Alan Macnaughton facts for kids

Alan Aylesworth Macnaughton (July 30, 1903 – July 16, 1999) was an important Canadian politician. He served as the Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada from 1963 to 1966. He also helped create the World Wildlife Fund Canada.

Macnaughton was born in Greater Napanee, Ontario. He went to Upper Canada College for his education. Later, he studied law at McGill University and became a lawyer in Montreal.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Alan Macnaughton first became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1949. He was elected for the riding of Mount Royal. He was a member of the Liberal Party.

Chairman of Public Accounts

After the 1958 election, Macnaughton became the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. This committee looks at how the government spends money. His good work in this role led to his next big job.

Serving as Speaker of the House

In 1963, the Liberal government chose Alan Macnaughton to be the Speaker of the House of Commons. The Speaker is like a referee in Parliament. They make sure debates follow the rules and keep order.

Challenges as Speaker

During Macnaughton's time as Speaker, Canada had a minority government. This means no single party had enough seats to control the House easily. This led to many long and heated debates. It was a tough job for the Speaker to keep everyone in line.

Improving Parliament's Rules

Macnaughton worked to make Parliament more efficient. He set up special groups to suggest new rules. These groups included members from different political parties.

• They suggested new ways to manage time during debates.
• They proposed changes to how committees work.
• They also suggested that members of Parliament should get money for research.

Many of these new rules were put into place.

The Great Canadian Flag Debate

One of the most famous debates during his time was about choosing a new Canadian flag. This was called the Flag Debate. Macnaughton made a special decision during this debate. He allowed the motion to be split into two parts.

• One part was about making the Maple Leaf the new flag.
• The other part was about keeping the Union Flag as a symbol of Canada's link to the Commonwealth of Nations.

This was the first time a Speaker had ever split a motion on their own. Macnaughton did this to help the debate move forward and calm the House.

Life After Parliament

Macnaughton did not run in the 1965 election. He decided to leave elected politics. Future Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau took his place as the MP for Mount Royal.

Joining the Senate

In 1966, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson asked Macnaughton to join the Senate of Canada. Senators are appointed, not elected, and they review laws. He served in the Senate until he retired in 1978.

Honors and Conservation Work

In 1994, Alan Macnaughton was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is one of Canada's highest honors.

In 1967, Macnaughton founded World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada). This is the Canadian part of the global group, World Wide Fund for Nature, which works to protect nature and wildlife.

Archives

There is an Alan Macnaughton fonds (a collection of historical records) at Library and Archives Canada.