|
3 Wisemen | Trudeaumania
| October Crisis |
Bilingualism |
Petro Canada |
72 Super Series |
Wage & Price
Controls | 1976 Olympics
| PQ come to Power |
Interlude |
Western Alienation
| 1980 Referendum |
The Constitution |
Changing of the
Guard By the
late 1970's Canadians had become despondent about the
national direction. World events had been demoralizing,
Trudeau seemed bored and tired and Canada was facing
mounting problems.
The Conservatives had changed their
leader as Robert Stanfield, the well respected but
unsuccessful candidate for Prime Minister, stepped
aside. The man who promised to lead the Conservatives to
the promised land was a young assured personality from
High River Alberta.
The last election,
which had been held in July of 1974 was almost 5 years
old and Canadian Parliamentary tradition required that
an election be called no later than 5 years after the
previous one. The Liberals had run out of time. The
budget deficits were sky rocketing, inflation was still
not under control and unemployment was a worry for many
Canadians. The issues were all against Trudeau and the
Liberals. The
Conservatives stressed the economic issues and promised
that they had a plan to get the country going again.
Their argument that the Liberals had failed to manage
the countries finances properly and that they could do a
better job found traction in many parts of Canada.
The Liberals tried to present the
election in terms of leadership with Trudeau clearly
ahead on that issue, but the electorate, even though it
saw a stronger leader in Trudeau then Clark, had tired
of Trudeau's leadership style and the gun slinger
attraction had worn off.
Quebec was going
through tremendous changes and a realignment of politic
forces. The Social Credit were moving towards the
separatists camp and although gaining from PQ support,
lost support in much of it's traditional base and lost
seats in the election. The result was a Conservative win
and a new Prime Minister.
Clark launches his government with John
Crosbie as his Minister of Finance and change is in the
air. Pierre Trudeau decides that he has had enough and
has no taste fro sitting as the leader of the opposition
and announces that he will step down as leader of the
Liberal Party.
Election
Party |
Elected
Members |
Previous
Election (1974) |
|
1979
(May 22)
- Turnout: 75.7 % |
|
Progressive Conservative |
136 |
98 |
| Liberal |
114 |
133 |
| New
Democratic Party |
26 |
17 |
| Social
Credit |
6 |
9 |
| Other |
|
5 |
|
Total |
282 |
262 |
The Conservatives,
long out of power take from May until October before
Parliament is called into session. Clarks agenda
included a Freedom of Information Law which would allow
Canadians the right to petition for Government records
and information, a tax on gasoline, an absence of policy
concerning Quebec and tax credits for mortgages and
property taxes.
The Conservatives believed that their no nonsense, belt
tightening budget held the pulse of the country and that
without a leader the Liberals would not dare to bring
down the government. On December 12th the Liberals and
the NDP had both vowed to vote against the budget and
behind the scenes Jim Coutts, Trudeau's faithful
supporter saw an opportunity to resurrect Trudeau's
leadership and get him back into the prime Minister's
office. He pushed the Liberal caucus to remain firm on
the vote and on December 13th, the Conservatives
believing that they would perhaps even win a majority if
another election was held, refused t back down. They
were defeated and the country once again prepared to go
to the polls.
The Canadian electorate had not liked its taste of
Conservative rule, and the PQ had finally set a date for
it's referendum on separation. Canada once again turned
it's eyes back to Trudeau as the man best able to stop
Leveque and the breaking up of Canada.
The Liberals won a majority and were
returned to power. Quebec votes against Sovereignty
Association and Trudeau, reinvigorated set out to
repatriate the constitution from Great Britain as his
last great objective as Prime Minister.
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