David MacDonald
Encyclopedia
David Samuel Horne MacDonald, PC
(born August 20, 1936 in Charlottetown
, Prince Edward Island
) is a United Church of Canada
minister and a former Canadian
politician, and author.
David MacDonald was ordained in the United Church by the Maritime Conference on June 11, 1961, and was a minister at Alberton
, Tignish, and Cascumpec
, Prince Edward Island
before going into federal politics.
He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
as a Progressive Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) from the former Prince Edward Island
riding of Prince
in the 1965 election
, and was re-elected in the realigned Egmont
riding from 1968
until 1979
.
After the Tory victory in the 1979 election
, he was appointed Minister of Communications
, Minister responsible for the Status of Women
and Secretary of State for Canada
in the short-lived Cabinet of Prime Minister
Joe Clark
.
MacDonald lost his seat to Liberal
George Henderson in the 1980 election
but returned to the House as MP in the Toronto
riding
of Rosedale
in the 1988 election
, replacing former Toronto Mayor and PC incumbent David Crombie.
However, he lost his seat again to a Liberal
majority government in the 1993 election
, this time to Bill Graham. Two other notable candidates ran against MacDonald in this election: future New Democratic Party
(NDP) leader Jack Layton
, and magician Doug Henning
for the Natural Law Party of Canada
.
MacDonald also spent time in Africa
between parliamentary duties.
MacDonald had a reputation as a Red Tory
(i.e., left-leaning), and subsequently switched his political allegiance to the social democratic
NDP. He ran as the NDP candidate in his old riding (now called Toronto Centre-Rosedale) in the 1997 election
, but was defeated again by Graham.
On November 25, 1998, The United Church of Canada
appointed MacDonald a Special Advisor on residential schools, in light of major lawsuits against the UCC from former students.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born August 20, 1936 in Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
) is a United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
minister and a former Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician, and author.
David MacDonald was ordained in the United Church by the Maritime Conference on June 11, 1961, and was a minister at Alberton
Alberton, Prince Edward Island
Alberton is a Canadian town located in the western part of Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is situated in the township of Lot 5....
, Tignish, and Cascumpec
Cascumpec, Prince Edward Island
Cascumpec is a settlement in Prince Edward Island....
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
before going into federal politics.
He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as a Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) from the former Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
riding of Prince
Prince (electoral district)
Prince was a federal electoral district in Prince Edward Island, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1968.This riding was created in 1903 from parts of East Prince and West Prince ridings....
in the 1965 election
Canadian federal election, 1965
The Canadian federal election of 1965 was held on November 8 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 27th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was re-elected with a larger number of seats in the House...
, and was re-elected in the realigned Egmont
Egmont (electoral district)
Egmont is a federal electoral district in Prince Edward Island, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. Its population in 2001 was 35,208.-Demographics:Ethnic groups: 98.0% White, 1.4% Native Canadian...
riding from 1968
Canadian federal election, 1968
The Canadian federal election of 1968 was held on June 25, 1968, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 28th Parliament of Canada...
until 1979
Canadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
.
After the Tory victory in the 1979 election
Canadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
, he was appointed Minister of Communications
Minister of Communications (Canada)
The Minister of Communications of Canada is a now-defunct cabinet post which existed from 1969 to 1996, when it was abolished. Its telecommunications policy functions were transferred to Industry Canada and its cultural role was assumed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage.The post was...
, Minister responsible for the Status of Women
Minister responsible for the Status of Women (Canada)
The position of Minister responsible for the Status of Women in the Canadian cabinet was created in 1971 as a product of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women . Most provincial cabinets have a similar position...
and Secretary of State for Canada
Secretary of State for Canada
The position of Secretary of State for Canada was a Canadian Cabinet position with a corresponding department. It was established in 1867 as the official channel of communication between the Dominion of Canada and the Imperial government in London...
in the short-lived Cabinet of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
.
MacDonald lost his seat to Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
George Henderson in the 1980 election
Canadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
but returned to the House as MP in the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Rosedale
Toronto Centre
Toronto Centre is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1925, and since 1935, under the names Centre Toronto , Toronto Centre , Rosedale and Toronto Centre—Rosedale .Toronto Centre covers the heart of...
in the 1988 election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
, replacing former Toronto Mayor and PC incumbent David Crombie.
However, he lost his seat again to a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
majority government in the 1993 election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, this time to Bill Graham. Two other notable candidates ran against MacDonald in this election: future New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP) leader Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
, and magician Doug Henning
Doug Henning
Douglas James Henning was a Canadian magician, illusionist, escape artist and politician.-Early life:...
for the Natural Law Party of Canada
Natural Law Party of Canada
The Natural Law Party of Canada was the Canadian branch of the international Natural Law Party founded in 1992 by a group of educators, business leaders, and lawyers who practiced Transcendental Meditation....
.
MacDonald also spent time in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
between parliamentary duties.
MacDonald had a reputation as a Red Tory
Red Tory
A red Tory is an adherent of a particular political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada somewhat similar to the High Tory tradition in the United Kingdom; it is contrasted with "blue Tory". In Canada, the phenomenon of "red toryism" has fundamentally, if not exclusively, been found in...
(i.e., left-leaning), and subsequently switched his political allegiance to the social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
NDP. He ran as the NDP candidate in his old riding (now called Toronto Centre-Rosedale) in the 1997 election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, but was defeated again by Graham.
On November 25, 1998, The United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
appointed MacDonald a Special Advisor on residential schools, in light of major lawsuits against the UCC from former students.