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Daniel J. MacDonald

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Daniel J. MacDonald
Minister of Veterans Affairs
In office
3 March 1980 – 30 September 1980
Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau
Preceded byAllan McKinnon
Succeeded byGilles Lamontagne (acting)
In office
21 November 1972 – 3 June 1979
Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau
Preceded byArthur Laing
Succeeded byAllan McKinnon
Member of Parliament
for Cardigan
In office
18 February 1980 – 30 September 1980
Preceded byWilbur MacDonald
Succeeded byW. Bennett Campbell
In office
30 October 1972 – 21 May 1979
Preceded byMelvin McQuaid
Succeeded byWilbur MacDonald
MLA (Councillor) for 1st Kings
In office
10 December 1962 – 1972
Preceded byMelvin McQuaid
Succeeded byMelvin McQuaid
Personal details
Born
Daniel Joseph MacDonald

(1918-07-23)23 July 1918
Bothwell, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Died30 September 1980(1980-09-30) (aged 62)
Political partyLiberal
SpousePauline Peters
Children7

Daniel Joseph MacDonald PC (23 July 1918 – 30 September 1980) was a Canadian politician from Prince Edward Island. He served as Minister of Veterans Affairs from 1972 to 1979 and again in 1980 until his death.

Life

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He was born on his family's farm in Bothwell, Prince Edward Island, and was educated in a one-room schoolhouse.

At the age of 20, he bought his own farm at Bothwell Beach. In 1940, he enlisted in The Prince Edward Island Highlanders to fight in World War II. He was transferred to the Cape Breton Highlanders in 1943 and fought with the rank of sergeant in Italy, where he was wounded during the assault on the Gothic Line. He returned to his unit after a few weeks and was seriously wounded on December 21, 1944, during the Battle of Senio River. As a result, his left arm and leg were amputated. Undiscouraged by his injuries, he returned to his farm, married a local woman named Pauline Peters, built a house, and raised seven children: Blair, Heather, Gail, Daniel, Leo, Walter, and Gloria. The singer-songwriter Jenn Grant is a granddaughter.

Political career

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In 1962, he was elected to the Prince Edward Island House of Assembly and sat in the body for ten years. He served as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry from 1966 to 1972, when he resigned to run in the 1972 federal election. Elected as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Cardigan, he was appointed to the Cabinet of Pierre Trudeau as Minister of Veterans Affairs. He was defeated in the 1979 federal election but returned in the 1980 election and was then reappointed to the Veterans Affairs portfolio. MacDonald reformed veterans' pensions to make them more generous and introduced disability pensions and pensions for prisoners of war.

In the late 1970s, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau undertook an initiative to decentralize government away from Ottawa. He and MacDonald devised the plan to move the headquarters of the Department of Veterans Affairs from Ottawa to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The department's head office, along with the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, have been located in the Daniel J. MacDonald Building (the "DJM") in PEI's capital ever since. (In the early 21st century, a second building two blocks from the DJM, the Jean Canfield Building (the "JCB"), was constructed to house other federal government offices, including some from Veterans Affairs Canada.) The department has become a major economic contributor to PEI, and has had an important impact on Charlottetown's cultural landscape.

MacDonald died in office on September 30, 1980, and was given a state funeral. The eulogy was given by Prime Minister Trudeau at St. Dunstan's Cathedral, in Charlottetown.

Electoral history

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1979 Canadian federal election: Cardigan
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Wilbur MacDonald 8,219 48.11 +5.98
Liberal Daniel J. MacDonald 7,972 46.67 -7.32
New Democratic George MacFarlane 892 5.22 +1.94
Total valid votes 17,083 100.00
1974 Canadian federal election: Cardigan
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Daniel J. MacDonald 6,958 53.99 +9.45
Progressive Conservative Leo James Walsh 5,429 42.13 +0.95
New Democratic Martin Gerard Kenny 423 3.28 -10.99
Independent A. Neil Harpham 77 0.60
Total valid votes 12,887 100.00
1972 Canadian federal election: Cardigan
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Daniel J. MacDonald 5,528 44.54 -4.21
Progressive Conservative Alfred Kenneth Fraser 5,111 41.18 -8.35
New Democratic Aquinas Ryan 1,771 14.27 +12.51
Total valid votes 12,410 100.00

References

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20th Ministry – First cabinet of Pierre Trudeau
Cabinet post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Arthur Laing Minister of Veterans Affairs
1972–1979
Allan McKinnon
22nd Ministry – Second cabinet of Pierre Trudeau
Cabinet post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Allan McKinnon Minister of Veterans Affairs
1980
Gilles Lamontagne
Other offices
Preceded by Councillor for 1st Kings
1962–1972
Succeeded by