John James "Joe" Greene, PC, DFC, QC (June 24, 1920 – October 23, 1978) was a Canadian politician.
Born in Toronto, the son of Peter and Andrée (née Charpagnol) Greene, Joe Greene grew up in Toronto before finding work in northern Ontario as a mine worker.
During World War II, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in which he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. Following the war, he earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a law degree from Osgoode Hall. He began practice in Toronto, establishing a law firm in Arnprior, Ontario in 1949. In 1948, he married Corinne Bedore.
He ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party in 1958, placing a poor third at the party's leadership convention.
He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal in the 1963 general election. In 1964, he ran again for the leadership of the Ontario Liberals, placing fourth.
In 1965, he became Minister of Agriculture in the cabinet of Lester Pearson, one of the few non-farmers to hold the position and the first easterner in 54 years. In 1968, he ran to succeed Pearson in that year's federal Liberal leadership convention, but despite giving what many say was the best speech, he came in fifth place. After three ballots, he threw his support to Pierre Trudeau, contributing towards his victory. The new Prime Minister made Greene Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources.
Greene moved to the riding of Niagara Falls, Ontario in the 1968 election, and was again elected to Parliament. As energy minister, Greene prevented the sale of both the largest oil company under Canadian control and Canada's largest uranium producer to Americans.
Greene suffered a heart attack in 1969, and was required to take a temporary leave of absence from parliament. Otto Lang served as the acting minister of Energy, Mines and Resources in this period. Green later suffered a stroke in late 1971. Greene retired from cabinet in January 1972 when he was appointed to the Canadian Senate.
He died in 1978, aged 58.
Famous quotes containing the words joe and/or greene:
“We saw a pair of moose-horns on the shore, and I asked Joe if a moose had shed them; but he said there was a head attached to them, and I knew that they did not shed their heads more than once in their lives.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Innocence always calls mutely for protection when we would be so much wiser to guard ourselves against it: innocence is like a dumb leper who has lost his bell, wandering the world, meaning no harm.”
—Graham Greene (1904–1991)