|
Wind
from the West | Avro Arrow |
Quiet Revolution |
Pearson |
Norad |
Liberals win Quebec |
NDP |
Ecomomic Problems |
Bill of Rights
| The Flag |
FLQ | Expo
As the Second World War drew to a close
Mackenzie King's Liberal government had determined that
the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation platform of
social programs such as old age security, unemployment
insurance and, under Tommy Douglas, Medicare, were all
popular and attractive public policy options. King who
considered himself a reformer during his political
career, began to bring in these programs as Liberal
initiatives. The CCF was left with little to offer the
voters as policy that would differentiate themselves
from the Liberals.
By the late 50's CCF
support had fallen and the accusation that they were
supporters of the communists and the Soviet Union,
regardless of how unrealistic that was, were being made
by many conservative groups. The 1956 CCF convention
passed what was known as the Winnipeg Declaration which
proclaimed a more centrist philosophy of working with
business, accepting restricted government intervention
and appealing to the middle class as well as other
sectors. This shift helped them hold their support in
1957 as the electorate waffled but by 1958 when a
decisive turn to the Conservatives occurred, many
supports shifted to the Diefenbaker landslide and the
CCF was almost wiped out. Diefenbaker had swept the west
and absorbed most of the support for change from the
incumbent Liberals. The1958 election was a turning point
which saw the CCF win only 8 seats. Support in Quebec
and many other parts of the country refused to grow as a
traditional bias against the CCF remained entrenched in
the electorate.
The CCF decided to retrench and return to its roots as
well as expand its base to by appealing to labour. The
Canadian Labour Congress was approached about forming a
new national party which would bring in the support of
labour and the remaining pieces of the CCF.
In 1961 the New
Democratic Party or NDP was founded and Tommy Douglas,
the dynamic premier of Saskatchewan was chosen as it's
first leader. Douglas who pioneered Medicare in
Saskatchewan was an eloquent and effect speaker and
managed to bring the CCF back from near extinction. By
the 1962 election the NDP more then doubled their 1958
seats and by 1972 had grown to 31 seats and a share of
the power during the Liberal minority government.
| |
Parties |
| Election |
Liberals |
Conservatives |
CCF/NDP |
Others |
| 1949 |
191 |
41 |
13 |
17 |
| 1953 |
169 |
51 |
23 |
22 |
| 1957 |
105 |
112 |
25 |
23 |
| 1958 |
48 |
208 |
8 |
1 |
| 1962 |
99 |
116 |
19 |
31 |
| 1963 |
128 |
95 |
17 |
25 |
| 1965 |
131 |
97 |
21 |
16 |
| 1968 |
154 |
72 |
22 |
14 |
| 1972 |
109 |
107 |
31 |
17 |
|
