Nigel Wright’s passing leaves a hole in the heart of Canadian Conservatism

A man of faith, principle and action, Nigel Wright embodied the ideals many preach but few practise

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Nigel Wright wasn’t a household name to most Canadians. He could have been very easily, but he didn’t have a burning desire to seek the spotlight. Rather, he enjoyed his privacy and preferred to let others do the talking and take credit for their achievements.

When the 62-year-old Wright died unexpectedly in September, it led to an enormous outpouring of grief. Political leaders, including former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney, wrote wonderful posts on social media. Many Conservative activists and staffers paid tribute to their longtime colleague in glowing terms. They mentioned his intelligence, wit, kindness, charity, respect for opponents and critics—and how he helped others at a moment’s notice.

We’ll get to that last part shortly.

Wright’s life story was an intriguing one. He was born in Hamilton, Ont., adopted by a kind family in nearby Burlington and came from humble beginnings. He was a true man of faith who served as warden and subdeacon at St. Thomas’s Anglican Church in Toronto, and considered joining the priesthood. He became a lawyer and businessman, serving in a variety of senior roles for Onex Corporation in London, England.

His work ethic was exemplary. First one in the office at the crack of dawn, and the last one to turn off the lights at night. It wasn’t a line or a myth; it was reality. This included his time at Onex as well as Canada’s Conservative movement. He was a significant and highly respected figure who worked in former prime minister Brian Mulroney’s office and later served as chief of staff to Harper. He was heavily involved behind the scenes in election campaigns and local ridings, although he mostly kept to the shadows.

Former Executive Assistant to Harper Stephen Staley’s exceptional Oct. 1 piece in The Hub captured Wright’s spirit, character and personality as well as any I’ve seen or read.

“Nigel was a good man, in the oldest, deepest, and most demanding sense of the word,” Staley, Harper’s former executive assistant, wrote in part. “Of all the people we knew, Nigel most closely lived the true Christian example. He was, in so many ways, a living echo of the Beatitudes: poor in spirit, meek in strength, merciful in judgment, pure in heart, and a peacemaker where others sought conflict. His success never corrupted him. His power never hardened him. Instead, he seemed intent on proving with his own life that we could be better, kinder, more generous, more humble, more selfless.”

Staley’s closing paragraph deserves to be reprinted in full: “It is the rarest thing in public life to see a man with so much success remain so unspoiled. That was why Nigel moved us so deeply: because he showed that greatness and goodness could be one and the same. We are so much poorer for his loss, but we are all the richer for his friendship and the example he leaves behind.”

Much has been said and written about Wright, but I’ll add some personal thoughts.

I knew Wright for years. We weren’t close, and we never worked together in politics or business. Nevertheless, we communicated every so often, travelled in similar political circles and knew most of the same people. We had read, studied and cherished similar books, speeches and papers. We were inspired by the same political leaders and thinkers. I also knew what an honourable, decent and forthright person he was.

That’s one of the reasons I played a small role in helping correct the record about his involvement in the Mike Duffy brouhaha.

Duffy was a former broadcaster-turned-Canadian senator who got into some financial hot water in 2013 due to outstanding residency expenses. Wright cut him a $90,172 cheque to help get him out of trouble. It was a gift that was completely in line with his personality and character, but the media assumed the worst and crushed him on a daily basis. Only a few people stood up for Wright, and I happened to be one of them. While I thought his decision to write the cheque was a mistake, it was done with good intentions—and to make a potentially bad situation go away. Although no criminal charges were ever laid against him, Wright resigned as Harper’s chief of staff. He left the spotlight he never relished to begin with and went back to Onex to a life of privacy and anonymity.

Wright played the political game honourably and in a dignified fashion. This was largely due to his personal beliefs, strong faith, principled outlook on life and ability to distinguish right from wrong. His kindness in sharing his time, resources and even his house with friends and colleagues has been mentioned since his passing. Few people in Canadian politics either didn’t know him or knew of him.

Many Canadians were oblivious to Wright’s influential hand in Canadian politics. They were unaware of the dignity, honour and grace with which he handled this important role. Wright viewed fiscal and social conservatism as forces for good in a liberal democratic society and never abandoned these cherished beliefs. His untimely death has left a hole in the heart of Canadian conservatism that will be difficult, if not impossible, to fill. All we can do is carry on and continue to fight the good fight in his honour.

Requiescat in pace, Nigel.

Michael Taube is a political commentator, Troy Media syndicated columnist and former speechwriter for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He holds a master’s degree in comparative politics from the London School of Economics, lending academic rigour to his political insights.