Newfoundland-born journalist and commentator Rex Murphy has died at the age of 77, the National Post reported Thursday.

The newspaper said Murphy died after a battle with cancer. Murphy was born in Carbonear and attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He was best known for holding a variety of roles at CBC, including host of Cross-Country Checkup and commentator on The National. Murphy had a voluminous vocabulary and a singular wit that made him a household name across Canada.

At the time of his death, Murphy was a columnist for the National Post who was critical of the federal Liberal government and held controversial views on climate change.