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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 August 2014
The decisive victory, on July 28, of the Conservative party in the seventeenth general election since Confederation came as a surprise to the Canadian people. The party, which did not elect a single member in six of the nine provinces in 1921, carried six provinces decisively and in two others, Saskatchewan and Quebec, scored its greatest successes since 1911. In 1926, Mr. Bennett, the new prime minister, was the only Conservative member between the Great Lakes and the Rocky Mountains. This time he has 23 Conservatives among the 54 Prairie members. He, indeed, has more Conservative supporters in the House of Commons than any prime minister since Sir John A. MacDonald. With a majority of 28, exclusive of the speaker, over all opposition parties, he is the first prime minister in a decade to be undoubted master of the political scene (see note 1 on following page).
When Prime Minister Mackenzie King announced, on May 6, the speedy dissolution of Parliament, he may have thought that it was wise to go to the country before the trade depression had been too prolonged, or, as seems more probable, he may have underestimated the seriousness of the situation. One of his strongest supporters, the Manitoba Free Press, made the following significant comment the day after the election: “The manner in which Mr. Bennett played upon Mr. King's pride, combativeness, and perhaps belief in his star in order to get him in the mood to fight a battle on ground chosen by his opponents and under conditions which helped them and put him at a disadvantage will doubtless be recorded in future books of political strategy for future prime ministers.”
2 The new tariff schedules admitted British goods free of duty under 589 of the 1,188 items. It was estimated that the increased preferences were worth $50,000,000 to British trade.
3 Twelve such duties came into force almost immediately on fruit and vegetables.
4 Mr. Bennett did not run in the 1917 election and was not again returned to the House of Commons until 1925.
5 The election was really a duel between the Liberal and Conservative leaders, although Mr. King was helped considerably by Mr. Lapointe in Quebec, and by Mr. Dunning on the Prairies. Five provincial premiers campaigned vigorously for Mr. Bennett. It is significant that Mr. Meighen took no part in the election.
6 Though more workers were employed than in any other year but 1929, approximately 200,000 were out of work at the time of the election. The export of wheat declined 54 per cent during the 1929-30 crop year.
7 Labor lost one seat in Calgary and gained one in Vancouver. However, its leader, J. S. Woodsworth, received the largest majority of any candidate in the election. No Communist was successful, and almost all lost their election deposits. Of the ten women candidates, only the veteran Miss Agnes MacPhail was successful.
8 Conservative losers in British Columbia included General McRae and Mr. H. H. Stevens, one of Mr. Bennett's principal advisers.
9 Two Liberal cabinet ministers were defeated in Quebec, Mr. Cannon and Mr. Kay. The seat formerly held by the late minister of finance, Mr. Robb, was won by the Conservatives, as was the one represented in the provincial House by Premier Taschereau.
10 Thus, of the five Liberal cabinet ministers on the Prairies, Mr. Dunning was beaten in Regina and Mr. Crerar in Brandon, and Mr. Stewart narrowly escaped defeat in Edmonton.
11 According to a press analysis of the official returns, 3,898,995 ballots were cast, divided among the parties as follows: Conservatives, 1,909,955; Liberals, 1,714,860; Progressives, 30,933; Liberal Progressives, 59,115; United Farmers of Alberta, 60,924; Saskatchewan Farmer Party, 22,766; Labor, 45,302; Communists, 5,685; and Independents, 49,355.
The Liberal party polled 44 per cent of the popular vote, but elected only 37 per cent of the members. As compared to 1926, the Conservatives increased their vote by 400,000 and gained 48 seats. The Liberals polled 300,000 more votes, but lost 36 seats.
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