Daniel J. MacDonald

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.

The Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald PC
Minister of Veterans Affairs
In office 3 March 1980 – 30 September 1980
Prime Minister	Pierre Trudeau
Preceded by	Allan McKinnon
Succeeded by	Gilles Lamontagne (acting)
In office 21 November 1972 – 3 June 1979
Prime Minister	Pierre Trudeau
Preceded by	Arthur Laing
Succeeded by	Allan McKinnon
Member of Parliament for Cardigan
In office 18 February 1980 – 30 September 1980
Preceded by	Wilbur MacDonald
Succeeded by	W. Bennett Campbell
In office 30 October 1972 – 21 May 1979
Preceded by	Melvin McQuaid
Succeeded by	Wilbur MacDonald
MLA (Councillor) for 1st Kings
In office 10 December 1962 – 1972
Preceded by	Melvin McQuaid
Succeeded by	Melvin McQuaid
Personal details
Born	Daniel Joseph MacDonald (1918-07-23)23 July 1918 Bothwell, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Died	30 September 1980(1980-09-30) (aged 62)
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Pauline Peters
Children	7

Life

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

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

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

• Department of Veterans Affairs biography