One of Canada’s most firebrand politicians has died..John “Pass the Tequila, Sheila” Crosbie, a venerable east coast and national politician passed away Friday at the age of 88..Crosbie was a vociferous defender of Newfoundland and Labrador and held several cabinet posts in Conservative governments under Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney..“To Newfoundland and Labrador and to Canada, he was an independent spirit, a passionate nation builder, an orator of biting wit and charm, and always — forever — a tireless fighter for the people,” his family said in statement..“John’s is a legacy worth celebrating, a life worth emulating, a name indelibly etched in the history of this place we love.”.Crosbie started his career on the St. John’s city council..In 1992, it was his decision to shut down cod fishing off the east coast – a move that threw 30,000 people out of work..He was known for his firery phrases in the House of Commons..“Just quiet down, baby,” he told Liberal MP Sheila Copps in a June 1985 exchange in the House of Commons..“I’m not his baby, and I’m nobody’s baby,” Copps responded..Years later at a B.C. fundraiser, Crosbie quoted the lyrics of a Bobby Bare song. “Pass the tequila, Sheila, and lay down and love me again,” he said..Crosbie and Copps would later become friends..After leaving Ottawa in 1993, he served as Newfoundland and Labrador’s lieutenant-governor, between 2008 and 2013..His son, Ches Crosbie is now the leader of the opposition Tories in Newfoundland and Labrador..His funeral to take place Thursday at 2 p.m. at St. John’s Anglican Cathedral..dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter: Nobby7694
One of Canada’s most firebrand politicians has died..John “Pass the Tequila, Sheila” Crosbie, a venerable east coast and national politician passed away Friday at the age of 88..Crosbie was a vociferous defender of Newfoundland and Labrador and held several cabinet posts in Conservative governments under Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney..“To Newfoundland and Labrador and to Canada, he was an independent spirit, a passionate nation builder, an orator of biting wit and charm, and always — forever — a tireless fighter for the people,” his family said in statement..“John’s is a legacy worth celebrating, a life worth emulating, a name indelibly etched in the history of this place we love.”.Crosbie started his career on the St. John’s city council..In 1992, it was his decision to shut down cod fishing off the east coast – a move that threw 30,000 people out of work..He was known for his firery phrases in the House of Commons..“Just quiet down, baby,” he told Liberal MP Sheila Copps in a June 1985 exchange in the House of Commons..“I’m not his baby, and I’m nobody’s baby,” Copps responded..Years later at a B.C. fundraiser, Crosbie quoted the lyrics of a Bobby Bare song. “Pass the tequila, Sheila, and lay down and love me again,” he said..Crosbie and Copps would later become friends..After leaving Ottawa in 1993, he served as Newfoundland and Labrador’s lieutenant-governor, between 2008 and 2013..His son, Ches Crosbie is now the leader of the opposition Tories in Newfoundland and Labrador..His funeral to take place Thursday at 2 p.m. at St. John’s Anglican Cathedral..dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter: Nobby7694
