William Alexander Macdonald (1860[1] – October 1, 1946[2]) was a Manitoba lawyer and politician and British Columbia judge.
[5] Macdonald was elected for Brandon City in 1892, defeating incumbent Liberal James Smart by 12 votes.
With Roblin having lost his seat, Macdonald was chosen as his replacement and was recognized as the official leader of the opposition.
He did not serve in this capacity long; Macdonald's election was declared void in mid-1893, and he lost a by-election to Liberal Charles Adams on September 8 of the same year.
He was defeated by D'Alton McCarthy,[8] a maverick Conservative who opposed the extension of French-language rights and was supported by local Liberals.