Frank Charles McGee
Encyclopedia
Frank Charles McGee, PC
(3 March 1926 - 4 April 1999) was a Canadian
businessman, member of parliament
, and, briefly, a Cabinet minister
Prime Minister John Diefenbaker
.
McGee had a family history of public service. Both of his grandfathers held positions; John Joseph McGee
as Clerk of the Privy Council
from 1882 to 1907, and his maternal grandfather, Charles McCool
, served as an MP. Frank McGee was also a grand-nephew of Father of Confederation
and member of parliament, D'arcy McGee.
in Ottawa
. In 1943, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force
at the age of 17 and served until the end of World War II
in 1945. He settled in Toronto
after the war where he worked as a purchase manager
for Sears
.
, McGee was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
as the MP for York-Scarborough in the 1957 general election that saw the Tories
form a minority government under John George Diefenbaker. McGee was re-elected in 1958 when the Conservatives formed a majority government and 1962 when they were reduced again to a minority. He became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
in 1962 and held the position until Diefenbaker appointed him to Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio
in March 1963, weeks before the April 1963 election in which the Conservatives lost power and McGee lost his seat.
McGee was unsuccessful in his attempt to regain his York-Scarborough seat in the 1965 election. He ran again in the 1972 election and was initially thought to have been elected, an accomplishment that would have made the Progressive Conservatives under Robert Stanfield
the largest party in the House of Commons which may have resulted in a Tory minority government. However, a judicial recount determined that McGee had lost the election by four votes.
As an MP, McGee was a strong opponent of capital punishment
, and in 1960 he introduced a private members bill to abolish the practice. His stance was initially unpopular and led to death threats against himself and his family. Though his bill did not pass his initiative led to amendments to the Criminal Code abolishing capital punishment for several crimes. The movement for abolition led to capital punishment being halted in practice in 1962 with the practice being formally abolished in 1976. McGee also worked to remove corporal punishments from the Criminal Code of Canada such as use of the cat-o'-nine-tails. He also advocated liberalization of Canada's divorce laws and legal reforms to improve the status of women.
and was also host of the CBC television
program The Sixties. In 1984, he was appointed to the Security Intelligence Review Committee
for a five year term. In 1990 he was appointed a Citizenship Judge
.
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,...
(3 March 1926 - 4 April 1999) was a 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...
businessman, member of parliament
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
, and, briefly, a Cabinet minister
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
Prime Minister John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
.
McGee had a family history of public service. Both of his grandfathers held positions; John Joseph McGee
John Joseph McGee
John Joseph McGee was Clerk of the Privy Council of Canada from May 20, 1882 to May 5, 1907 and is the longest-serving occupant of the position....
as Clerk of the Privy Council
Clerk of the Privy Council (Canada)
The Clerk of the Privy Council is the senior civil servant in the Canadian government. The Title and Office is in fact "Clerk of the Privy Council and the Secretary to the Cabinet"...
from 1882 to 1907, and his maternal grandfather, Charles McCool
Charles McCool
Charles Arthur McCool was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Nipissing in the Canadian House of Commons from 1900 to 1908. He was a member of the Liberal Party....
, served as an MP. Frank McGee was also a grand-nephew of Father of Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
and member of parliament, D'arcy McGee.
Background
McGee studied journalism at what was then Carleton CollegeCarleton College
Carleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. In 1943, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
at the age of 17 and served until the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1945. He settled in 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...
after the war where he worked as a purchase manager
Purchasing manager
-External links:* http://www.careeroverview.com/purchasing-manager-career.html...
for Sears
Sears Canada
Sears Canada Inc. is a retailer, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, that operates in all provinces and territories across Canada with a network of 196 corporate stores, 195 dealer stores, 38 home improvement showrooms, 108 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide home maintenance, repair, and...
.
Federal politics
A Progressive ConservativeProgressive 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....
, McGee 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 the MP for York-Scarborough in the 1957 general election that saw the Tories
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
form a minority government under John George Diefenbaker. McGee was re-elected in 1958 when the Conservatives formed a majority government and 1962 when they were reduced again to a minority. He became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Canada)
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government department responsible for immigration, refugee and citizenship issues, Citizenship and Immigration Canada...
in 1962 and held the position until Diefenbaker appointed him to Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
in March 1963, weeks before the April 1963 election in which the Conservatives lost power and McGee lost his seat.
McGee was unsuccessful in his attempt to regain his York-Scarborough seat in the 1965 election. He ran again in the 1972 election and was initially thought to have been elected, an accomplishment that would have made the Progressive Conservatives under Robert Stanfield
Robert Stanfield
Robert Lorne Stanfield, PC, QC was the 17th Premier of Nova Scotia and leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He is sometimes referred to as "the greatest prime minister Canada never had", and earned the nickname "Honest Bob"...
the largest party in the House of Commons which may have resulted in a Tory minority government. However, a judicial recount determined that McGee had lost the election by four votes.
As an MP, McGee was a strong opponent of capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, and in 1960 he introduced a private members bill to abolish the practice. His stance was initially unpopular and led to death threats against himself and his family. Though his bill did not pass his initiative led to amendments to the Criminal Code abolishing capital punishment for several crimes. The movement for abolition led to capital punishment being halted in practice in 1962 with the practice being formally abolished in 1976. McGee also worked to remove corporal punishments from the Criminal Code of Canada such as use of the cat-o'-nine-tails. He also advocated liberalization of Canada's divorce laws and legal reforms to improve the status of women.
After politics
Following his departure from parliament, McGee worked as a political reporter for the Toronto StarToronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
and was also host of the CBC television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
program The Sixties. In 1984, he was appointed to the Security Intelligence Review Committee
Security Intelligence Review Committee
The Security Intelligence Review Committee is an independent agency of the government of Canada empowered to oversee and review the operations of Canada's security service, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and investigate complaints against CSIS...
for a five year term. In 1990 he was appointed a Citizenship Judge
Citizenship judge
A citizenship judge is an official or judge of the Canadian government who reviews applications for Canadian citizenship.Citizenship judges are appointed by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration....
.