File f53 - MacDonald, Flora Isabel

File consists of a recording of Flora MacDonald. Topics of the conversation include subject's yearning for travel since childhood; freedom to hitchhike encouraged by father. Failure of Cape Bretoners to associate travel with pleasure, not work; leisure travel associated with extraregional sophisticates. Speech to Rotary Club, Cape Breton: 'utter stupefaction' of adults at notion of single woman's adventure in Europe (despite male tradition of adventure at sea). Subject's freedom from neighbourly criticism under aegis of exceptional father; father's reputation for independent critical stands. Father's 20-year seniority over mother; identification of mother with children; mother's acknowledged dependency, role as home-maker. Father's influence over children through role in community life; mother's non-involvement. Father as greatest influence in subject's life. Strong ties with Cape Breton formed by share in strong cultural identity, strict Scots-inherited sense of obligation to community. Low-profile Presbyterian guilt syndrome still evident in Ontario. Lasting religious influence of Maritime pioneers. Transfer to Ontario as 'one of the greatest culture shocks' in subject's life; Maritime sensibility (belief in voluble singing, welcoming sociability) assaulted by first Peterborough church service. Subject's first stint in Ontario, broken by frequent returns to Cape Breton; summer homing flight practised by many Cape Bretoners, including U. of T. President Sidney Smith. Several years' employment in Great Britain; return to Canada; working journey across Canada ending in BC; return to Cape Breton. To Ottawa via Montreal; ambition as secretary to join Dept. of External Affairs, with view to travel. Chance detour into Progressive Conservative headquarters en route to Civil Service Commission; acceptance of job which redirected the course of her life. Lack of previous party affiliation, despite Conservative family background; interest sparked by father's attention to political affairs, occasional election work for PCs, avid gallery attendance (Churchill and Attlee) in British House of Commons; no previous identification of political issues with personal ambition. Media contribution to subject's loss of PC leadership campaign: effect of coverage 'hammering home' subject's status as woman (through legitimate questions) to reinforce, reactivate, latent doubts in otherwise accepting persons. Subject's longlasting obliviousness to sexist discrimination: protective influence of non-interfering father, strong female-teacher role models. Absence of stumbling blocks in previous career, placement of politics into same picture. Advancement (Diefenbaker government, 1957) to post of secretary to PC National Director. Director's shift of organisational responsibilities to subject, acceptance that woman might grow in secretarial role. Frustration, acceptance, that Diefenbaker would not appoint her National Director in 1962, despite approval of her untitled work as acting director. Career doubts as partial reason for acceptance; rebellion (1963) against job responsibility, detail; trade-in of job for symbolic rucksack; 6-month hitchhiking tour from Britain to Greece. Arrangements to study French in Paris; telegram from Dalton Camp, 'Bob Stanfield ... needs you. Come home'. Subject's regard for Stanfield; re-entry into political field. Uncanny repeat of previous experience: organisational responsibility under free-reining Director; untitled responsibility during period between appointments. Appointment by Diefenbaker of inexperienced political unknown as National Director, with instructions to fire subject because of accumulated authority. Subject's final awakening to feminist anger: understanding that an utter incompetent was thought fit to replace her because he was a man. Subject's seizure of tactical advantage: abrupt leave-taking upon notice of dismissal; refusal to phase out work, melt away unobtrusively, leaving Director in jeopardy with out­raged party members, burdened with explanation of foul play. Election of subject 6 months later by overwhelming majority as PC National Secretary - poetic justice. Circumstances (lack of animosity toward subject as first woman National Secretary; freedom from sexist restraint as key person in Stanfield's leadership campaign; party solicitation of subject along with male members for conference policy papers) nearly lulling subject into secure belief that any woman could achieve power through similar effort - a belief not held now.//Subject's position as first Administrative Assistant at Queen's (Political Studies Dept.); absence of discrimination against her as woman or as non-academic. Attendance as first woman student at National Defence College: first 'smack between the eyes' as to how male­dominated certain segments of society are, e.g. the military. Pressure felt to be more energetic, resilient, than men to prove her ability. Period coming· to terms with masculine­military prejudice; male participants' vastly different perceptions of their own abilities and women's possibilities. Dilemma whether changing men's concept of her alone does any general good: whether she helps to redefine the sex in men's minds or is merely seen as an exception. Lifelong view of self as person; lack of personal identification with female vanguard, women's advocates; recent attempt at reassessment. Election as Kingston MP as 'tremendous breakthrough', given Kingston area tradition, deep political roots identified with men; comparison with first women MPs elected in Quebec, observation that they were Liberals running in automatically Liberal ridings: harder put to win nomination but almost certain to win election. Desire to enact crucial changes in federal government; certainty that Liberals are handling national problems in a disastrous way, that Trudeau does not understand Canada. PC apprehension of female candidate in Liberal Kingston riding as handicap; realisation this never proved to be so: no experience (in 6 years) of antagonism, resentment, reluctance to deal with her as woman. Observation that 'chip on the shoulder' female attitude is equally harmful, more common than too­belligerent feminist stance. Parliament as an eye-opener after encouraging Kingston experience. Agreement with Lamarsh on Parliament Hill social details: club sense of male camaraderie difficult to penetrate: women politicians will be left out unless they launch a campaign of overtures. Subject's assessment that the advantages and disadvantages of being excluded are evenly split. Equality of women politicians at the policy level. Telling circumstance that no one informed her of caucus habit of gathering at mealtimes in Parliamentary restaurant; passage of 6-8 months before she discovered it. Unwillingness to join drinking society after hours; lack of inter-office visitation. Ability to work closely with people over policy, but not in a way leading to personal friendship. Ottawa formality, inconsistent with Flora's informality; Ottawa's backward social inability to deal graciously with single women. Annoyance with discriminatory form of invitation to Governor-General's ball. Society's inclination to shove single women into a corner; subject's response of engaging more in work, becoming antisocial - rewarding but lonely. Opinion that most people act naturally, informally, don't devise artificial structures in which to act out their lives; subject's easy relations with this majority, uneasy relations with artificial elites. Feeling that many political elites did not see her as potential leader, influenced public opinion against her. Self-assessment of leadership ability; comparison of self with Joe Clark. Own asset of making people feel at ease; understanding that not always directing people is part of leadership; subtle technique of setting an example people can relate to (so persuading them that what you do is what they want done). Sympathy accorded woman running for high political office as underdog. Character variable in chance of female success in p·olitics; prophecy that Thatcher will lose election in Great Britain through excessive abrasiveness, aggression. Absence, unlikelihood, of special closeness among women MPs; preoccupation of women members with different responsibiIities; probable reliance of married women on families for support where subject relies on close friends. Subject's already established patterns of relations by time other women were elected. Subject's network of friendships in Kingston, important in maintaining constant happy touch with everyday life. Exceptionally close relationship with sisters; tremendous support at all times, especially during elections; shared attachment to Cape Breton. Women's reactions to subject's party leadership campaign: support from women under 30, over 55; rejection by almost all women 30-55. Belief that middle age spectrum (not taking social revolution for granted, as do the young; not having answered challenges such as the war, Depression, as have the elderly) are most afraid of power, change in roles. Diminishing resentment of subject's freedom as a single woman now she grows older. Unrepresentative quality of women attending political conventions; estimated less than 5% of Canadian populace active in politics. Subject's new affinity with women following leadership race as 'one of the great and satisfying discoveries' of her life: genuine affection exhibited toward her, more as a symbol than an individual, from groups ranging from radical feminist organisations to the lODE (addressed across country on a regular basis, often 3-4 times per week). Women's gladness that, now she has taken a major step, other women may follow. Disgust with superficial Chatelaine article, 'What are Women Politicians Doing for Women?', suggesting that if you haven't agitated in the House of Commons on certain issues you haven't done anything. Subject's joy in increased credibility, opportunity to address women on major critical issue of the declining century: how to dispose of nuclear waste. Understanding of nuclear waste problem as particularly relevant to women, with implications for genetics, future of all generations brought into the world. Nuclear waste as an issue which reaches all factions of women; encouragement to draw women into other issues (e.g. energy saving) where they are largely concerned and have much to contribute (but have not yet done so). Need for women to translate private concerns to community, national, global scales. Subject's odyssey up mountain of personal unawareness of women's is­ sues, down other side where women might have won her the leadership but didn't, into a valley of something better, the ability to reach women on critical issues - would she have had this had she won the leadership? Interviewer's expression of young women's need for contact with happy, adventurous, fulfilled role models. Subject's agreement, glad observation that though the mental processes mature as one grows older, one's youthful interest and excitement in life continue as one might not have expected.