Hugh Segal
Hon. Sen. Hugh Segal (Conservative, Kingston-Frontenac-Leeds), was appointed to the Senate in August, 2005 on the recommendation of Prime Minister Paul Martin. Prior to that, he served in the public policy and political realms as President of the Institute for Research on Public Policy, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Canada, Associate Secretary of Cabinet for Federal-Provincial Relations, Secretary to the Policy and Priorities Board in Ontario, and Legislative Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition in Ottawa.
Bio last updated April 30th, 2018.
Articles by Hugh Segal
The Crown and the Rabbi's Hat
By Hugh Segal
March 1, 2012
In the 60th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign, there is value in reflecting on the importance of dynamic symbols in societies where freedom of religion, cultural diversity and civility still matter. While I have written books and articles that engaged issues such as civility and its underpinnings, one of my most significant exposures to its instrumental worth occurred during Her Majesty's visit to Canada in 1959.
Who knows what that gesture meant to other communities, faiths, ethnicities, economic subgroups and everyone else this young and beautiful Queen came into contact with? That she is the head of the Commonwealth as well as the Head of State of 16 of its member countries and has visited consistently across the Commonwealth in a spirit of duty and service, may at first blush seem quite disengaged from that gesture 53 years ago in front of the small, vine-covered Outremont City Hall Her Majesty shook hands with the heads of government who came to Perth with the same warmth and engagement that has characterized her work as head of the Commonwealth, Canada's Queen and the defender of the faith for six remarkable decades of service Because of my interest, my dad mentioned, as the Queen made her way to the platform, that Her Majesty was not only the Queen of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Canada, Australia and the rest of the Commonwealth but was also the head of the Church of England