Rex Murphy, the talkative National Post columnist, radio host, and podcaster, has passed away. Murphy passed away at the age of 77 following a struggle with cancer on 9 May 2024. Just a day after his column on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s views on the Hamas atrocities of October 7 was published on the front page of the printed version of the National Post, he passed away.
Murphy was a familiar face in the Canadian media and commentary world for many years, often seen at speaking events. He also enjoyed watching The Simpsons and, before the pandemic, struggled with cooking Kraft Dinner.
Despite his illness, Murphy continued to write articles in the past few months, covering topics such as Hamas, and Christmas, and interviewing with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in his unique style.
Who was Broadcaster- Commentator Rex Murphy?
Rex Murphy was born in 1947 in Newfoundland, when it was not yet a province, to Harry and Marie Murphy. He was the second of five children, born in Carbonear but raised in the Freshwater community. Skipping two grades, he went to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar in 1968. He later abandoned pursuit of a Master of English due to the frustrating need for endless footnotes about 17th-century poetry, and instead established a career in media.
| Name | Rex Murphy |
| Born | March , 1947 |
| Died | 9 May, 2024 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Author, journalist |
In 1981, Murphy made an unsuccessful bid to join the federal Conservative Party but later opted to work for provincial Conservative leader Frank Moore instead. He made two attempts to win provincial political office in 1985 and 1986 as a member of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland. He was defeated on both occasions.
Rex Murphy Career-
For 21 years, Murphy, known for his unique Newfoundland accent, anchored Cross Country Checkup on CBC Radio, a nationwide call-in program, and made guest appearances on other CBC shows. In 1996, a writer for the Ryerson Review of Journalism described him as the complete opposite of other well-known on-air personalities, who typically have a friendly CBC demeanor and speak with a central Canadian accent.
During the 1970s, he was involved with the radio show Here and Now in Newfoundland and Labrador, and later worked on the current affairs program Up Canada! in Toronto.
However, since his departure from CBC in 2015, Murphy frequently targeted the public broadcaster with criticisms in his articles for the Post. However, CBC was his frequent residence throughout the years.
Why did Canadians love Rex Murphy?
In December last year, he had a gentle conversation with Pierre Poilievre where he commended the Conservative Leader and criticized “the woke agenda.” He penned many columns criticizing the established science of climate change. He also focused on writing articles about author Annie Proulx, the Second World War, scientist Hubert Reeves, Conrad Black, and William Shakespeare.
In a social media post, ex-Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised Mr. Murphy as one of the smartest and most independent journalists Canada has ever seen. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed that Canada will never see another voice like his – as a proud resident of Newfoundland, he fought for what he believed was best for the country and remained a loyal friend to Alberta.
Mr. Poilievre stated that Canada has lost a renowned figure who was a trailblazer in expressing independent, eloquent, and courageous ideas, and always a captivating speaker who never lost his skill.
Kathleen Wynne, the ex-premier of Ontario, stated that while her politics did not align with Rex Murphy’s, she admired him as a character and will be greatly missed.
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