Sub-series consists of records created, and probably maintained, by Gillespie's House of Commons staff, during his eight years as a cabinet minister. The papers are personal, but not private; the papers are political. Most of these records date from his time as minister of Energy, Mines, and Resources (1975 - 1979); others are from 1971 - 1975; a few files were created before he joined the cabinet, 12 August 1971. The sub-series consists of itineraries and schedules, agenda, briefing material, pamphlets, meeting notes, aide memoire, speeches and addresses, reports, and clippings that document Gillespie's thinking and activities as a cabinet minister, as a Member of Parliament, and as a politician.
The sub-series is comprised of four blocks: first, correspondence (chronological, nominal, and subject); a second 12 file block of invitations; a third large block of memoranda (nominal and subject); and fourth, a small group of subject files. The correspondence is mostly personal and political from 1976 to 1979; for example, one letter dated 19 January 1976 is a defence of free enterprise. The 1973 to 1975 nominal correspondence is with fellow politicians such as Richard Stanbury, John Turner, and Pierre Trudeau. Three files in volume 326 of correspondence with Trudeau begin in 1969 and include early letters on the role of MPs, on several issues of economics and nationalism, and later on a wider range of election and policy issues: the 1972 and 1974 general elections, campaign issues and strategy, the pricing of Canadian oil, immigration policy, short and long term political priorities for the government, the First Ministers' Conference on Energy, and the planning of government policy. Similar post-1975 correspondence with Trudeau is in volume 363, and with other politicians in volume 374.
The political issues and subjects include the drafting of the Foreign Investment Review Act (vols 330 - 332); the La Prade Heavy Water Plant in the context of Quebec's struggle for political autonomy, and the federal government's counter-strategies (vol. 327, and especially vol. 332); national energy policies, the international oil crisis, the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, multilateral trade negotiations and agreements, energy conservation, national energy self-reliance, First Nations concerns relating to oil, gas, and mineral exploration and development, oil and gas exploration, federal oil price controls, the impact of strikes on Canadian industrial productivity, and solar and other alternative energy, and nuclear energy issues - co-operation with Pakistan, safeguard agreements, exports, waste management, and the sale of Canadian uranium. Memoranda from deputy ministers document their policy and political role (see files of McNabb, Gordon, vol. 329, and Stoner, OG, vol. 330).
