Bryce Stuart Mackasey PC (August 25, 1921 – September 5, 1999) was a Canadian politician and diplomat. He served as twice a Member of Parliament, as a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec, and as ambassador to Portugal.

Bryce Mackasey
Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
In office
April 8, 1976 – September 13, 1976
Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau
Preceded byAndré Ouellet
Succeeded byTony Abbott
Postmaster General of Canada
In office
August 8, 1974 – September 13, 1976
Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau
Preceded byAndré Ouellet
Succeeded byJean-Jacques Blais
Minister of Manpower and Immigration
In office
January 28, 1972 – November 26, 1972
Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau
Preceded byOtto Lang
Succeeded byBob Andras
Minister of Labour
In office
July 5, 1968 – January 27, 1972
Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau
Preceded byJean-Luc Pépin
Succeeded by Martin O'Connell
Minister without portfolio
In office
February 9, 1968 – July 4, 1968
Prime MinisterLester B. Pearson
Pierre Trudeau
Member of Parliament
for Lincoln
In office
February 18, 1980 – September 3, 1984
Preceded byKen Higson
Succeeded byShirley Martin
Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
In office
November 15, 1976 – April 25, 1978
Preceded byWilliam Tetley
Succeeded byReed Scowen
Member of Parliament
for Verdun
In office
June 18, 1962 – October 27, 1976
Preceded byKen Higson
Succeeded byShirley Martin
Personal details
Born
Bryce Stuart Mackasey

(1921-08-25)August 25, 1921
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
DiedSeptember 5, 1999(1999-09-05) (aged 78)
Verdun, Quebec, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Spouse
Margaret Cecilia O’Malley
(m. 1942)
Children4
Education
Profession
  • Manufacturer
  • merchant
  • businessman

Career

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Born in Quebec City, Quebec, Mackasey was elected as a Liberal candidate in the riding of Verdun in the 1962 federal election. He was re-elected in the 1963, 1965, 1968, 1972, and 1974 elections. He resigned in 1976 to run in the Quebec provincial election that year, and was elected to the Quebec National Assembly for the riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. He resigned in 1978 to run in a federal by-election in the riding of Ottawa Centre, but was defeated. From 1978 to 1979, he served briefly as President of Air Canada. He was re-elected in the riding of Lincoln in the 1980 election.

Mackasey held numerous ministerial positions including Labour, Manpower and Immigration, Secretary of State, Postmaster General of Canada and Consumer and Corporate Affairs.

Controversy

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When Mackasey left office in 1984 Prime Minister John Turner appointed him Ambassador to Portugal; this led to Conservative leader Brian Mulroney's famous comment about patronage, "There's no whore like an old whore".[1] Mulroney canceled the appointment shortly after he was elected and appointed former Speaker of the House Lloyd Francis in Mackasey's place.

Awards

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In 1970, Mackasey received an honorary doctorate from Sir George Williams University, which later became Concordia University.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Off-the-record chats can go off the rails". The Globe and Mail. 2005-12-16. p. A9.
  2. ^ "Honorary Degree Citation - Bryce Mackasey* | Concordia University Archives". archives.concordia.ca. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
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