Eddie Goldenberg
Canadian political advisor (1948–2026)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edward Goldenberg CM (July 31, 1948 – July 9, 2026),[1] was a Canadian lawyer and writer who served as a senior advisor to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien for decades. Described as Chrétien's "Machiavelli",[2] from 1993 until 2003 he was chief policy advisor to the Prime Minister,[3] becoming chief of staff in 2003.[4] Along with Jean Pelletier and Aline Chrétien, he was considered Chrétien's most influential political guide.[5] Goldenberg's 2006 memoir, The Way It Works, focused on his time in government.[6] He was the son of the Canadian Senator and lawyer H. Carl Goldenberg.
July 31, 1948
Eddie Goldenberg | |
|---|---|
Goldenberg in 2006 | |
| 9th Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister | |
| In office 2003 | |
| Prime Minister | Jean Chrétien |
| Preceded by | Percy Downe |
| Succeeded by | Tim Murphy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edward Goldenberg July 31, 1948 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | (aged 77) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Party | Liberal Party of Canada |
| Relations | Carl Goldenberg (father) |
| Alma mater | McGill University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Career
Goldenberg first worked for politician Jean Chrétien in 1972 with a summer internship after completing his first year at McGill University Faculty of Law.[2] From 1980 to 1982, he supported Chrétien as Special Constitutional Advisor to the Minister of Justice and was one of the authors of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.[4]
In 1990, Goldenberg was "co-ordinating the 10 policy groups that have been organized to brief Chrétien on various issues and to write speeches."[7] He worked with Paul Martin, Terrie O'Leary, and Chaviva Hosek "on finalizing the text of the famous Red Book, officially titled Creating Opportunity: The Liberal Plan for Canada."[8]
From 1993 until 2003 he was[3] Chrétien's aide[9] and chief policy advisor.[10] He was involved with the government when the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1998 and then signed again in 2002, and later wrote on the matter.[11] He became the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff in 2003.[4]
After Chretien left office, Goldenberg became a partner at the Ottawa office of law firm Stikeman Elliott LLP and subsequently a senior partner at Bennett Jones LLP, leading the firm's government affairs and public policy practice.[3][4][12] He was a supporter of Bob Rae's bid to become Liberal leader in 2006.[13] In 2019, he was still working with Jean Chretien on diplomatic matters with the People's Republic of China.[14]
Goldenberg's The Way It Works book
Goldenberg was the author of The Way It Works, a book about his experiences working with Chrétien.[2] It focuses especially on 1993 until 2003 during Goldenberg's time as Senior Policy Advisor to Chrétien.[15]
Goldenberg's 2006 memoir, The Way It Works, was called by Maclean's "a bluntly realistic endorsement of the Savoie-Simpson thesis with none of the handwringing."[6] The memoir also covers Goldenberg's recollections of the writing process for 'the Red Book, which set the Liberal platform for the 1993 federal election.[16] In 2006, it was a finalist for the Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing.[17]
Death
Honours
Goldenberg was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada (CM) in the 2013 Canadian honours for "his contributions to public policy in Canada and for his championing of innovation and research excellence."[20] He was also awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2023.[21]
Publishing history
- Author of The Way It Works[2] (September 18, 2007, ISBN 9780771035623)[17]
Archives
There is an Edward S. Goldenberg fonds at Library and Archives Canada.[22]