Frank McGee

March 3, 1926 (age 73)

McGee had a family history of public service. In 1943, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at the age of 17 and served until the end of World World War II in 1945. He settled in Toronto after the war where he worked as a purchase manager for Sears. A Progressive Conservative, McGee was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons as the Member of Parliament 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. However, a judicial recount determined that McGee had lost the election by four votes. 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. In 1990 he was appointed a Citizenship Judge.

Frank McGee

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entrepreneur journalist politician

Education

McGee studied journalism at what was then Carleton College in Ottawa.

Career

McGee had a family history of public service. In 1943, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at the age of 17 and served until the end of World World War II in 1945. He settled in Toronto after the war where he worked as a purchase manager for Sears.

A Progressive Conservative, McGee was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons as the Member of Parliament 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. However, a judicial recount determined that McGee had lost the election by four votes.

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.

In 1990 he was appointed a Citizenship Judge.

Politics

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. Following his departure from parliament, McGee worked as a political reporter for the Toronto Star and was also host of the Canadian Broadcasting Company television program The Sixties. In 1984, he was appointed to the Security Intelligence Review Committee for a five-year term.

Membership

Frank McGee was also a grand-nephew of Father of Confederation and member of parliament, Doctorate"arcy McGee.

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Frank McGee

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