Elmer MacKay, former federal minister and Nova Scotia MP, dies at 89

Former Central Nova MP Elmer MacKay from New Glasgow was a significant figure in the Brian Mulroney Conservative government. Photo by Richard MacKenzie / The News

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Elmer MacKay, a former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister, longtime Nova Scotia MP and father of onetime federal party leader Peter MacKay, has died at 89.

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“In his 90th yr our beloved father Elmer was called home. His was an extraordinary life, collecting legions of friends leaving a legacy of hard work and public service,” read the post.

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First elected as MP for Central Nova in 1971, Elmer MacKay went on to serve in the Progressive Conservative cabinets of prime ministers Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney. His multiple ministerial portfolios included solicitor general, national revenue, public works and regional economic development for Atlantic Canada.

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MacKay temporarily resigned his seat in 1983 to allow then newly chosen PC leader Brian Mulroney to enter Parliament through a by-election in Central Nova.

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He regained the seat in the 1984 election, when Mulroney ran on his home turf in Quebec, and stayed on as an MP until 1993.

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“Mr. MacKay meant so much to our family, and we will always be grateful for his friendship, loyalty, and kindness,” wrote Mulroney.

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He wrote that MacKay’s decision to step aside to allow his father to run in Central Nova was an “extraordinary act of generosity” that “helped shape the course of Canadian history.”

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MacKay, a close political ally of Mulroney’s, had a peripheral but notable connection to the Airbus affair, a scandal surrounding the controversial purchase of Airbus passenger aircraft in the 1980s by Air Canada, then a Crown corporation, and allegations that bribes had been paid for the deal. MacKay told a federal inquiry that he’d acted as a reluctant mediator between Mulroney and Karlheinz Schreiber, the German-Canadian businessman who had been accused of facilitating the payoffs. None of the allegations were ever proven.

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Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also posted messages of condolence.

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Houston wrote on Facebook that, despite holding some of the most senior positions in the federal government, MacKay never lost his local connection to Central Nova Scotia.

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“Elmer kept his name and number in the phone book so you could always get ahold of him,” wrote Houston. “He was a great person who was always eager to help people.”

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Poilievre called MacKay a “legend” and “true servant of the state” in a lengthy post.

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“People adored Elmer. And he loved them in return. In Nova Scotia, I still hear anecdotes about how Elmer would visit the neediest families just before Christmas with a bag of gifts and a fresh turkey for dinner. He never sought recognition and never publicized his generosity,” wrote Poilievre.

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Poilievre noted MacKay’s promotion of major initiatives in Atlantic Canada, such as the Confederation Bridge linking P.E.I. to New Brunswick and continuous ferry service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia.

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“Elmer believed in, and promoted, the east coast and its people,” wrote Poilievre.

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National Post
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