John Palmer MacBeth

John Palmer MacBeth (November 19, 1921 – March 20, 1991) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1981. He represented the ridings of York West and Humber in the west end of Toronto. He served as a cabinet minister in the government of Bill Davis.

Background MacBeth was born in Toronto, the son of John Charles McKay MacBeth and Virginia Maria Palmer. MacBeth served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II from 1943 to 1945 on the corvette 'Orangeville' and attained the rank of Petty Officer. Later he practiced with a friend from kindergarten Douglas Swinarton Johnson as the law firm MacBeth and Johnson. His other lifelong friend, Andrew Leroy or uncle Wump, was also from kindergarten. He and his wife Ruth raised three children, John, Wendy and Nancy. He enjoyed clothes, cheap cigars and making fires. For years he and Ruth made their own Christmas cards, some needed a box for mailing. Fascinated as a boy by 'Mutiny on the Bounty', late in life he saw Pitcairn Island. Every day he read from the Bible. The kilt of his ancestors who came to the Red River settlement in 1812 was worn for Christmas family gatherings.

Community involvement ranged from the Kiwanis club of the Kingsway, to Masons lodge 655, to president of the Ontario Cancer Society.

Politics He was the last reeve of Etobicoke from 1963 to 1966 and was also chairman of the Etobicoke board of education. He was re-elected in 1975 in the riding of Humber defeating Liberal candidate Alex Marchetti. He was re-elected in 1977.

MacBeth was appointed to cabinet On June 1, 1974 as Minister of Labour to replace Fern Guindon who was seeking Federal office. In 1977, he briefly held the position of Minister of Correctional Services after Arthur Meen retired from office.

MacBeth said that one of his best accomplishments was passing a Sunday closing law in Ontario. He said, "I still get letters from people who are thankful that they do not have to work on those days." He retired from politics in 1981.