PORTENTS IN CANADA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21999, 4 January 1935, Page 8

PORTENTS IN CANADA

There will be a general election in Canada some time this year. The date has nob been fixed, but the statutory term of the present Parliament expires in July. Therefore, the Prime Minister, Mr. R. B. Bennett, cannot be accused of precipitancy in opening the campaign with a policy speech. His programme of reform, which "mean's Government intervention, control and regulation, and the end of laissez faire," has not been sprung altogether as a surprise upon the community. For some time past he has been making speeches in which hints at some such development have appeared. So, too, the Minister of Trade and Commerce, Mr. H. H. Stevens, has indicated the leaning of the Government toward a system of planned economy. The vigour with which Mr. Bennett has proclaimed his new faith is explained by the portents, unfavourable to the chances of his Government in the coming contest, which have appeared from time to time. In the provinces the Conservative Party has suffered 'severely in a war of attrition. With the loss of control in Ontario and Saskatchewan during last year, it was left in possession of only two 'nut of the nine provinces, and those two, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, are among the smallest. Ontario returned a Liberal Admini'stration for the first time since 1904. What is more, during' the flhief provincial campaigns, the antiConservative forces attacked the Federal Government almost as much as they did their immediate opponents. The policy of high protection, the chief card Mr. Bennett played when he led the Conservatives to victory in the last general election, came particularly under fire. In federal politics, too, the signs have not been favourable to the Government. During September five byelections were held, all for seats in Ontario. The Liberals won four of these seats, including one which had always been Conservative before. In these circumstances, Mr. Bennett would seem to be fighting with his back to the wall; but he is not content to remain on the defence. To do so would be foreign to his nature. He is a vigorous and resourceful campaigner. Consequently the campaign which he has launched early can be expected to be hard fought and full of incident.