Eric Kierans was born on 2 February 1914, in Montreal to Irish immigrant parents.
13 Facts About Eric Kierans
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Eric Kierans grew up in a working-class neighborhood and attended Loyola College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in commerce.
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Eric Kierans joined the Liberal Party of Canada and was elected to the House of Commons in 1962, representing the riding of Saint-Laurent.
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Eric Kierans was committed to social justice issues and worked to improve the lives of working-class Canadians.
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Eric Kierans died on 10 May 2004, at the age of 90.
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Eric Kierans became president of the Quebec Liberal Party and clashed with former cabinet minister and colleague Rene Levesque in 1967, daring him to give up the idea of Quebec separatism or quit the Liberal Party.
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In 1968, Eric Kierans entered federal politics running unsuccessfully for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada at its 1968 leadership convention.
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Eric Kierans was elected to the House of Commons in the 1968 federal election.
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Eric Kierans served as Postmaster-General and Minister of Communications in the cabinet of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
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Eric Kierans did not run for re-election in the 1972 election, partly as a result of his criticisms of Trudeau's economic policy.
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Eric Kierans called for Canada to leave the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1969.
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Eric Kierans argued that the organization might have served a useful purpose on its initial formation but had since become anachronistic.
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Eric Kierans considered running for the leadership of the New Democratic Party in 1975 but declined in favour of Ed Broadbent.