George McCague
Encyclopedia
George R. McCague is a former politician in Ontario, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
as a Progressive Conservative
from 1975 to 1990, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis
and Frank Miller
.
McCague was born in Essa Township, north of Alliston, Ontario. He was son of J.J.E. McCague who owned Glenafton Farms which was one of the best known dairy farms of its time.
He was educated at Burns Public School, Alliston High School and the Ontario Agricultural College
. He worked as a sod and potato farmer and executive and owned a real estate company in Alliston.
McCague was a councillor in Alliston from 1960 to 1961, deputy reeve from 1962 to 1964, reeve from 1965 to 1966, a public school board member from 1967 to 1968 and Mayor
from 1969 to 1973. He was chair of the Board of Governors for Georgian College
from 1967 to 1974 and Simcoe County warden in 1966. He also served as chair of the Niagara Escarpment Commission in the early 1970s.
He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1975 provincial election
, after defeating long serving Dufferin Simcoe MP Wally Downer for the Progressive Conservative nomination. He defeated Liberal
Bob Beattie
by 1,691 votes in the constituency of Dufferin—Simcoe
. He was elected by greater margins in the elections of 1977
, 1981
and 1985
.
McCague served as parliamentary assistant to the Treasurer just before the 1977 election, and was brought into Bill Davis's cabinet on September 21, 1977 as Minister of Government Services. On January 21, 1978, he was shifted to the Ministry of the Environment. He was named Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet on August 18, 1978, and retained this position until Davis resigned as Premier in 1985. McCague tried to convince Davis to remain in office for another election, but afterwards endorsed Frank Miller to succeed him as party leader.
When Miller replaced Davis as Premier on February 8, 1985, he appointed McCague as Minister of Transportation and Communications. Soon after this, the Tories were reduced to a tenuous minority government
in the 1985 election under Miller's leadership. McCague was retained in his portfolio after the election, but did little of significance before the government was defeated in the house. He sat in opposition for the remainder of his time in the legislature.
McCague was narrowly re-elected in the 1987 election
, defeating Liberal candidate Gary Johnson by only 306 votes in the redistributed constituency of Simcoe West
. He did not seek re-election in 1990. He returned to municipal politics, and served as mayor of Tecumseth from 1992 to 1994.
McCague is considered a mentor to his successor in the legislature, former cabinet minister Jim Wilson. He continued to support the federal Progressive Conservative Party
over the Reform Party
in the 1990s.
Shortly after Mike Harris
returned the Progressive Conservatives to government in 1995, McCague was appointed as a government negotiator in talks with the Ontario Medical Association.
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...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
as a Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
from 1975 to 1990, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis
Bill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
and Frank Miller
Frank Miller (politician)
Frank Stuart Miller, was a Canadian politician, who served as the 19th Premier of Ontario for four months in 1985.-Early life and political career:...
.
McCague was born in Essa Township, north of Alliston, Ontario. He was son of J.J.E. McCague who owned Glenafton Farms which was one of the best known dairy farms of its time.
He was educated at Burns Public School, Alliston High School and the Ontario Agricultural College
Ontario Agricultural College
The Ontario Agricultural College originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto...
. He worked as a sod and potato farmer and executive and owned a real estate company in Alliston.
McCague was a councillor in Alliston from 1960 to 1961, deputy reeve from 1962 to 1964, reeve from 1965 to 1966, a public school board member from 1967 to 1968 and Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
from 1969 to 1973. He was chair of the Board of Governors for Georgian College
Georgian College
Georgian College is an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology. Its primary campus is in Barrie, Ontario, with satellite campuses in Orillia, Midland, Collingwood, Bracebridge, Port Colborne, Orangeville, and Owen Sound....
from 1967 to 1974 and Simcoe County warden in 1966. He also served as chair of the Niagara Escarpment Commission in the early 1970s.
He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1975 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1975
The Ontario general election of 1975 was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, after defeating long serving Dufferin Simcoe MP Wally Downer for the Progressive Conservative nomination. He defeated Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
Bob Beattie
Bob Beattie
Robert Wetherson "Bob" Beattie was a professional American football player who played offensive tackle/defensive tackle in the American Football League and the National Football League . He played for the AFL's Philadelphia Quakers and the NFL's New York Yankees and Orange/Newark Tornadoes ....
by 1,691 votes in the constituency of Dufferin—Simcoe
Dufferin—Simcoe
Dufferin—Simcoe was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario...
. He was elected by greater margins in the elections of 1977
Ontario general election, 1977
The Ontario general election of 1977 was held on June 9, 1977, to elect the 125 members of the 31st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, 1981
Ontario general election, 1981
The Ontario general election of 1981 was held on March 19, 1981, to elect members of the 32nd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
and 1985
Ontario general election, 1985
The Ontario general election of 1985 was held on May 2, 1985, to elect members of the 33rd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada...
.
McCague served as parliamentary assistant to the Treasurer just before the 1977 election, and was brought into Bill Davis's cabinet on September 21, 1977 as Minister of Government Services. On January 21, 1978, he was shifted to the Ministry of the Environment. He was named Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet on August 18, 1978, and retained this position until Davis resigned as Premier in 1985. McCague tried to convince Davis to remain in office for another election, but afterwards endorsed Frank Miller to succeed him as party leader.
When Miller replaced Davis as Premier on February 8, 1985, he appointed McCague as Minister of Transportation and Communications. Soon after this, the Tories were reduced to a tenuous minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
in the 1985 election under Miller's leadership. McCague was retained in his portfolio after the election, but did little of significance before the government was defeated in the house. He sat in opposition for the remainder of his time in the legislature.
McCague was narrowly re-elected in the 1987 election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
, defeating Liberal candidate Gary Johnson by only 306 votes in the redistributed constituency of Simcoe West
Simcoe West
Simcoe West was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of Ontario, active from 1875 to 1926 and from 1987 to 1999.-Members of Provincial Parliament:...
. He did not seek re-election in 1990. He returned to municipal politics, and served as mayor of Tecumseth from 1992 to 1994.
McCague is considered a mentor to his successor in the legislature, former cabinet minister Jim Wilson. He continued to support the federal Progressive Conservative Party
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....
over the Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
in the 1990s.
Shortly after Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
returned the Progressive Conservatives to government in 1995, McCague was appointed as a government negotiator in talks with the Ontario Medical Association.