Rae Luckock
Encyclopedia
Margaret Rae Morrison Luckock (October 15, 1893 - January 24, 1972) known as Rae Luckock was a feminist, social justice activist, peace activist and, with Agnes Macphail
, one of the two first women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
.
A member of the Ontario Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
, Luckock was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1943 provincial election
representing the Toronto
riding of Bracondale
. She served until the 1945 provincial election
.
. Her father, James J. Morrison
, was a founder of the United Farmers of Ontario
and served as the party's general secretary
during the UFO's years in power.
She married Richard Luckock, a tool-and-die maker, in 1914, and the couple ultimately settled in Toronto.
Luckock worked as a seamstress during the Great Depression
but had to go on social relief when she became unemployed. During this period, her daughter contracted scarlet fever
and died. The tragedy motivated Luckock's life-long fight for social programs.
(CCF) at its inception in 1932 and served as a local party activist. She ran for the Toronto school board several times before winning election as a trustee in 1943. Later that year she was the CCF's successful candidate in Bracondale for the provincial election and resigned her position on the school board.
propelling them to official opposition status in a minority legislature
with 34 seats.
Luckock and Agnes Macphail were both elected to the provincial legislature for the first time that year, the first women ever to serve as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). As new MPPs were usually sworn in in alphabetical order, Luckock was due to become the first woman ever sworn in as an MPP, but she deferred to Macphail in recognition of the latter's long career as a federal Member of Parliament
. Luckock was thus the second woman to take the MPP's oath.
In the legislature, Luckock served as the CCF's education critic and promoted the idea of free university tuition and improved rural education. She also championed the equality of women by advocating equal pay for equal work
and pay for homemakers.
Luckock was defeated in the 1945 provincial election which reduced the CCF caucus to only eight MPPs and third party status.
She served as president of the Housewives and Consumers Association (HCA) from 1943 to 1944, and organized its 1948 "March of a Million Names" campaign that petitioned the federal government to lower the price of consumer goods. A million names were gathered for the petition which was presented to Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King
by Luckock at a large rally on Parliament Hill
. The campaign resulted in the federal government taking action against milling and baking companies for artificially fixing the price of bread.
Labour-Progressive Party
were involved in the HCA leading it to be labelled a "communist front
". The CCF had actively purged suspected Communists from its ranks since its founding and Luckock's involvement with the HCA brought her under suspicion and resulting in demands that she choose between leaving the HCA or being expelled from the CCF. Luckock chose the HCA and was expelled from the CCF in 1948. The party had a resurgence of fortunes in that year's provincial election
and regained her riding of Bracondale but with Harry Walters as the new CCF standard-bearer instead of Luckock.
The HCA joined with other women's groups to form the Congress of Canadian Women in 1950, and Luckock was elected its first president. The Congress was involved with the peace movement
during the Cold War
.
, including one in the People's Republic of China
in 1956. As a result she was blacklisted, and was once barred from entry into the United States
. She successfully argued that she should be allowed in.
Luckock was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
shortly after her trip to China and spent the last years of her life in hospital.
Agnes Macphail
Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
, one of the two first women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
.
A member of the Ontario Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
, Luckock was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1943 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1943
The Ontario general election of 1943 was held on August 4, 1943, to elect the 90 Members of the 21st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
representing the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
riding of Bracondale
Bracondale
Bracondale was a provincial electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1967. It's most notable achievement, was electing one of two women Members of the Provincial Parliament to share the title "first-woman MPP" in 1943...
. She served until the 1945 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1945
The Ontario general election of 1945 was held on June 4, 1945, to elect the 90 members of the 22nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
.
Background and early life
Luckock was raised on a family farm in Arthur, OntarioArthur, Ontario
Arthur is a community located just north of Hwy 6 and Wellington Road 109 in the township of Wellington North, Ontario, Canada. Formerly an independent village, Arthur was amalgamated into Wellington North on January 1, 1999.-History:...
. Her father, James J. Morrison
James J. Morrison
James J. Morrison was a farm leader in Ontario, Canada, a founder of the United Farmers of Ontario in 1914, and a leader of the co-operative movement...
, was a founder of the United Farmers of Ontario
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...
and served as the party's general secretary
General secretary
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
during the UFO's years in power.
She married Richard Luckock, a tool-and-die maker, in 1914, and the couple ultimately settled in Toronto.
Luckock worked as a seamstress during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
but had to go on social relief when she became unemployed. During this period, her daughter contracted scarlet fever
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Once a major cause of death, it is now effectively treated with antibiotics...
and died. The tragedy motivated Luckock's life-long fight for social programs.
Joined Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Rae Luckock joined the Co-operative Commonwealth FederationCo-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
(CCF) at its inception in 1932 and served as a local party activist. She ran for the Toronto school board several times before winning election as a trustee in 1943. Later that year she was the CCF's successful candidate in Bracondale for the provincial election and resigned her position on the school board.
Elected to Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The 1943 election was a major breakthrough for the Ontario CCFCo-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section)
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation – The Farmer-Labor Party of Ontario, or more informally and commonly known as The Ontario CCF, was a democratic socialist political party that existed from 1932 to 1961. It was the provincial wing of the National CCF. The party officially had no leader in...
propelling them to official opposition status in a minority legislature
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
with 34 seats.
Luckock and Agnes Macphail were both elected to the provincial legislature for the first time that year, the first women ever to serve as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). As new MPPs were usually sworn in in alphabetical order, Luckock was due to become the first woman ever sworn in as an MPP, but she deferred to Macphail in recognition of the latter's long career as a federal Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. Luckock was thus the second woman to take the MPP's oath.
In the legislature, Luckock served as the CCF's education critic and promoted the idea of free university tuition and improved rural education. She also championed the equality of women by advocating equal pay for equal work
Equal pay for equal work
Equal pay for equal work is the concept that individuals doing the same work should receive the same remuneration. In America, for example, the law states that "employers may not pay unequal wages to men and women who perform jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort and responsibility,...
and pay for homemakers.
Luckock was defeated in the 1945 provincial election which reduced the CCF caucus to only eight MPPs and third party status.
She served as president of the Housewives and Consumers Association (HCA) from 1943 to 1944, and organized its 1948 "March of a Million Names" campaign that petitioned the federal government to lower the price of consumer goods. A million names were gathered for the petition which was presented to Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
by Luckock at a large rally on Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
. The campaign resulted in the federal government taking action against milling and baking companies for artificially fixing the price of bread.
Alleged Communist controversies
Members of the communistCommunism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
Labour-Progressive Party
Labour-Progressive Party
For the Labour-Progressive Coalition Government in New Zealand see the Fifth Labour Government of New ZealandThe Labor-Progressive Party was the legal political organization of the Communist Party of Canada between 1943 and 1959....
were involved in the HCA leading it to be labelled a "communist front
Communist front
A Communist front organization is an organization identified to be a front organization under the effective control of a Communist party, the Communist International or other Communist organizations. Lenin originated the idea in his manifesto of 1902, "What Is to Be Done?"...
". The CCF had actively purged suspected Communists from its ranks since its founding and Luckock's involvement with the HCA brought her under suspicion and resulting in demands that she choose between leaving the HCA or being expelled from the CCF. Luckock chose the HCA and was expelled from the CCF in 1948. The party had a resurgence of fortunes in that year's provincial election
Ontario general election, 1948
The Ontario general election of 1948 was held on June 7, 1948, to elect the 90 members of the 23rd Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
and regained her riding of Bracondale but with Harry Walters as the new CCF standard-bearer instead of Luckock.
The HCA joined with other women's groups to form the Congress of Canadian Women in 1950, and Luckock was elected its first president. The Congress was involved with the peace movement
Peace movement
A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war , minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace...
during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Banned from US
Luckock attended conferences of the World Peace CouncilWorld Peace Council
The World Peace Council is an international organization that advocates universal disarmament, sovereignty and independence and peaceful co-existence, and campaigns against imperialism, weapons of mass destruction and all forms of discrimination...
, including one in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in 1956. As a result she was blacklisted, and was once barred from entry into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She successfully argued that she should be allowed in.
Luckock was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
shortly after her trip to China and spent the last years of her life in hospital.