Agnes Campbell Macphail (March 24, 1890 – February 13, 1954) was a Canadian politician who was elected to the House of Commons of Canada from 1921 to 1940. She was the first woman to be elected to parliament.
From 1943 to 1945 and again from 1948 to 1951 she was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing the Toronto riding of York East. Active throughout her life in progressive Canadian politics, Macphail worked for two separate parties and promoted her ideas through column-writing, activist organizing, and legislation.
After amendments to the Elections Act by the Conservative Party government in 1919, Macphail was elected to the House of Commons as a member of the Progressive Party of Canada for the Grey Southeast electoral district (riding) in the 1921 federal election. She was the first woman Member of Parliament (MP) in Canada. Macphail was re-elected in the 1925, 1926, and 1930 federal elections.
Macphail objected to the Royal Military College of Canada in 1924 on the grounds that it taught snobbishness and provided a cheap education for the sons of the rich and again in 1931 on pacifist grounds.[3]
As a radical member of the Progressive Party, Macphail joined the socialist Ginger Group, faction of the Progressive Party that later led to the formation of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). She became the first president of the Ontario CCF in 1932.[4] However, she left the CCF in 1934 when the United Farmers of Ontario pulled out, over fears of Communist influence in the Ontario CCF.[5] While Macphail was no longer formally a CCF member, she remained close to the CCF MPs and often participated in caucus meetings. The CCF did not run candidates against Macphail in her three subsequent federal campaigns.
In the 1935 federal election, Macphail was again elected, this time as a United Farmers of Ontario–Labour MP for the newly formed Grey—Bruce riding.[6] She was allowed to use the party's name, even after it stopped being a political organization in 1934. She was always a strong voice for rural issues. Macphail was also a strong advocate for penal reform and her efforts contributed to the launch of the investigative Archambault Commission in 1936. The final report became the basis for reform in Canadian penitentiaries following World War II.[7] Macphail's concern for women in the criminal justice system led her, in 1939, to found the Elizabeth Fry Society of Canada, named after British reformer Elizabeth Fry.
Causes she championed included pensions for seniors and workers' rights. Macphail was also the first Canadian woman delegate to the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, where she worked with the World Disarmament Committee. Although a pacifist, she voted for Canada to enter World War II.
In the 1940 election, she was defeated. With the death of United Reform MP for Saskatoon City, Walter George Brown, a few days after the election, Macphail was recruited by the United Reform Movement to run in the by-election to fill the seat. On August 19, she was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Alfred Henry Bence. He received 4,798 votes, while Macphail placed second with 4,057 votes. It was her last federal campaign as a candidate.
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Free tickets must be obtained to visit the bust of Agnes Campbell MacPhail. Bust is in the Senate Foyer.
All visits to Parliament are offered free of charge. Tickets for guided tours and the Peace Tower and Memorial Chamber are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Individuals and groups with fewer than 10 people can get same-day tickets as of 9 a.m. daily. Tickets are distributed at 90 Wellington Street, across from Parliament Hill.
Visiting Hours:
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When Parliament is sitting:
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3:20 pm
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When Parliament is not sitting:
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May 14 - June 30
WEEKDAYS
When Parliament is sitting:
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9:00 am to 12:50 pm
3:20 pm to 7:20 pm
Wednesday
12:30 pm to 7:20 pm
Friday
9:00 am to 9:50 am
12:50 pm to 7:20 pm
When Parliament is not sitting:
Monday to Friday
9:00 am to 7:20 pm
WEEKENDS
Saturday and Sunday
9:00 am to 4:20 pm