Rare is the day when a former lawyer, renowned public speaker, decade-long premier, Canadian Ambassador to the United States and current deputy chairman of TD Bank (TSX:TD) isn't the most famous person in the room.
Even rarer is the day that such an accomplished person isn't even in the same stratosphere of popularity as someone else.
Yet that is the reality Frank McKenna faces when he steps onstage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre this week to moderate the highly anticipated Vancouver Board of Trade (VBOT) event featuring former U.S. secretary of state, senator from New York, first lady and, if she decides to run, potentially the first female president of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Second fiddle sometimes isn't so bad.
"This is huge. Former secretary Clinton is one of the most popular personalities on the planet and a very strong potential candidate to be president of the United States," said McKenna, reached on the phone in his Toronto office. "There is no doubt that in the United States she is single-handedly the most inspiring woman of our generation. I am the sideshow. It is a great coup for the Vancouver Board of Trade and their Women's Leadership Circle to land a luminary of that stature."
McKenna is a veteran of high-stakes politics and no stranger to diplomacy. But, despite being retired from public life since 2006, McKenna said he remains fascinated by global politics and is excited to ask Clinton – a woman of "huge capacity and great competence" – for her views on international affairs.
"I'm interested in knowing about the Middle East, the prospect of peace with Iran and the prospects for a Palestinian–Israel entente," said McKenna.
"But I'm also interested in knowing her views on U.S. politics, the polarization that is taking place in their politics and on the hot-button issues of the day such as guns and immigration reform."
Although McKenna stressed his supportive role at the Clinton event, Iain Black, VBOT president and chief executive officer, lauded McKenna's accomplishments, saying it was McKenna's extraordinary resumé that made him the right choice for moderator.
"I think having Mr. McKenna interview Mrs. Clinton is going to be a stroke of genius. Once it is over, we are going to look awfully clever," said Black, with a laugh.
"There are a variety of people that could ask her a lot of different questions on the more celebrity side of her persona. There are many people that have a smattering of knowledge of politics … but what Mr. McKenna brings to the table is, simply, extraordinary first-hand experience in Canada–U.S. relations."
Despite his decorated career, it hasn't always been a life of policy for McKenna. As a kid growing up in New Brunswick, idolizing the likes of Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion and Jean Béliveau, McKenna dreamed of donning the red and blue of the Montreal Canadiens.
It wasn't until graduate school at Queen's University that McKenna recognized his interest in becoming a politician. McKenna was an exceptional student and earned a scholarship to do his doctorate anywhere in the world, but he realized that politicians were seldom political scientists. They were lawyers.
"That's when I had the epiphany that I wanted to be in public life. I ended up rejecting the scholarship, took a Beaverbrook Scholars Award and went to law school," said McKenna.
"I think at that moment I realized I wanted to be a practitioner of politics, not just a student of it."
After school, he became a trial lawyer. But, as he had envisioned during his days at Queen's, McKenna left law behind and ran for office in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. In 1982, as a member of the provincial Liberal party, he became the MLA for the riding of Chatham.
By 1985 McKenna was party leader, and, in 1987, after his party swept nearly every seat in the province in a resounding election victory, McKenna was elected premier.
A meteoric rise, to be sure. But McKenna didn't let that electoral success affect him – he had a game plan. Politics, McKenna knew, was not forever. So despite his success, McKenna decided he would stay in office, if the electorate would have him, for 10 years. And sure enough, one decade later to the day, McKenna retired from politics.
"There is no magic number, but I watched so many political leaders who flamed out and stayed too long. In doing so, they did not honour their populations and did not leave with respect," said McKenna.
"I felt like if I set a time limit I would turn it into a sprint instead of a marathon. In that way, for me at least, it was a great motivation."
As for his accomplishments as premier, McKenna can boast of many. During his tenure, McKenna's government balanced budgets, reduced unemployment and repaired aging infrastructure.
But, while proud of such achievements, McKenna believes his greatest political triumph was something decidedly more philosophical: making the residents of New Brunswick proud of their province and themselves.
"If I had to choose one over-arching accomplishment it would be making the people of New Brunswick more self-sufficient," said McKenna.
"The Maritime provinces, I would say, have a chronic dependency. We are the recipients of transfer payments from other parts of Canada, and many people have seasonal work and require unemployment insurance or welfare support. I wanted to convince New Brunswickers that no one owed us a living and that no one resigned us to a status of being poor. When all is said and done, individual accomplishments can fade away and roads can deteriorate. But if you can make people feel proud and make them feel confident, that becomes a huge force multiplier that keeps on being a positive." •
