Frank: The Life and Politics of Frank McKenna (review)

Journalist Philip Lee's biography of Frank McKenna, New Brunswick's premier during the decade 1987–97, ends with the story of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien trying to convince McKenna, by then retired from politics and enjoying a successful career as corporate lawyer, to run in the 2000 federal election. Despite the promise of a cabinet post from which, Chrétien hinted, McKenna would be well positioned to take over as prime minister, the former premier declined. But Lee clearly believes that this is not the end of the story, and this sympathetic biography of the former premier seems designed to introduce McKenna to a national audience. Relying heavily on McKenna's diaries and personal interviews with McKenna, his family, and his closest advisors, Lee has produced a portrait of the former premier that is sometimes insightful but rarely critical.

Lee clearly admires his subject, portraying McKenna as a self-made, hardworking, straight-talking politician committed to transforming what he saw as a culture of dependency among New Brunswickers into one of self-sufficiency. These characteristics, the author suggests, are rooted in McKenna's personal 'rags to riches' story. Born in poverty in rural New Brunswick, the future premier developed a strong work ethic and a frugal lifestyle that would be important factors in his future successes. He worked his way through university, became a high-profile lawyer in the 1970s, and by 1985 had become leader of the provincial Liberals. In the 1987 provincial election his party defeated the tired and scandal-ridden Tory government of Richard Hatfield, winning every seat in the province.

The story of McKenna's tenure as premier is told largely in three chapters, each of which emphasizes an aspect of his character. First, Lee examines McKenna's role in opposing the Meech Lake Accord on the grounds that it did not protect francophone rights outside of Quebec. McKenna would eventually succumb to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's wooing and brinkmanship tactics, but his conversion could not save the accord from other opponents. Here McKenna is portrayed as the champion of bilingualism and rightful heir to Louis Robichaud as defender of Acadian rights. This story has been told elsewhere, but Lee, drawing on McKenna's diary, adds some interesting details, including an account of Mulroney's strong-arm negotiating tactics.

In a chapter on the Liberal economic strategy, Lee introduces readers to Frank McKenna, 'The [Job] Hustler.' Inspired by Massachusetts' economic renaissance in the 1980s, McKenna made the emerging information technology sector the cornerstone of his government's growth strategy. Offering access to the provincial telephone utility's recently completed fibre optic network (the first in Canada) and generous economic incentives, McKenna's government, in the early 1990s, embarked on a high-profile and controversial campaign to lure corporations to New Brunswick. McKenna promoted New Brunswick to business audiences throughout the country, and was featured prominently in recruiting advertisements. His advisors cleverly convinced business publications to feature McKenna, the self-made and hardworking premier, as the face of the 'new' New Brunswick. The results were mixed; McKenna attracted approximately six thousand call centre jobs to the province, but these successes were offset by federal cutbacks to the public sector in the mid-1990s. While Lee effectively outlines McKenna's job strategy, he largely ignores critics who questioned the quality and cost (in financial guarantees) of those jobs.

Finally, readers are presented with a portrait of Frank McKenna, chief executive officer of New Brunswick. While McKenna was not immune to political pressures (especially in the lead-up to a campaign), Lee argues that, compared to his predecessors, he took a more business-like approach to government. This was evident in his government's cutbacks to the civil service, overhaul of the welfare system, and willingness to explore private–public partnerships (even in the construction and management of a provincial jail). Lee recognizes that McKenna's corporate approach to government and embrace of fiscal conservatism broke with the...