1920s Politics 1920s Politics

CHC 2D CHC 2D
A New Political Party Emerges
Well Hoe our Own Row
1. Why did farmers feel as though they had not been
properly represented politically? How did they
feel that they were not treated fairly by other feel that they were not treated fairly by other
Canadians and their goernment?
2. !escribe the way that farmers began to organi"e
themseles politically.
#. Who was $gnes %acphail?
Farmers in te !rairies an" in Ontario wante" lower
tari##s or #ree tra"e #or two reasons$
%& to re"uce te !rices o# manu#acture" !ro"ucts ma"e in
central Cana"a
2& to lower !rices on Cana"ian grain an" #arm !ro"uce in
oter countries an" tere#ore increase "eman" #or
Cana"ian #oo"' Cana"ian #oo"'
(te #armers #elt tat neiter te )i*eral or
Conser+ati+e !arties woul" su!!ort , re!resent teir
interests so tey #orme" a new #e"eral !olitical !arty
calle" -e Progressi+e Party to re!resent
temsel+es in go+ernment.
Politics in te %/20s
&n the year 1920' Canada had only two political
parties for oters to choose from in elections ( the
)iberal and Conseratie parties*
When +obert ,orden stepped down as Prime %inister
in 1920' $rthur %eighen too- oer and became both in 1920' $rthur %eighen too- oer and became both
leader of the Conseratie Party and Prime %inister'
but he would hae to call an election soon in order to
let the Canadian people either officially ote him into
power or out of power.
%eighen had always been a
politician who spo-e his mind
and acted according to his own
personal conscience and beliefs
( this had been eident in the
way he had handled the labour
issue that erupted during the
Winnipeg .eneral /tri-e when
he had been the %inister of he had been the %inister of
0ustice.
His strongest support would
come from traditional
conseratie oters and from
business capitalists.
Wen 1ir Wen 1ir Wil#ri" Wil#ri" )aurier "ie" in %/%/2 te )i*eral !arty )aurier "ie" in %/%/2 te )i*eral !arty
a" to coose a new lea"er as well a" to coose a new lea"er as well 33 teir coice was teir coice was
William )yon 4ac5en6ie 7ing' William )yon 4ac5en6ie 7ing'
William )yon %ac-en"ie 1ing
1ing was ery well educated' from a political family'
young' wealthy and one of the few 2nglish3spea-ing
liberals who had supported )aurier during the
Conscription Crisis in 1914.
He was a cautious politician who preferred to follow He was a cautious politician who preferred to follow
the political opinions of the moment when ma-ing
decisions.
He had written about and e5tensiely studied labour
issues but he also understood the concerns of business
and capital enterprise.
7ing an" 4eigen a" met at te 7ing an" 4eigen a" met at te
8ni+ersity o# -oronto an" tey 8ni+ersity o# -oronto an" tey
o!enly "isli5e" eac oter' o!enly "isli5e" eac oter'
9n %/2% 4eigen calle" an 9n %/2% 4eigen calle" an 9n %/2% 4eigen calle" an 9n %/2% 4eigen calle" an
election an" tese two long election an" tese two long::
stan"ing enemies woul" #ace stan"ing enemies woul" #ace::o## o##
at te !olls... at te !olls...
-e %/2% Election
When %eighen called the election in 1921 most
people had e5pected to elect either a ma6ority )iberal
or Conseratie goernment.
$fter the otes were counted' many Canadians were
surprised at the results*
1ing7s )iberals had won the most seats but had fewer
than half the member of Parliament.
1ing became the new Prime %inister of a %inority
.oernment 8when a goerning party holds fewer than half
of the seats in the House of Commons9.
1ing7s goernment would hae to listen to and get
support from %Ps 8%embers of Parliament9 from
other political parties in order to aoid a ote of non3
confidence 8occurs when a proposed bill receies less
than a ma6ority of otes in the House of Commons' than a ma6ority of otes in the House of Commons'
defeating the goernment and forcing it to resign
because it no longer has the support of elected
goernment officials9.
:o -eep the 6ob of P%' 1ing had to pay attention to
the wishes of the Progressie %Ps' who supported
him because he supported their wish to lower tariffs.
;oters in te
4aritimes a"
su!!orte" 7ing
*ecause e a"
!romise" to "eal !romise" to "eal
wit teir economic
!ro*lems(
1ing managed to
remain Prime
%inister with a
minority minority
goernment for
the ne5t four
years;;;