Ian Alistair Mackenzie

Ian Alistair Mackenzie (born on July, 27 1890 in Assynt, Scotland, then in United Kingdom, now part of the Union of Britain) is a Canadian politician. He is Minister of National Defence in the Liberal government of Mackenzie King since the Liberal victory at the October, 14 1935 general elections.

Born in Assynt, Scotland, Mackenzie entered politics by winning a seat in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 1920 British Columbia election. In 1930, he was appointed to Prime Minister Mackenzie King's pre-election Cabinet as Minister of Immigration and Colonisation and Superintendent of Indian Affairs. While he won his seat in the 1930 federal election, the Liberal Party was defeated across the country. Mackenzie entered Parliament as an Opposition Member of Parliament. When the Liberals returned to power through the 1935 election, Mackenzie returned to Cabinet as Minister of National Defence where he had the responsibility for rearmament in anticipation of a future conflict with the Union of Britain. As Minister of Defence, Mackenzie has only a few virtual power, as most of the military matters are dealt by a small group of mixed Anglo-Canadian officers. Concerned with the control of the Pacific in cooperation with Australasia, Mackenzie is a strong opponent of a rapprochement with the Japanese, which he views as unreliable partners, due to the wills of Japanese expansionism.