Andrew Ross McMaster

Andrew Ross McMaster (1876 - 1937) is a Québécois politician who worked initially with Ottawa before becoming provincial treasurer (Minister for Finance) in the government of Louis-Alexandre Taschereau.

Private career

Andrew Ross McMaster, wire of the captain John Andrew McMaster, was born with Montreal the November 6th 1876. He studies initially in Montreal High School and Montreal Collegiate Institute before making his right to the Université McGill and the university of Edinburgh in Scotland. He is allowed with the Barreau of Quebec the July 8th 1901 and is created council in law of the king the November 12th 1910.

He initially only follows his occupation in Montreal then, in 1903, joins to the lawyers Fleet, Falconer, Cook, Brodie, Magie, Papineau, Campbell, Couture, Kerry and Bureau . Later, he is lawyer of the Crown in the district of Montreal.

McMaster was member of the Protestant committee of the State education (at the sides inter alia Walter George Mitchell and of Jacob Nicol) and police chief of school with Westmount. In 1915, it was appointed governor with life of the Hospital Western in Montreal. He was president of the Volunteer Electoral League and member of University Club of Montreal and Ottawa.

Public career

Of liberal allegiance, McMaster enters in policy to the autumn 1917 at the time of the federal election. The Liberal party of Canada is then in crisis, part of its delegation, pro-conscriptionniste, having decided to rejoin the conservative government of Robert Borden. Although english-speaking, McMaster takes party against the conscription and supports the position of Wilfrid Laurier. The December 17th, it is elected appointed of Bromine.

At the time of the congress to the cheffery, in 1919, it decides to support Mackenzie King. It is represented in the Bromine county to the general election of the December 6th 1921, gained by King, and it is re-elected. It however quickly puts at back part of the liberal delegation because it encourages the new Prime Minister to make adopt a law severely punishing the conflicts of interest in policy. Finally, the law is not even presented. Disappointed, McMaster decides not to be represented with the election of 1925.

At the summer 1929, the Prime Minister for Quebec, Louis-Alexandre Taschereau, called upon him to replace Jacob Nicol, which has just been named to advise legislative, at the post of provincial treasurer. McMaster however informs him of its point of view concerning its new functions. The speech of the budget must cease being ambiguous because the citizens, according to him, have the right to know the truth on the state of public finances. Indeed, the former treasurers tended sometimes to mask or embellish certain figures which could have embarrassed the government.

McMaster is elected appointed liberal of Compton to the by-election of the September 30th 1929. The January 10th 1930, it reads its only speech of the budget in front of the legislative Assemblée. This budget, not yet touched by the Economic crisis of the years 1930, present of the receipts of: 43000000 CAD and of the expenditure of: 35913000 CAD. The debt is of: 77561000 CAD.

Too much sick, McMaster announces its resignation as minister the October 16th 1930 but guard its station of deputy. He does not represent himself with the election of 1931. It is Gordon Wallace Scott which succeeds to him as provincial treasurer.

On the election of 1936, McMaster supported his/her son-in-law, the unionistic Jonathan Robinson, which was presented in the Bromine county and which was later minister in the cabinet Duplessis.

McMaster dies with Westmount the April 27th 1937.

External bond

Andrew Ross McMaster National Assembly of Quebec

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