James Aloysius McGrath, (January 11, 1932 – February 28, 2017) was a politician and the eighth lieutenant governor of Newfoundland, Canada.

Life

As a young man, McGrath was a member of the Responsible Government League which opposed

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

becoming a province of Canada. Nevertheless, upon the dominion's joining confederation in 1949, McGrath left to enlist with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He returned to

in 1953 and became sales manager with radio station CJON. In 1955, he became secretary of the provincial Progressive Conservative Party association. In 1956, he ran unsuccessfully for the party in the provincial election.

Federal politics

He entered federal politics the next year, and won a seat in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

in the 1957 election as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for St. John's East. In 1962, McGrath became parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys, and served in that position until he was defeated along with the Diefenbaker government in the 1963 election. McGrath regained his seat in the 1968 election, and remained in parliament through five subsequent elections. When the Progressive Conservatives formed the government following the 1979 election, Prime Minister Joe Clark advised the Governor General to appoint McGrath

Minister of Fisheries and Oceans The minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard () is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet responsible for supervising the fishing industry, administrating all navigable waterways in the country, and overseeing the o ...

. McGrath returned to the opposition bench when Clark's

minority government A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and Cabinet (government), cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or Coalition government, coalition of parties do ...

was defeated in the 1980 election. McGrath was not included in the

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

when the Tories returned to power in the 1984 election under

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney ( ; born March 20, 1939) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studied political sci ...

. Instead, McGrath was appointed chairman of the Special Committee on the Reform of the House of Commons. The report he authored led to a number of procedural changes, including the introduction of election by secret ballot for the position of Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons. Its recommendations also led to the formation of the

Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians The Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians (CAFP) is a non-profit organization, established by an Act of the Parliament of Canada, the membership of which is composed of former members of the Senate or House of Commons of Canada. Hist ...

, established in 1996. McGrath also served as chairman of the Standing Committee on Human Rights.

Retirement

In August 1986, McGrath left politics to accept an appointment as Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland. He retired from the position in 1991.

Death

McGrath died at home on February 28, 2017.

Arms

References

External links

Biography at Government House ''The Governorship of Newfoundland and Labrador''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:McGrath, James 1932 births 2017 deaths Canadian people of Irish descent Lieutenant Governors of Newfoundland and Labrador Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs Members of the 21st Canadian Ministry Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Newfoundland and Labrador Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada People from Buchans