Thomas S. Axworthy

Biography:

THOMAS S. AXWORTHY has had a distinguished career in government, academia, and philanthropy. He began his career in public policy in 1967 as a research assistant to the Task Force on the Structure of the Canadian Economy, reporting to Cabinet Minister and President of the Privy Council, Walter Gordon.

Later, Axworthy served as an assistant to the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, and then the Minister of National Revenue. He began his long association with Pierre Trudeau in 1975, when he joined the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

In the PMO, Axworthy rose through ranks to become the Senior Policy Advisor (1980 to 1981), and then Principal Secretary (1981 to 1984). In that latter role, he was one of Trudeau's key strategists on the repatriation of the Constitution and the drafting Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In 1984, Dr. Axworthy went to Harvard University, teaching at the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He was appointed visiting Mackenzie King Chair of Canadian Studies in 1985, and subsequently taught for many years at the Kennedy School.

In 2003, he was appointed Chair of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University, pursuing the themes of expanded human rights and responsibilities, democratic reform, Canadian-American relations, and modern liberalism that characterized his research, teaching and advocacy career.

While teaching at Harvard and Queen's, Axworthy continued to policy advice to the Liberal Party and Canadian governments.  

In 2006, Axworthy chaired the Renewal Commission of the Liberal Party of Canada. In 2009 he chaired the Advisory Panel on the Creation of a Canadian Democracy Promotion Agency, reporting to the Hon. Stephen Fletcher, Minister of Democratic Reform.

Although now in retirement, Axworthy continues to be active in public policy matters. He is currently a distinguished senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and a senior fellow at Massey College.

Since his 2016 appointment as Chair of Massey's Public Policy Program, he has organized nearly 60 public policy workshops and symposia involving over 220 academics and other experts.

Axworthy's career in philanthropy began in 1986 with his appointment to the CRB Foundation where he initiated the Heritage Minutes and the National Heritage Fairs Programs.

From 1989 to 1996, Axworthy chaired the Arctic Advisory Steering Group of the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation, working on the creation of the Arctic Council, a high-level intergovernmental forum.

As Chair of the Historica Foundation of Canada from 1999 to 2005, Axworthy continued his Canadian heritage work. There, one of his notable accomplishments was facilitating a partnership with The Canadian Encyclopedia.

From 2001 to 2006, Axworthy was a member of the board, then chair, of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. In 2009, he became president and CEO of The Gordon Foundation, leaving the post at the end of 2015.

Axworthy has also worked extensively with the InterAction Council of Former Heads of State and Government, drafting, along with noted theologian Hans Kung, A Universal Declaration of Human Responsibility (1997). He was appointed Secretary General of the Organization in 2011.

To recognize his achievements in heritage education, civics, and citizenship, Dr. Axworthy was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2002. He was also awarded an honorary LLD from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2003.

Axworthy is the author of numerous books and articles the best known of which is Towards a Just Society, co-authored with Pierre Trudeau. He is a regular contributor to the opinion pages of the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, and the National Post. He frequently appears as a commentator on public and national issues.

Axworthy has a BA (Hons), History and Political Science, from the University of Winnipeg (1968), and an MA and a PhD, Political Science and Government,  from Queen's University (1972 and 1979, respectively).

Activities:

  • The Unwritten Constitution: Conventions, Traditions and Norms in Our Populist Age
  • Notwithstanding Clause at 40: Canadian Constitutional Democracy at a Crossroads
  • Ethics Series — The Ethics of Protest: How Far is Too Far?
  • Book Launch — ‘Unlikely Insider’ by Jack Austin
  • An Appreciation of Hugh Segal: Celebrating His Intellectual Contributions to Canada
  • Pierre Trudeau Centennial — Liberal Internationalism, Then and Now: The Foreign Policy of Pierre Trudeau
  • Pierre Trudeau Centennial — The Leadership Arts of Pierre Trudeau
  • Renewing Democracy Support: Options and Opportunities for Canada
  • Walter Gordon Symposium — Revisiting the Role of the Academy in the Public Policy Arena
  • Bringing Peace and Security to a Divided World: Opportunities and Challenges
  • In Search of New Liberalism
  • Walter Gordon Symposium — Canada’s Changing Energy Landscape
  • Walter Gordon Symposium — Revisiting the Role of the Academy in the Public Policy Arena
  • Restoring Public Confidence, Rebuilding Public Engagement
  • Book Launch — "Lloyd Axworthy: My Life in Politics"
  • Responsible Economics: Are Canadian Fiscal and Monetary Policies Appropriately Aligned?
  • Unknown Stories of the Constitution Conference
  • Ethics Series — Ethics in International Relations: Do They exist?
  • Book Launch — "The Notwithstanding Clause and the Canadian Charter: Rights, Reforms, and Controversies"
  • Book Launch — "Lloyd Axworthy: My Life in Politics"
  • Ethics Series — The Ethics of Bail Reform: Do We Need Corrections in the Corrections System?
  • Ethics Series — Ethics and Media: Is it Time for a New Framework?
  • Arctic Dialogues — Science and Policy of Permafrost Thaw in the Arctic
  • Arctic Dialogues — Lessons from the Arctic: The Role of Regional Governments in International Affairs (Discussion & Virtual Book Launch)
  • CCR2P — The Future of Global Humanitarianism
  • CCR2P-Massey Panel — Challenges & Opportunities in Global Security and Liberal Democracy
  • What’s Driving Crime Today: How Old School Criminals are Using New School Technology
  • Ethics Series — The Ethics of Political Spin
  • Sovereignty in 2017: Its Meaning for Canada and the World
  • Canada Water Agency Launch
  • Canada Water Agency Experts Roundtable
  • What's Next: Canada-US Relations in the Age of Trump
  • Ethics Series — Misinformation/Disinformation on Social Media: How Large is the Threat to Democracy?
  • Disinformation Roundtable

Publications:

  • Liberal Minority 1972-74: Lessons Learned
  • Lessons From the Arctic: The Role of Regional Government in International Affairs
  • In Memoriam: Hugh Segal and Progressive Conservatism
  • The Future Of Freshwater In Canada
  • An Historic Canadian Compromise: Forty Years After The Patriation Of The Constitution Should We Cheer A Little?
  • Rebooting Canadian Democracy: More Than Just Electoral Reform
  • Presentation to Special Committee on Electoral Reform
  • No crisis in democracy, but we keep improving it and perhaps still can
  • Now More Than Ever: The Case for Canada Advancing Democracy and Human Rights Abroad
  • Visionary, Advocate, Spreader of Joy: Hugh Segal, 1950-2023