|
A New Nation |
Nova Scotia Balks |
The Northwest Territories |
Manitoba & Riel |
Federal Provincial Relations |
British Columbia |
Prince Edward Island |
The Washington Treaty |
Scandal |
Liberal Interlude |
The
National Policy |
The Railroad | Immigration
| Rebellion |
Transition
Macdonald had almost been completely
ruined by the Pacific Railway scandal and as he spent
his years on the opposition bench he planned his come
back in magnificent fashion. His vision was branded as
the National Policy and in many ways it picked up right
where he had left off but in some more important points
it abandoned former Conservative policies.
The National Policy
started off with two main objectives which were to raise
tariffs ad duties for products brought in from the
United States and hence strengthen Canadian industries
and secondly, to replace that lost trade with east west
trade across Canada. Industrially produced items from
the east could be sent our west and sold for
agricultural products which would flow eastwards and
feed Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. The trade items
would all be shipped on the new railway which would be
built to British Columbia and the northwest would also
be populated by tens of thousands of new immigrants from
Britain. The
three challenges in the west were to sign land
settlement treaties with all of the native people so
that the land could then be redistributed among the new
settlers, the railway company and other parties
who supported the National Policy, establish the
Northwest Mounted Police to regulate the process and
over see the peace and build the railway to get the
settlers to the west, products flowing and make
transportation across the country an all Canadian easy
matter.
Macdonald dropped the idea of pursuing a reciprocity
treaty with the US, and instead tried to draw Britain
into the system as an additional partner with reduced
trade restrictions offered to them. The National Policy
would therefore have the additional benefit of reducing
Canadian dependence upon US economic and political
factors and greatly encouraging the growth of Canadian
Industries. British Columbia would also be a beneficiary
of the National Policy because it's railway link to the
east would be built, it could also buy western produce
and eastern production goods and sell it's timber, fish
and minerals to the rest of Canada.
On paper and on the campaign trail,
Macdonald was a powerhouse, promoting the National
Policy as a solution to everything that ailed the
country and after 4 years of economic depression, a
scarcity of jobs and a general decline in the growth and
development of Canada, the electorate were ready for
bold new plans and solutions. Macdonald was also very
lucky that just as he took power once again, the world
wide economy began to pick up and not only economic
activity increased but access to capital to undertake
the building of the railway from private sources once
again was able to be raised.
The National Policy became the standard
of Macdonald for the rest of his life and there is no
doubt that the growth of Canada and the consolidation of
the gains made were remarkable. The west began to fill
up, the treaties were signed, the NWMP/RCMP was
established and the railroad was competed by 1885. |
