited Ottawa in February.

Clinton bash

We hear that Dundee REIT vice-chairman and CEO Michael Cooper is throwing a bash at his glamorous home in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood for his friend Bill Clinton while the former U.S. president is in town tomorrow. Mr. Clinton is appearing at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in a moderated conversation with another ex-president, George W. Bush.

Mr. Cooper is a generous supporter of Mr. Clinton's charitable foundation; he was listed in the $250,000-$500,000 category when Mr. Clinton disclosed his contributors late last year.

Doubtless some Bay Street friends of Mr. Cooper and his Dundee colleague Ned Goodman are on the guest list.

Perhaps Onex Corp.'s Gerry Schwartz and wife, Heather Reisman, whose Indigo Books has hosted Mr. Clinton in the past.

TD Bank vice-chair Frank McKenna, who is moderator of the event, is likely invited. Then there's long-time Clinton pal Belinda Stronach, who should be on hand if she's in town.