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Regina Riot
Regina Riot
New Ideas
For the first time a significant number of
Canadians began to examine the existing
economic, social, and political systems and
found them unsatisfactory.
Both the Liberal party under Mackenzie King
and the Conservative party under Bennett had
provided very few concrete solutions to the
problems facing Canadians during the
Depression.
New Ideas
The CCFs Regina Manifesto called for an end to the capitalist
system based on domination and exploitation.
The CCF promoted public ownership of a financial institutions,
public utilities, and transportation companies. It favoured
production for use rather than production for profit.
J.S. Woodsworth, a Methodist minister, was the CCFs founder
and used the Social Gospel of Christianity, rather than Marxism,
to argue for socialism.
The CCF had some early successes. A handful of members sat as
M.Ps in parliament, while the party became the official
opposition in B.C. and Saskatchewan.
Despite its moderate tone and non-violent approach, to some the
CCF still seemed too similar to communism.
The right-wing party that emerged during the thirties was Social
Credit.
William Bible Bill Aberhart was a fundamentalist lay preacher
whose fiery sermons attracted very large radio audiences in
Alberta.
Social Credit
Social Credit argued that since there
was never enough money available
to buy the always available goods
and services, governments should
issue social dividends, or cash
payments, to everyone.
While most economists dismissed this
theory, Aberhart forged on inspired
by his new economic
fundamentalism.
During the 1935 election, Aberhart
capitalized on the demoralized and
scandal-ridden nature of the John
Brownlee administration. Aberhart
won a landslide victory to become
Albertas Premier.
Social Credit
When Aberhart attempted to implement his Social Credit policies, they
were disallowed by the federal authorities or by the courts.
Social Credit ended up providing Alberta with a solid, free-enterprise,
conservative government for the next generation, but its theories were only
used for campaign rhetoric.
Thus, one of the important effects of the Great Depression in Canada was
the emergence of viable Third parties and an end to the two-party
system.