Joseph McNamara (June 18, 1888 – July 14, 1957) was an

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political figure. He represented Riverdale in the

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from 1919 to 1923 as the only member of the Soldier Party and supported the

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- Independent Labour Party government of

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that took office following the election. However, McNamara remained independent and, in 1921, made an alliance with M.M. MacBride, a dissenting member of the Independent Labour Party who had left the governing caucus, to move a

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which would have introduced an eight-hour day. This was seen as an attempt to embarrass the rest of the ILP who opposed the measure in deference to the farmer base of the United Farmers who saw it as a threat to their ability to afford farm workers.''Patterns of the Past: Interpreting Ontario's History'' By Roger Hall, William Westfall, Laurel Sefton MacDowell, Dundurn Press Ltd., 1988 McNamara did not run for re-election in 1923. A quarter-century later, he attempted to return to politics by contesting Riverdale in the 1948 provincial election as a

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but placed third behind the

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and Progressive Conservative candidates. McNamara was born in

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, the son of Thomas McNamara, and came to Canada in 1902. He served as a member of the

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from 1914 to 1915, and prior to this had served four years in the United States Artillery in Wyoming. On September 24, 1915, McNamara enlisted with the 38th Battery, CFA in

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, serving as a sergeant-major. He lost his right arm due to a shell explosion at

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on March 28, 1918.

References

* ''Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1922'', EJ Chambers

External links

* 1888 births 1957 deaths English emigrants to Canada Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers Canadian amputees Canadian politicians with disabilities Independent MPPs in Ontario {{Ontario-MPP-stub