Diefenbaker Hopes To Continue As Premier

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29854, 21 June 1962, Page 11

Diefenbaker Hopes To Continue As Premier

(A.Z. Press Association—Copyright) OTTAWA, June 20. The Canadian Prime Minister, Mr John Diefenbaker, has called a Cabinet meeting for today, his first since Monday’s General Election in which the Conservatives’ previous record majority in the House of Commons was reduced to a minority by a resurgent Liberal Party and a surprisingly-strong Social Credit showing. Mr Diefenbaker already has indicated that he hopes to carry on in the tradition of a former Prime Minister, Mr Mackenzie King, who led minority Liberal Governments through two four-year terms of office in the 1920’5, the Canadian Press reported.

But this has not stilled widespread speculation that the Conservatives’ minority control of Canada’s 24th Parliament—a repeat of the situation after the 1957 election —would mean another election within a year. With the result in one constituency still doubtful the Conservatives had 118 seats in the 265-member House of Commons, the Liberals 96, the Social Credit Party 30. and the New Democratic Party 19. The election in one area was deferred due to the death of a Liberal candidate during the election camnaign.

Whether Mr Diefenbaker can conduct a stable administration depends on the voting support he can attract from the Social Credit and New Democratic parties. The showdown will come when Parliament assembles, probably in about three months. The Conservatives now are back to their minority position of 1957 The inconclusive result of that election brought on another poll within nine months, when the Conservatives won a smashing victory by captures 208 seats. Mr Diefenbaker announced today’s Cabinet meeting when his plane stopped in Winnipeg .last night to refuel. The Prime Minister was flying back to Ottawa from his home constituency of Prince Albert. Saskatchewan. Four of Mr Diefenbaker’s Cabinet met defeat at the polls and will have to be replaced in his new Cabinet. Social Credit Plans

The national leader of the Social Credit Party. Mr Robert Thompson, said in a postelection statement that his party held the balance of power and would use it to provide a .stable government until a budget was presented and another election called The Liberal leader, Mr Lester Pearson, said the Government should soon “make itself clear on what is to be done for Canada in the difficult months ahead ” The leader of the New Democratic Party. Mr T C Douglas, said there might be a Conservative-Social Credit coalition and ‘‘this may mean we may have another election before too long.” Both Mr Thompson and Mr

Pearson were victorious in their own constituencies, but Mr Douglas was defeated by a Conservative in Regina, Saskatchewan. A former Premier of Saskatchewan. Mr Douglas was chosen leader last summer when the New Democratic Party was.formed by the old Co-OperatTve Commonwealth Federation and the Canadian Labour Congress Record Poll It appeared that a record number of Canadians voted, probably 250,000 more than the previous record of 7,287,297 in 1958. The percentage of the 9.662,851 eligible civilian voters who cast ballots wa s close to the record 79.5 per cent, of 1958. Possible recounts could affect the outcome in a number of close contests. In four ridings Liberals defeated Conservatives by fewer than 100 votes. Social Credit—which did not win a single seat in 1958,

provided the most stunning surprise. The Western-based party captured 26 of Quebec's 75 ridings and another four in Alberta and British Columbia. It was the first time in Quebec’s history that a “third party” had made such a strong showing in a Federal election there. The outcome thrust into prominence the Social Credit deputy-leader, Mr Real Caouette, who engineered his party's spectacular showing in Quebec. The party’s 26 Quebec members —all Frenchspeaking—are mainly from rural areas.

Political experts have no ready explanation for the success of the Social Credit forces in Quebec. It may have served as a vehicle of protest for French-speaking separatists and adherents of the old National Union party. These have never liked either of the major parties.

The Liberal Party, rebounding from its 1958 defeat its worst made heavy inroads into Conservative strength in the central provinces.

Liberals won 42 of the 84 seats at stake in Ontario and 35 in Quebec. Never before has a party held the larges: share of seats in the two big central provinces without winning the election. The New Democrats won 19 seats compared with the eight held in the last Parliament by the C.C.F.-N.D.P group, gaining six in British Columbia, three in Ontario, two in Manitoba and one in Nova Scotia, but losing one in Saskatchewan. But the Conservatives weathered losses to all three opposing parties and still emerged on top, mainly due to wins in the prairies and the Atlantic provinces. The Government’s forces, which swept all but one of the 48 prairie ridings in 1958, held 42 of them this time. Mr Diefenbaker’s home province of Saskatchewan again gave 16 Of its 17 seats to the Conservatives. In the Atlantic provinces, Conservatives held 19 of the 3.3 seats, compared to 25 in 1958. Need for Strength Melvin Sufrin, the special correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association, writing from Toronto, says the disconcerting aspect of the election is that it has returned a minority Government at a time when Canada’s economy badly needs a strong central direction.

Four years of unusually high unemployment coupled with the unsatisfactory growth rate of national production has placed the nation in a position where perhaps its greatest need is in imaginative and dynamic leadership. Instead Mr Diefenbaker’s Conservatives will be able to govern only with the grudging co-operation of at least one of the three other parties.

In terms of political ideology, Social Credit is closest to the Conservatives, but it has rejected the idea of joining the coalition.