HUGE MAJORITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22241, 16 October 1935, Page 14

HUGE MAJORITY

CANADIAN LIBERALS ROUT OF GOVERNMENT 165 SEATS OUT OF 245 SOCIAL CREDIT WINS IS MEMBERS RETURNED By Tolegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received October 15 10.15 p.m.) TORONTO. Oct. 15 The .heaviest majority in any House of Commons within the history of Canadian politics was accorded to the Liberal Party yesterday by a tidal wave of anti-Govern-ment votes, which, starting at the Atlantic seaboard, and ending at the Pacific Coast, wiped out the majority of the Government led by Mr. R. B. Bennett. 1 The state of the parties on the latest returns is : Liberals . . • « • • ». • * • *6® Conservatives 4° Social Credit 13 Co-op. Commonwealth s . 6 Labour • • 2 Reconstruction 1 United'' Farmers .<».•<. « 1 Independent .« 1 Doubtful, .< .i m •<! •« \ 245 The-third parties made a dismal showing. Neither the "Reconstruction Party, led by Mr. H. H. Stevens, nor the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation ■secured the return of a member east of the Great Lakes. The four national leaders were all elected, Mr. Bennett for Calgary West, ' Mr. Mackenzie King (Liberal) for Prince Albert,' Saskatchewan, Mr. H. H. Stevens (Reconstruction Party) for Koutenav East, and Mrs. J. S. Woodworth "(Co-operative Commonwealth Federation) for Winnipeg, North Centre. For tho first time in the history of the British Empire Social Credit is represented in a national Parliament. The movement made big inroads into the western anti-Government representation, particularly in Alberta, where it has elected 11 ° of a total of 17 mem- * bers for the province. It is also leading in four doubtful seats. It swept tho rural ridings and won four urban constituencies. Two Social Credit/ candidates were elected in Saskatchewan.^ The /Conservatives won five seats in British Columbia, which is the only province in which it is ahead of the other parties. By ten o'clock last night tho Liberal victory was already assuming landslido proportions,'the party having definitely captured 117 seats and the Conservatives 25. Thus a clear majority in Parliament was virtually assured at this early hour and a Government of minority partie3 was seen to have been avoided. Although tho Liberal Party will dominate the House of Commons, Mr. Mackenzie King may be embarrassed by the fact that the Senate or Upper House consists of 64 Conservatives against 32 Liberals. The Senate consists of 96 members nominated for life by the Governor-General, and drawn from the various provinces in fixed ratio. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the result is that the electors have returned by a record majority the party that promised least and was most conservative in outlook, if not in name. Mr. Mackenzie King had practically no programme except as expressed in the traditional Liberal terms of low tariffs, free competition and personal liberty. The theme of a recent address was "recovery before reform," Mr. King casting'cold water on the '/New Deal" philosophy—the planning and the social services—on which tho other parties based their platform-in varying degrees. Other points included increasing British preference, the abolition of various tariff surcharges, removal of the limitations on the rights of free speech and assembly, and restoration of tho control of Parliament over the Executive and various boards and commissions set up by the Bennett Government. Tho only radical point was the half-hearted commitment to nationalise the Bank of Canada. Unemployment relief was to be given by a programme of public works, slum clearance and housing. These latter themes were taken in a minor key, however. Mr. King's party is dominated by leaders notoriously conservative in their outlook on economic issues and on the question of constitutional reform, which latter is the* means to social reform. This conservatism derives largely from the important French-Canadian contingent returhed by Quebec Province. The Liberals are at present in power in six out of the nine provinces, as well as at Ottawa. At tho Canadian general election in '1930 Mr. Mackenzie King's Liberal Ministry suffered defeat by tho Conservatives under Mr. Bennett, who besides ousting five members of Mr. King's Cabinet won a clear majority in -tho new House. The figures were: Conservatives, 139; Liberals, 86; United farmers, 10: Liberal Progressives, 3; Labour, 3; Progressives and Independents, 4. In that election Quebec, previously a Liberal stronghold, was so successfully inVaded bv tho Conservatives that they won 20 of its 65 seats. Among the defeated Ministers was the Minister of Finance, whose Budget wa.3 a major issue in the contest.