Lifelong conservative Nigel Wright died suddenly at his home in London, England, on Sept. 30, at the age of 62.Tibor Kolley/The Globe and Mail
As a young man, Nigel Wright thought of becoming an academic or a priest. In the end, he chose business and politics, reaching pinnacles in both fields. He served as one of the most senior executives at Onex Corporation, the private equity firm, and as chief of staff when Stephen Harper was prime minister.
Yet his greatest accomplishment might have been that, despite spending decades in those cut-throat environments, “if he had an enemy, I don’t know who it is,” said Gerry Schwartz, founder and chairman of Onex, in an interview.
“Our public life could use a thousand more Nigel Wrights,” wrote Andrew MacDougall, a former head of communications for Mr. Harper.
Mr. Wright died suddenly at his home in London, England, on Sept. 30, at the age of 62. A spokesperson for Onex said the cause of death has been confirmed as heart failure.
Though a lifelong and passionate Conservative, tributes came from across the aisle, including from the Prime Minister.
“I was privileged to know Nigel, benefitted often from his counsel, and have long been inspired by his dedication to our country, his kindness to his friends, and his faith in our common future,” Mark Carney said in a statement.
He leaves his mother, Maureen Wright; sisters, Lesley Wright and Karen Wright Darling; and nephews, Cory Wright, Justin Darling and Brett Darling.
Mr. Wright appears as a witness at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Nov. 2, 2010.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Mr. Wright was born May 18, 1963. He was adopted and raised in Burlington, Ont., by Maureen Wright (née Peers), an executive secretary, and Graham Wright, an engineering technician. He excelled academically and arrived at the University of Toronto’s elite Trinity College in 1980 at the age of 17.
The young university student was wise beyond his years.
“I remember thinking, ‘I have to seriously up my inspiration levels if I am going to keep up with this kid,’” Jim Balsillie, fellow student and later co-founder of Blackberry, told The Globe and Mail in 2013.
He obtained a law degree from University of Toronto and an LLM (Master of Laws) degree from Harvard University.
Ferociously disciplined, Mr. Wright ran 20 kilometres most early mornings before starting a work day that typically began before anyone else had arrived and ended after everyone else had left.
He was also a devout Christian, within the Anglican Church, regularly volunteering to work in soup kitchens and homeless shelters, as well as quietly donating to and serving on the boards of charitable causes.
He strongly embraced the philosophy and politics of libertarian conservatism, at a time when that political philosophy was on the rise under Margaret Thatcher in Britain and Ronald Reagan in the United States. At the University of Toronto, he became friends with another conservative student activist, Tony Clement, who later served in the cabinets of former Ontario premier Mike Harris and of Mr. Harper.
He was a “serious guy, very bright, very committed to conservative values,” Mr. Clement recalls. “He was top-drawer. He was one of the people who was going to be the future of the party.”
Mr. Wright out for an early morning run in Ottawa in 2013. He would run 20 kilometres before starting work most days.Dave Chan/The Globe and Mail
Mr. Wright was part of a small team that organized young Progressive Conservatives in support of Brian Mulroney’s campaign for the federal leadership. After Mr. Mulroney became prime minister in 1984, Mr. Wright took a break from law school to work in the Prime Minister’s Office as a speechwriter and political aide.
But eventually he returned to the law, joining the firm then known as Davies, Ward & Beck, excelling in the practice of corporate mergers and acquisitions. This brought him to the attention of Mr. Schwartz, who in 1997 persuaded Mr. Wright to join Onex, where he quickly established himself as an essential asset.
One of his more important acquisitions was the purchase of Spirit AeroSystems from Boeing in 2005. In a lengthy and complicated set of negotiations, Mr. Wright convinced the unions involved to accept reduced pay for the workers, in exchange for equity in the company. The deal eventually profited both the workers and the company.
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But through all the years of endless work, constant travel and lucrative acquisitions – he is believed to have earned seven figures annually – Mr. Wright continued his love affair with politics and conservatism.
He had advised Kim Campbell in her campaign for the Progressive Conservative leadership, and after the party cratered in the 1993 election he sought to end the resulting schism between the PCs and Preston Manning’s Western-based Reform Party.
He became friends with and a strong supporter of Mr. Harper, a former adviser to Mr. Manning and a Reform MP from 1993 to 1997. Mr. Wright worked behind the scenes to help make Mr. Harper leader of the Canadian Alliance in 2002, and then to unite the Canadian Alliance with the Progressive Conservatives to form the Conservative Party of Canada the following year.
Mr. Wright became part of the team that converted Stephen Harper’s minority government into a majority government in 2011.Dave Chan/The Globe and Mail
He also became a founding director of the party’s powerful fundraising arm.
In 2010, Mr. Schwartz received a phone call from Mr. Wright, saying it was important that the two of them meet. “I remember getting off the phone and feeling ‘this is not going to be good,’” Mr. Schwartz recalled. Mr. Harper, who was prime minister and leading his second minority government, wanted Mr. Wright to become his chief of staff. Mr. Wright wanted to accept. Mr. Schwartz agreed to give Mr. Wright a leave of absence from Onex.
Mr. Harper was notorious for having strong opinions and for not welcoming dissent, but he also knew he needed a chief of staff who could counsel him wisely and directly. Mr. Wright was that man. He employed the same skills with Mr. Harper and others in the PMO that he brought to his years in business. He had firm views, but also worked to reconcile opposing views. Meetings became shorter and more disciplined. He became part of the team that converted Mr. Harper’s minority government into a majority government in 2011.
He also became a key operator in dozens of files, including the critical free-trade negotiations with the European Union and with the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks. Both agreements were ultimately sealed by Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.
The Harper Conservatives were flying high, until a scandal emerged that ended Mr. Wright’s political career and contributed to the Conservatives’ defeat in 2015.
In June, 2012, the Auditor-General questioned the expense claims of certain senators. In the months that ensued, three Conservative senators, Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin, were accused of filing unjustified expenses, along with Liberal senator Mac Harb. There followed months of increasing controversy over who had improperly expensed what.
In May, 2013, a news report revealed that Mr. Wright had secretly given Mr. Duffy more than $90,000, so the senator could pay back improperly claimed living expenses.
Mr. Wright leaves the Ottawa Court House after testifying at the Mike Duffy trial on Aug. 12, 2015.Dave Chan/The Globe and Mail
No public money was lost – quite the opposite. All the same, it appeared that the Prime Minister’s Office was attempting to hush up an embarrassing scandal. Mr. Wright resigned, though Mr. Harper later said he had been dismissed. Mr. Duffy was criminally charged but acquitted.
In the months following his departure, Mr. Wright worked full-time at a homeless shelter, before returning to Onex and moving to London, England.
He remained close to his Conservative friends. Mr. Clement saw him last July, while passing through London. They talked about their disappointment at Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s election loss and about their respective spiritual journeys.
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“Nigel and I, in the latter part of our friendship, talked about faith a lot,” Mr. Clement said.
Jason Kenney, the former Alberta premier who served in Mr. Harper’s cabinet, recalls what may have been an archetypal Wright story. Mr. Kenney was going to be in London last year and suggested the two have dinner on a certain evening. Mr. Wright agreed, but said they could only meet from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. The reason, he explained, was that he would be arriving earlier that evening after closing a deal in Zurich and was also committed to working the night shift at a shelter.
“This was a guy who came back from a complex business transaction, found time for a friend, but kept his commitment to help the homeless, all in the same day,” Mr. Kenney said. “Just an astonishing human being.”
“We’ve lost a great Canadian,” Mr. Schwartz said, adding, “I’ve lost a great friend.”
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