David MacDonald (politician)

Not to be confused with David McDonald (politician).
For other people of the same name, see David MacDonald (disambiguation).
David MacDonald
Born (1936-08-20) August 20, 1936
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Nationality Canadian
Occupation minister, former politician, and author

David Samuel Horne MacDonald, PC (born August 20, 1936) is a Canadian United Church of Canada minister, former politician, and author.

Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, 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.[1]

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 New Democratic Party of Canada. 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.

MacDonald was romantically involved with time as leader of the federal NDP, Alexa McDonough prior to his 1997 candidacy.[2] However, they split up prior to the 2004 federal election.[3] MacDonald has since started another relationship and married.[3]

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.

Electoral record

Toronto Centre—Rosedale

Canadian federal election, 1997
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
LiberalBill Graham 22,945 49.19 -0.80
New DemocraticDavid MacDonald 9,597 20.58 +9.80
Progressive ConservativeStephen Probyn 8,993 19.28 -1.96
ReformJohn Stewart 3,646 7.82 -4.65
GreenJim Harris 577 1.24 +0.30
Canadian ActionAnthony Robert Pedrette 303 0.65
Natural LawRon Parker 270 0.58 -1.01
Marxist–LeninistSteve Rutchinski 166 0.36 +0.25
IndependentTed W. Culp 145 0.31
Total valid votes 46,642 100.00

Rosedale

Canadian federal election, 1993: Rosedale
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
LiberalBill Graham 27,707 49.98 $54,087
  Progressive Conservative David MacDonald 12,018 21.68 $60,961
  Reform Daniel Jovkovic 7,048 12.71 $25,016
  New Democratic Party Jack Layton 5,937 10.71 $44,872
  National Martin Lanigan 1,091 1.97 $6,964
  Natural Law Doug Henning 839 1.51 $37,086
GreenLeslie Hunter 479 0.86 $380
  N/A (Christian Freedom) Linda Dale Gibbons 214 0.39 $200
  Marxist-Leninist Steve Rutchinski 61 0.11 $205
  Abolitionist Y. Patrice d'Audibert-Garcien 43 0.08 $0
Total valid votes 55,437 100.00
Total rejected ballots 491
Turnout 55,928 61.71
Electors on the lists 90,630
Source: Thirty-fifth General Election, 1993: Official Voting Results, Published by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada. Financial figures taken from official contributions and expenses provided by Elections Canada.
Canadian federal election, 1988
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
Progressive ConservativeDavid MacDonald 22,704 41.36 -11.44
LiberalBill Graham 22,624 41.21 +15.08
New DemocraticDoug Wilson 8,266 15.06 -2.77
LibertarianChris Blatchly 411 0.75 +0.09
GreenFrank de Jong 397 0.72 -1.15
RhinocerosLiane McLarty 265 0.48
IndependentMike Constable 102 0.19
IndependentHarry Margel 91 0.17
Commonwealth of CanadaPaul Therrien 33 0.06 -0.27
Total valid votes 54,893 100.00

Egmont

Canadian federal election, 1980
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
LiberalGeorge Henderson 8,639 52.37 +12.93
Progressive ConservativeDavid MacDonald 7,033 42.63 -13.44
New DemocraticVincent Gallant 824 5.00 +0.51
Total valid votes 16,496100.00
Canadian federal election, 1979
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
Progressive ConservativeDavid MacDonald 8,861 56.07 +3.82
LiberalBill Reese 6,233 39.44 -4.81
New DemocraticVincent Gallant 710 4.49 +0.98
Total valid votes 15,804100.00
Canadian federal election, 1974
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
Progressive ConservativeDavid MacDonald 7,583 52.25 -3.53
LiberalBill Reese 6,422 44.25 +3.97
New DemocraticCletus Shea 509 3.51 -0.04
Total valid votes 14,514100.00
Canadian federal election, 1972
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
Progressive ConservativeDavid MacDonald 7,868 55.78 +2.26
LiberalGeorge W. Olscamp 5,681 40.28 -4.02
New DemocraticCarroll L. Kadey 501 3.55 +1.37
Social CreditHugh G. Ryan 55 0.39
Total valid votes 14,105100.00
Canadian federal election, 1968
Party Candidate Votes%
Progressive ConservativeDavid MacDonald 7,182 53.52
LiberalJ. Melville Campbell 5,945 44.30
New DemocraticHarvey Dawson 292 2.18
Total valid votes 13,419100.00

Prince

Canadian federal election, 1965
Party Candidate Votes
Progressive ConservativeDavid MacDonald 9,082
LiberalJohn Watson MacNaught 8,312
New DemocraticHarvey Dawson 384

Notes

  1. Parliament of Canada, Parliamentarian File
  2. Sheppard, Robert (April 14, 1997). "You call that endurance?". The Globe and Mail (Toronto). p. A13.
  3. 1 2 Ottawa Citizen Staff (October 4, 2008). "Alexa McDonough reflects on time and change as she eases into life after politics: So how are you feeling?". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.

External links

Parliament of Canada
Preceded by
J. Watson MacNaught, Liberal
Member of Parliament from Prince
19651968
Succeeded by
Riding abolished
Preceded by
Riding Created
Member of Parliament from Egmont
19681980
Succeeded by
George Henderson, Liberal
Preceded by
David Crombie, Progressive Conservative
Member of Parliament from Toronto Centre
19881993
Succeeded by
Bill Graham, Liberal
Political offices
Preceded by
Marc Lalonde
Minister responsible for the Status of Women
4 June 1979 – 2 March 1980
Succeeded by
Lloyd Axworthy
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