Al Mackling

Alvin "Al" Mackling (born December 31, 1927) is a longtime Canadian Democratic Socialist and a retired lawyer. He was an alderman in the former city of St. James from 1961 to 1969 He was a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party governments of Edward Schreyer and Howard Pawley.

Biography

Early life The son of John Mackling, he was born in 1927 In 1944 he left high school and was employed with Saskatchewan Pool Elevators for five years. In the early 1940s he was smitten by the social gospel of J. S. Woodsworth and Stanley Knowles. He became an active member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Young People's Movement, becoming its President. In 1949 he went back to school graduating from United College (now the University of Winnipeg) in 1953. He worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway as a yardman for a year, then entered the Manitoba Law School in 1954, graduating in 1958. During his university years he was actively involved in University Mock Parliament as a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF).

His first campaign as a candidate for political office was as a CCF candidate in the 1953 provincial election. He ran in the constituency of Assiniboia and was only narrowly defeated by the incumbent MLA, Reg Wightman.

He ran unsuccessfully in several subsequent Provincial elections and once as a Federal CCF candidate in 1957.

In the 1950s Mackling and Howard Pawley were regarded as rebels against the CCF establishment in Manitoba. Both opposed the party's decision to dissolve itself into the New Democratic Party. They opposed the new party structure that gave labour unions a separate voting status within the new party.

Political career Mackling was finally elected to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly in the 1969 election. He was named Attorney General of Manitoba on July 16, 1969, and held the position for the Schreyer government's first term in office. He also served as Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs from December 18, 1969, to August 1970. Mackling decided not to contest the 1988 election and has not returned to provincial political life since that time. He came second behind Conservative candidate Vic Toews, capturing about 18% of the popular vote.

Personal

He and his wife Patricia Taeko Ono were married in 1956. Patricia's mother, Lucille Ono, was a devoted supporter of the CCF and NDP. In her honour the Manitoba New Democratic Party presents an annual award to a member of the Party in recognition of his or her dedicated support.