Edgar Benson
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| In office | |
|---|---|
| 1962 election – 1972 election | |
| Riding | Kingston (1962-1968); Kingston and the Islands (1968-1972) |
| Preceded by | Ben Allmark |
| Succeeded by | Flora MacDonald |
| Born | May 28, 1923 Cobourg |
| Political party | |
| Profession(s) | Chartered Accountant |
| Religion | United Church of Canada |
Edgar John Benson, PC, FCA , B.Comm (born May 28, 1923) is a retired Canadian politician and businessman.
Benson was a chartered accountant by profession, and co-owner of a local radio station. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1962 general election as the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston, Ontario. He entered the Cabinet of Prime Minister Lester Pearson in 1964 as Minister of National Revenue, and served concurrently, from 1966 to 1968, as President of the Treasury Board.
Benson was Minister of Finance under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau from 1968 to 1972. He was the last finance minister in over twenty years to introduce a balanced budget. His 1969 budget introduced a capital gains tax that was severely criticized by the business community, particularly Israel Asper who wrote a book called The Benson Iceberg condemning the measure. In his final budget he introduced a tax deduction for child care as a means of helping mothers enter the workforce.
He served as Minister of National Defence from January to August 1972, when he retired from politics, choosing not to run in the 1972 election.
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| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mitchell Sharp |
Minister of Finance 20 April 1968 – 27 January 1972 |
Succeeded by John Napier Turner |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by Alan William Sullivan |
Canadian Ambassador to Ireland 1982 – 1985 |
Succeeded by Gustav Gad Rezek |
| Ministers of Finance of Canada |  |
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|---|---|---|
| Galt | Rose | Hincks | Tilley | Cartwright | Tilley | McLelan | Tupper | Foster | Fielding | White | Drayton | Fielding | Robb | Bennett | Robb | Dunning | Bennett | Rhodes | Dunning | Ralston | Ilsley | Abbott | Harris | Fleming | Nowlan | Gordon | Sharp | Benson | Turner | Macdonald | Chrétien | Crosbie | MacEachen | Lalonde | Wilson | Mazankowski | Loiselle | Martin | Manley | Goodale | Flaherty | ||
Categories: 1923 births | Living people | Canadian diplomats | Canadian Ministers of Finance | Liberal Party of Canada MPs | Members of the 19th Ministry in Canada | Members of the 20th Ministry in Canada | Members of the Canadian House of Commons from Ontario | Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada | Members of the United Church of Canada
