Writer Put Words in the Mouths of the Powerful Penned Speeches for Paul Martin, Joe Clark and Jean Charest
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LIVES LIVED THE GLOBE AND MAIL FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, -""\ /9'1 e; ~~~! ~ \~qt~~.~~~ --- Writer put words in the mouths of the powerful Penned speeches for Paul Martin, Joe Clark and Jean Charest DONN DOWNEY Ms. Marchenko said Mr. Hagen The Globe and Mail was devoted to the causes of na- e was the speechwriter for hire tional unity and arms control. H- the man the powerful in Ot- He first came to prominence tawa sought out when they had an when he was research director for important message to deliver to the the Canadian Centre for Arms Con- Commons or the nation. trol and Disarmament, a think-tank Finance Minister Paul Martin based in Ottawa. Mr. Mulroney was used him to drah his past five considering giving a speech on the budget speeches, and Joe Clark arms race at the United Nations sought him out when he was minis- and various experts were canvassed ter of foreign affairs under former for input. Mr. Hagen was among prime minister Brian Mulroney. those consulted. That might suggest that Larry He had already served the gov- Hagen was adept at jumping politi- ernment when the United States cal fences, but both the Conserva- tried to get Canada onside for the tives and Liberals trusted him. "He Strategic Defence Initiative, the so- was not politically committed," called Star Wars anti-missile de- said his wife, Irene Marchenko. fence program. It was a sensitive Mr. Hagen died on Monday at his political issue, viewed in Canada as home in Aylmer, Que. His sister, an escalation in the arms race. Jennifer Hagen, said an autopsy will Mr. Hagen advised Canada to determine the exact cause of death participate in initial negotiations Jean Charest. He wrote Mr. Cha- Wrestler - but he probably suffered a heart at- while making it clear that participa- tack. He was 44. rest's speech when he ran for lead- tion did not mean Canada would Ms. Machenko found Mr. Hagen ership of the Conservative party in endorse the program. lying fully clothed on his bed with 1993. The address was much ad- The Canadian government ulti- Also found fame as 1 mired, but Mr. Charest lost to Ms. his briefcase by his side, ready for a mately said no to Star Wars but al- Associated Press, Willingboro, N.]. meeting. Campbell. lowed Canadian companies to bid obert (Gorilla Monsoon) M" Mr. Hagen also wrote for Mr. In those days, Mr. Hagen was the on the many contracts that would rella, the rotund profession: Clark when he was constitutional Tories' favourite speech writer, but result. However, the Cold War R wrestler who became a TV ai' affairs minister, putting together a he later worked for Allan Rock ended before any of these contracts nouncer and later president of tll series of addresses on national when he was a Liberal justice min- were tendered. unity that the politician delivered ister, and for Mr. Martin. Lawrence Sinclair Hagen was World Wrestling Federation, die, across the country. The Globe said Mr. Hagen was born in Cobourg, Onto He went to Wednesday at his home in Will In 1992, The Globe and Mail re- Mr. Martin's "favourite speech- Queen's University in Kingston. He ingboro, N.}., aged 62. ported that the speeches were "ele- writer." Last February, the minister obtained a BAin political science in The cause of death was compli gant, well-crafted addresses that had Mr. Hagen flown to Washing- 1977 and won a gold medal for his cations from a recent heart attack have moved even the most jaded ton where Mr. Martin was attend- academic achievement. The Philadelphia Daily News re and cynical listeners in the audi- ing an emergency meeting of the He also won a Commonwealth ported. ence. A touch of. poetry, a dose of Group of Seven industrialized Scholarship and enrolled at the The 6-foot-6, 400-poundef. pragmatism and a deft turn of countries. "Paul would leave the London School of Economics, wrestling career began in the 1960· phrase have made Mr. Clark the meetings and go for four-hour where he earned his masters. and ran until the early 1980s. Mr most able speech-giver in the Com- stretches with Larry and work on Returning to Kingston, he lec- Marella once shared a world tag mons. The speeches made Mr. the speech," a government official tured in strategic studies at Queens team title with Killer Kowalski. Clark the star in the Mulroney cabi- told The Globe. The official went on before he was hired by the centre Initially a villain who feuded witl net and he was generous enough to to say that Mr. Martin usually "eats for arms control. pro-wrestling legend Bruno Samar acknowledge Mr. Hagen's role. and spits out speechwriters." Besides Ms. Marchenko, he tino, Mr. Marella later became be· However, Mr. Hagen still submitted Mr. Hagen charged the govern- leaves his daughter Natalie and his loved among fans of the ever· a bill for $106,800. ment a total of $6,050 for Mr. Mar- mother Marion. A service will be growing entertainment genre .. He was used by other Conserva- tin's budget speech and three held at Knox Presbyterian Church As a ringside analyst on WWF tel tives, including Kim Campbell and others delivered by the minister. in Ottawa on Tuesday. ecasts, Mr. Marella was known fOi.