Wawanesa: A Prairie Heritage - Nellie McLung, The Legislator

"Politics simply means public affairs, yours and mine, everybody's"

Nellie McLung served as a Liberal member of the Alberta legislature for five years, from 1921 to 1926. She fought for new, "radical" programs such as
-Mothers' allowance
-public health and nursing services
-free medical and dental services for school children

Nellie's niece, Ruth Scott has said: "Many times in her political career she must sorely tempted, but she was unfailingly courteous and never less than a lady."

As a woman in politics, Nellie was a good-natured target. On the nature of politics, she comments:
"Men and women are one - indissoluably joined together for good and for ill, and what is too corrupt for man is too corrupt for woman.

Women have cleaned up things since time began; and if women get into politics there will be a cleaning up of pigeonholes and forgotten corners in which the dust of years has fallen."

A portrait of the suffragette as a young woman.

Emily Murphy wrote: "...in the clash of conflict Nellie McLung has had to endure the unfriendly criticism that comes to all leaders and you may have noticed that epiphytes and brickbats are seldom padded.

This has been the history of all women who have assumed leadership, or broken new trails. The laurel wreath and marble bust are the gift of later generations who enjoy the happiness for which the leaders strove."

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"Politics simply means public affairs, yours and mine, everybody's" Nellie McLung served as a Liberal member of the Alberta legislature for five years, from 1921 to 1926. She fought for new, "radical" programs such as -Mothers' allowance -public health and nursing services -free medical and dental services for school children Nellie's niece, Ruth Scott has said: "Many times in her political career she must sorely tempted, but she was unfailingly courteous and never less than a lady." As a woman in politics, Nellie was a good-natured target. On the nature of politics, she comments: "Men and women are one - indissoluably joined together for good and for ill, and what is too corrupt for man is too corrupt for woman. Women have cleaned up things since time began; and if women get into politics there will be a cleaning up of pigeonholes and forgotten corners in which the dust of years has fallen."







		A portrait of the suffragette as a young woman.
Emily Murphy wrote: "...in the clash of conflict Nellie McLung has had to endure the unfriendly criticism that comes to all leaders and you may have noticed that epiphytes and brickbats are seldom padded. This has been the history of all women who have assumed leadership, or broken new trails. The laurel wreath and marble bust are the gift of later generations who enjoy the happiness for which the leaders strove."


	The History \| Picture Gallery \| People \| Mutual Insurance \| The Community Neighbouring Communities \| The Museum \| About Us \| Home