Francis Fox, former senator and cabinet minister, dies at 84
Fox was appointed to the Senate in 2005 and resigned in 2011
Francis Fox, a former senator and cabinet minister in Pierre Elliott Trudeau's government, has passed away at the age of 84.
In a statement announcing his death, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted that Fox was a lawyer who was first elected as a member of Parliament in Quebec in 1972.
Trudeau highlighted Fox's service under his father as solicitor general, minister of communications, and secretary of state for Canada.
In January 1978, Fox temporarily resigned from his cabinet position after publicly admitting to forging the signature of his girlfriend's husband on a hospital form to facilitate her abortion.
Trudeau remarked that Fox's contributions during his 12 years in Parliament included the introduction of the landmark Access to Information Act and his role in establishing Telefilm Canada.
Fox was appointed to the Senate in 2005 and resigned on December 2, 2011—his 72nd birthday—citing personal and family reasons for stepping down three years before the end of his term.
"Francis left an indelible mark on Canadian politics," Trudeau stated. "Today, we remember him and the legacy he leaves behind. On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my condolences to his family and friends."
