Donald Stovel Macdonald

Donald Stovel Macdonald, PC CC (March 1, 1932 – October 14, 2018) was a Canadian lawyer, politician and diplomat. Macdonald was a long-time Liberal Member of Parliament and Cabinet minister. In the early 1980s, he headed a royal commission (the Macdonald Commission) which recommended that Canada enter a free trade agreement with the United States.

The Honourable

Donald Stovel Macdonald

PC, CC
Minister of Finance
In office
September 26, 1975 – September 16, 1977
Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau
Preceded byBud Drury (acting)
Succeeded byJean Chrétien
Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
In office
1988–1991
Prime MinisterBrian Mulroney
Preceded byRoy McMurtry
Succeeded byFredrik S. Eaton
Member of Parliament
for Rosedale
In office
June 18, 1962 – January 3, 1978
Preceded byDavid James Walker
Succeeded byDavid Crombie
More...
Personal details
Born(1932-03-01)March 1, 1932
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
DiedOctober 14, 2018(2018-10-14) (aged 86)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Spouse(s)Ruth Hutchison (dec.)
Adrian Merchant Lang
ChildrenLeigh Macdonald, Nikki Macdonald, Althea Macdonald, Sonja Macdonald
ResidenceToronto, Ontario
Education
Professionlawyer

Early life and education

Macdonald was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He graduated from the University of Trinity College in the University of Toronto in 1952. He subsequently attended Harvard Law School (LLM), as well as the University of Cambridge in England (Diploma in International Law).

Political career

He was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1962 election as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Rosedale riding in Toronto. In 1967, he was the parliamentary secretary of Paul Martin, Secretary of State for External Affairs. He joined the Cabinet of Pierre Trudeau in 1968 and served successively as President of the Privy Council, Minister of National Defence, Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources and Minister of Finance. As Finance Minister, Macdonald introduced tougher Employment insurance rules in his 1976 budget[1], and wage and price controls in an attempt to control inflation in his 1977 budget[2].

Macdonald resigned from Cabinet in 1977 to return to his law practice. When Pierre Trudeau announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada following his defeat in the 1979 election, Macdonald would have declared his candidacy for the position. However, with the unexpected defeat of Joe Clark's Progressive Conservative government on a motion of no confidence, the Liberals asked Trudeau to lead them into the 1980 election and cancelled the leadership campaign. Macdonald was not a candidate for the party leadership when Trudeau resigned again in 1984.

Subsequent career

In 1982, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed Macdonald as chairman of a Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada (the Macdonald Commission). The report was released in September 1985 and recommended, among other things, that Canada enter into a free trade agreement with the United States. Progressive Conservative Brian Mulroney was Prime Minister by this time. He accepted the recommendation and pursued what became the Canada–US Free Trade Agreement.

Macdonald was appointed High Commissioner of Canada to the United Kingdom in 1988. He held that position until 1991, when he returned to his law practice in Toronto. He is also a past member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group.[3]

Honours and awards

In 1994, Macdonald was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.[4] He holds honorary degrees from the Colorado School of Mines, the University of New Brunswick, Carleton University, and the University of Toronto (Doctor of Sacred Letters, Trinity College, University of Toronto).

Personal life

Macdonald married Ruth Hutchison (dec.) in 1961, and their four daughters are Leigh, Nikki, Althea, and Sonja. Nikki Macdonald served as a senior advisor to Jean Chrétien during his time as Prime Minister, and is the Liberal candidate in Victoria in the 2019 election.

In 1988, he married Adrian Merchant Lang, the daughter of Sally Merchant. From her prior marriage to Otto Lang, she had seven children: Maria (d. 1991), Timothy, Gregory, Andrew, Elisabeth, Adrian, and Amanda Lang. They have fifteen grandchildren.

Macdonald died at his home in Toronto on October 14, 2018.[5]

Electoral record
1972 Canadian federal election: Rosedale
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalDonald S. Macdonald16,07344.02
     Progressive Conservative Warren Beamish 14,856 40.69
New DemocraticRon Sabourin4,59812.59
     Independent Aline Gregory 892 2.44
     N/A (Marxist–Leninist) David Starbuck 95 0.26
Total valid votes 36,514 100.00
Total rejected ballots 612
Turnout 37,126 74.00
Electors on the lists 50,169
Source: Official Voting Results, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (Canada), 1972.
gollark: Which j didn't know about and which only seems to affect you.
gollark: It's Discord's fault if it can't handle traffic.
gollark: ?emojistats
gollark: If so blame discord.
gollark: Then I did not.

References
  1. "The Leader-Post". news.google.com. 26 May 1976. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  2. "The Leader-Post". news.google.com. 1 April 1977. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  3. "Former Steering Committee Members". bilderbergmeetings.org. Bilderberg Group. Archived from the original on 2009-06-30. Retrieved 2014-02-08.
  4. Order of Canada citation
  5. https://globalnews.ca/news/4547788/donald-macdonald-former-cabinet-minister-dies/
20th Ministry – First cabinet of Pierre Trudeau
Cabinet posts (5)
Predecessor Office Successor
Charles Drury (acting) Minister of Finance
1975–1977		 Jean Chrétien
Joe Greene Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources
1972–1975		 Alastair Gillespie
Charles Drury (acting) Minister of National Defence
1970–1972		 Edgar Benson
Allan MacEachen (acting) President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
July 6, 1968 – September 23, 1970		 Allan MacEachen
  Minister Without Portfolio
April 20, 1968 – July 5, 1968		  
Special Parliamentary Responsibilities
Predecessor Title Successor
Allan MacEachen Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
September 12, 1968 – September 23, 1970		 Allan MacEachen
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Roy McMurtry		 Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
1988–1991		 Succeeded by
Fredrik Stefan Eaton
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