Alexander Mackenzie
Today is the birthday of Canada’s first Liberal prime minister, Alexander Mackenzie. A former stone mason, Mackenzie was always fiercely proud of his working class origins and on three occasions, turned down the offer of a knighthood. He was widely considered to be honest and forthright and became prime minister in November 1873 after John A. Macdonald resigned due to the Pacific Scandal.
Many lasting Canadian institutions can be credited to this first Liberal administration including the secret ballot, the Supreme Court, the Royal Military College of Canada and the Office of the Auditor General.
- Bob Rae
This is a Historic Piece of our liberal.ca webplace! as liberal from abroad many of my connections are with my romanian history! We love a lot the Portrait of Canada which challenge the Stability, Tradition and Interferences of the Political world. Have a healthy and Prosperous year to all my liberals troughtout Canada and The World!
Sincerely,
Anca Nedelcu
Happy Birthday Prime Minister and Many Happy Returns ahead!
It is nice to know that Alexander Mackenzie is being remembered, as most people look back to Laurier as Canada’s first Liberal PM. Another very important reform Mackenzie implemented was the secret ballot. He was very much Canada’s first “everyman” politician, someone who appealed to the working classes. Mackenzie is personally important to me since my family came from the same area as him (Sarnia/Lambton County). Happy Birthday!