Encyclopedia of Canadian Laws

Bennett Government

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The Bennett Government

Bennett, a man of energy and ability, devoted himself as prime minister with self-sacrificing zeal to endeavouring to solve the problems created for Canada by the depression; and it is probable that his policies did much to mitigate its effects. As the general election due in 1935 drew near, in fact, the depression seemed in some degree to lift [see Bennett’s New Deal]. But at the same time a rift occurred in the Conservative party. H. H. Stevens, one of Bennett’s chief lieutenants, broke with his leader over the question of the regulation of “big business”, and formed a separate party known as the Reconstruction party. The Progressive party had, moreover, in 1932, reorganized itself as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (see the article about the CCF’s lack of success in Quebec ], with a distinctly socialistic platform; and the Liberal party, under the expert leadership of Mackenzie King, who adopted a policy of masterly inaction, was gradually recovering the ground it had lost. In one province after another the Liberals captured the control of the government; until they were in power in every province except Alberta . In these circumstances, the defeat of the Bennett government was almost a foregone conclusion; and when the votes were counted in the general election held on October 14; 1935, the Conservatives were found to have suffered the severest defeat in the history of the party. They retained only 40 seats in the House; and H. H. Stevens’s Reconstruction party captured only one seat, that of Stevens himself. The new Social Credit party [see its history in Alberta ] in Alberta [nearly] swept that province; but the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation lost ground everywhere. The Liberals rolled up a representation in the House of Commons of over 170; and on Bennett’s resignation, Mackenzie King embarked on his third period of office as prime minister.

Source: W. Stewart WALLACE, “Political History”, in W. Stewart WALLACE, The Encyclopedia of Canada , Toronto , University Associates of Canada , 1948, 396p., pp. 175-186

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