Robert W. Mackenzie

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Robert Warren Mackenzie (June 6, 1928 – January 17, 2011) was a Canadian politician from Ontario. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing Hamilton East from 1975 to 1995, and served as Ontario’s Minister of Labour in Bob Rae’s government.

Early life and work
Mackenzie grew up in western Quebec and left school after grade seven to work at the E.B. Eddy paper mill in Hull. He also worked as a merchant seaman and later in an auto plant in Windsor. He eventually settled in Hamilton and became active in the labor movement, including the United Steelworkers of America and the Hamilton and District Labour Council. He and his wife Sylvia had six children.

Political beginnings
Mackenzie first ran for office in 1955 as a candidate for the Ontario CCF in Windsor—Walkerville, finishing second. He ran for the federal NDP in Hamilton–Wentworth in 1972 and 1974, losing both times. He finally won a provincial seat in 1975 and was re-elected in 1977, 1981, 1985, 1987, and 1990. He faced a close challenge in 1985 from Liberal Shirley Collins but won by a comfortable margin otherwise.

Rae era and labour issues
He supported Bob Rae for the NDP leadership in 1982. After the 1985 election, Mackenzie and a small group of NDP members argued for supporting the Progressive Conservatives to advance labour issues, rather than the Liberals. He served as the party’s Labour Critic from 1985 to 1990.

When the NDP won a majority in 1990, Mackenzie was appointed Minister of Labour on October 1, 1990. He helped pass Bill 40 in 1992, which introduced anti-scab provisions and other pro-labour measures; the bill became law on January 1, 1993. He also pushed for pay equity for nurses and child-care workers and extended union rights to farm workers. In 1993, he supported the Rae government’s Social Contract.

Controversy and later years
In 1994, it was revealed that his son David had been hired as a special advisor to the Premier’s office, leading Mackenzie to resign as Labour Minister on October 20, 1994. He did not seek re-election in 1995. He remained involved in politics, supporting Andrea Horwath’s campaign in a 2004 by-election. Mackenzie died on January 17, 2011, at the age of 82.