1.
Robert Borden
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Sir Robert Laird Borden, GCMG PC KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10,1911, to July 10,1920, after retiring from public life, he served as the chancellor of Queens University. His portrait appears on Canadian $100 notes produced since 1976 but in late 2016 the government announced Bordens image would be removed during the next redesign, also arriving in this group was a great great grandfather, Robert Denison, who had come from Connecticut at about the same time. Perry had accompanied his father, Samuel Borden, the chief surveyor chosen by the government of Massachusetts to survey the former Acadian land, Robert Borden was the last Canadian Prime Minister born before Confederation. His mother Eunice Jane Laird was more driven, possessing very strong character, remarkable energy, high ambition and her ambition was transmitted to her first-born child, who applied himself to his studies while assisting his parents with the farm work he found so disagreeable. His cousin Sir Frederick Borden was a prominent Liberal politician, from 1868 to 1874, he worked as a teacher in Grand-Pré and Matawan, New Jersey. Seeing no future in teaching, he returned to Nova Scotia in 1874, despite having no formal university education, he went to article for four years at a Halifax law firm. In August 1878, he was called to the Nova Scotia Bar, Borden went to Kentville, Nova Scotia, as the junior partner of the Conservative lawyer John P. Chipman. In 1880, he was inducted into the Freemasons – St Andrews lodge #1, in 1882, he was asked by Wallace Graham to move to Halifax and join the Conservative law firm headed by Graham and Charles Hibbert Tupper. In the Autumn of 1889, when he was only 35, Borden became the senior partner following the departure of Graham and Tupper for the bench and politics, respectively. His financial future guaranteed, on September 25,1889, he married Laura Bond, in 1894, he bought a large property and home on the south side of Quinpool Road, which the couple called Pinehurst. In 1893, Borden successfully argued the first of two cases which he took to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. He represented many of the important Halifax businesses, and sat on the boards of Nova Scotian companies including the Bank of Nova Scotia and the Crown Life Insurance Company. In 1896, he became President of the Nova Scotia Barristers Society, by the time he was prevailed upon to enter politics, Borden had what some judged to be the largest legal practice in the Maritime Provinces, and had become a wealthy man. Borden was a Liberal until he broke with the party in 1891 over the issue of Reciprocity and he was elected to Parliament in the 1896 federal election as a Conservative and in 1901 was selected by the Conservative caucus to succeed Sir Charles Tupper as leader of the Conservative Party. He was defeated in his Halifax seat in the 1904 federal election, despite his efforts, his party lost the 1908 federal election to Wilfrid Lauriers Liberals. Borden was however elected again for Halifax and his partys fortunes turned around in the 1911 federal election, however, when the Conservatives successfully campaigned against Lauriers proposals for a Reciprocity agreement with the United States. Borden countered with a version of John A. Macdonalds National Policy and appeals of loyalty to the British Empire
2.
Canadian federal election, 1917
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The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17,1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the most bitter election in Canadian history, the election resulted in Prime Minister Sir Robert Bordens Unionist government elected with a strong majority and the largest percentage of the popular vote for any party in Canadian history. The previous election had held in 1911 and was won by Bordens Conservatives. Under the law, Canada should have had an election in 1916, however, citing the emergency of the First World War, the government postponed the election largely in hope that a coalition government could be formed, as existed in Britain. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, head of the Liberal Party of Canada, refused to join the coalition over the issue of conscription, Laurier worried that agreeing to Bordens coalition offer would cause that province to abandon the Liberals and perhaps even Canada. Borden proceeded to form a Unionist government, and the Liberal Party split over the issue, many English Canadian Liberal MPs and provincial Liberal parties in English Canada supported the new Unionist government. To ensure victory for conscription, Borden introduced two laws to skew the voting towards the government, the first, the Wartime Elections Act, disenfranchised conscientious objectors and Canadian citizens if they were born in enemy countries and had arrived after 1902. The law also gave female relatives of servicemen the vote, thus, the 1917 election was the first federal election in which some women were allowed to vote. That allowed government officials to guide the strongly pro-conscription soldiers into voting in those ridings where they would be more useful, servicemen were given a ballot with the simple choice of Government or Opposition. The divisive debate ended with the country divided on linguistic lines, the Liberals won 82 seats,62 in Quebec, with many other seats won in provinces such as Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Ontario in ridings with significant French Canadian populations. The three Unionist won seats in Quebec were all in mainly English-speaking ridings and that led to the Francœur Motion in January 1918. Notes, * Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election,1 % change for Government compared to Conservative Party in 1911 election, and for Opposition to Liberal Party. List of Canadian federal general elections List of political parties in Canada 11th Canadian Parliament Argyle, turning Points, The Campaigns That Changed Canada -2011 and Before excerpt and text search ch 6 13th Canadian Parliament Conscription crisis of 1917 Khaki election
3.
Canadian federal election, 1921
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The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6,1921, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 14th Parliament of Canada. The Union government that had governed Canada through the First World War was defeated, a new third party, the Progressive Party, won the second most seats in the election. Since the 1911 election, the country had been governed by the Conservatives, during the war, the Conservatives had united with the pro-conscription Liberal-Unionists and formed a Union government. A number of Members of Parliament, mostly Quebecers, stayed loyal to Sir Wilfrid Laurier, however, when Laurier died, he was replaced as leader by the Ontarian Mackenzie King. After the 1919 federal budget, a number of western unionist MPs, led by Thomas Alexander Crerar, the group became known as the Progressive Party. Also running were a number of Labour advocates, foremost amongst them J. S. Woodsworth of Winnipeg, Meighen had played a key role in violently suppressing the strikers and this earned him the animosity of organized labour. Besides the labour strife and farm tariffs in the Prairie provinces, the election was the first in which the majority of Canadian women were allowed to vote, thanks to reforms passed by the Conservatives. Five women also ran for office, agnes Macphail of the Progressive Party was elected as the first woman MP in Canada. Parliament was split three ways by this election, Kings Liberals won a majority government of just one seat but won all of Quebec, much of the Maritime Provinces, and a good portion of Ontario. The Progressive Party, including the United Farmers of Alberta, won the second largest number of seats, dominating the West, Liberal and Conservative candidates were shut out in Alberta, with 10 UFA and two Labour candidates taking the provinces 12 federal seats. The party won one seat east of Ontario, however. Despite winning the second most seats, it declined to form the official opposition and it would be the only Canadian federal election before 1993 in which a party other than the Liberals or the Conservatives won the second most number of seats. The Conservatives lost the most seats up to time of any governing party at the federal level. They won fewer seats than the Progressives but wound up forming the official opposition, the Conservatives won much of Ontario and had some support in the Maritimes and British Columbia but won no seats in the Prairies or in Quebec. Three Independent Labour MPs were elected, J. S. Woodsworth won his seat largely from his role in the 1919 Winnipeg general strike, the government that King formed in the parliament resulting from this election was Canadas first minority government. Although Kings party won a majority of seats at the election. The Liberal Party lost two by-elections to Conservative candidates, but had gained two seats from Progressives who crossed the floor, so its majority was not affected by these losses. From November 25,1924, to the dissolution of parliament, the Progressive caucus was less united than the Liberals or Conservatives, due to the formation of the Ginger Group and the semi-autonomous United Farmers of Alberta group
4.
Unionist Party (Canada)
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The Unionist Party was a centre-right historical political party in Canada, composed primarily of former members of the Conservative party with some individual Liberal Members of Parliament. It was opposed by the remaining Liberal MPs, who sat as the official opposition, the Unionist Party continued to exist until 1922, at which time the Conservative elements re-formed the Conservative party. Laurier rejected this proposal because of the opposition of his Quebec MPs, public opinion in Quebec was heavily against conscription, influencing the Liberal opposition to it due to the large number of Liberal MPs from Quebec. As an alternative to a coalition with Laurier, on October 12,1917, Borden formed the Union government with a Cabinet of twelve Conservatives, nine Liberals and Independents, robertson, however, was a Tory and not a member of any Labour or socialist party. Supporters of the Borden government ran for parliament as Unionists, while some of the Liberals running as government supporters preferred to call themselves Liberal-Unionist, prime Minister Borden pledged himself during the 1917 campaign to equal suffrage for women. He introduced a bill in 1918 for extending the franchise to women and this tactic split the Liberal Party, those who did not join the Unionist Party ran as Laurier Liberals. The election resulted in an election victory for Borden. The Unionists had never officially a single party, and therefore lacked the structure of an official party. In the 1921 general election, most of the Liberal-Unionist MPs did not join this party, only a handful ran again as Liberal-Unionists or joined Meighens renamed party. Prominent Liberal Unionists who stayed with the Conservatives include Hugh Guthrie, accordingly, they ran in the election under the name National Government party, but did not repeat the success of the Unionist party and failed to form government. Conservative Party of Canada Laurier Liberals List of political parties in Canada Union Government at The Canadian Encyclopedia
5.
Prime Minister of Canada
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Canadian prime ministers are styled as The Right Honourable, a privilege maintained for life. The office and its functions are instead governed by constitutional conventions, the prime minister, along with the other ministers in cabinet, is appointed by the governor general on behalf of the monarch. There are no age or citizenship restrictions on the position of prime minister itself, while there is no legal requirement for the prime minister to be a member of parliament, for practical and political reasons the prime minister is expected to win a seat very promptly. However, in rare circumstances individuals who are not sitting members of the House of Commons have been appointed to the position of prime minister, two former prime ministers—Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott and Sir Mackenzie Bowell—served in the 1890s while members of the Senate. Both, in their roles as Government Leader in the Senate, succeeded prime ministers who had died in office—John A. Macdonald in 1891 and that convention has since evolved toward the appointment of an interim leader from the commons in such a scenario. Prime ministers who are not Members of Parliament upon their appointment have since been expected to seek election to the commons as soon as possible. For example, William Lyon Mackenzie King, after losing his seat in the 1925 federal election, Turner was the last serving prime minister to not hold a commons seat. The Canadian prime minister serves at Her Majestys pleasure, meaning the post does not have a fixed term, once appointed and sworn in by the governor general, the prime minister remains in office until he or she resigns, is dismissed, or dies. Following parliamentary dissolution, the prime minister must run in the general election if he or she wishes to maintain a seat in the House of Commons. Should the prime ministers party subsequently win a majority of seats in the House of Commons, if, however, an opposition party wins a majority of seats, the prime minister may resign or be dismissed by the governor general. This option was last entertained in 1925, however, the function of the prime minister has evolved with increasing power. Caucuses may choose to follow rules, though the decision would be made by recorded vote. Either the sovereign or his or her viceroy may therefore oppose the prime ministers will in extreme, for transportation, the prime minister is granted an armoured car and shared use of two official aircraft—a CC-150 Polaris for international flights and a Challenger 601 for domestic trips. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also furnish constant personal security for the prime minister, all of the aforementioned is supplied by the Queen-in-Council through budgets approved by parliament, as is the prime ministers annual salary of CAD$170,400. Should a serving or former prime minister die, he or she is accorded a state funeral, John Thompson also died outside Canada, at Windsor Castle, where Queen Victoria permitted his lying-in-state before his body was returned to Canada for a state funeral in Halifax. In earlier years, it was traditional for the monarch to bestow a knighthood on newly appointed Canadian prime ministers. Accordingly, several carried the prefix Sir before their name, of the first eight premiers of Canada, the Canadian Heraldic Authority has granted former prime ministers an augmentation of honour on the personal coat of arms of those who pursued them. To date, former prime ministers Joe Clark, Pierre Trudeau, John Turner, Brian Mulroney, the written form of address for the prime minister should use his or her full parliamentary title, The Right Honourable, Prime Minister of Canada
6.
Arthur Meighen
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Arthur Meighen PC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served two terms as the ninth Prime Minister of Canada, from 10 July 1920 to 29 December 1921 and he was the first Prime Minister born after Confederation, and the only one to represent a riding in Manitoba. Meighen later served for a decade in the Senate of Canada, Arthur Meighen was born on a farm near Anderson, Perth County, Ontario, to Joseph Meighen and Mary Jane Bell. He attended primary school at Blanshard public school in Anderson, where, in addition to being the grandson of the villages first schoolmaster and he took first class honours in mathematics, English, and Latin. He then attended University College at the University of Toronto, where he earned a B. A. in mathematics in 1896, with first-class standing. While there, he met and became a rival of William Lyon Mackenzie King, Meighen then graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School. In 1904 he married Isabel J. Cox, with whom he had two sons and one daughter and he moved to Manitoba shortly after finishing law school. In public, Meighen was a debater, said to have honed his oratory by delivering lectures to empty desks after class. He was renowned for his sharp wit, Meighen was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1908, at the age of 34, defeating incumbent John Crawford when he captured the Manitoba riding of Portage la Prairie. In 1911, Meighen won re-election, this time as a member of the new governing party and he won election again in 1913, after being appointed to Prime Minister Robert Bordens Cabinet as Solicitor General. Meighens fiery, sarcastic, and partisan speeches gained him a following on the Conservative party backbench, who saw him as logical, informed and he gained a following among those in the party who felt Bordens government was aimless. Meighen served as Solicitor General from 26 June 1913 until 25 August 1917, in 1917, he was mainly responsible for implementing mandatory military service as a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1917. Noteworthy was the decision to give votes to conscription supporters. Meighens portfolios were again shifted on 12 October 1917, this time to the positions of Minister of the Interior and he was re-elected in the December 1917 federal election, in which Bordens Unionist government defeated the opposition Laurier Liberals over the conscription issue. In 1919, as acting Minister of Justice and senior Manitoban in the government of Sir Robert Borden, Meighen helped to subdue the Winnipeg General Strike, shortly after the strike ended, he enacted the Section 98 amendments to the Criminal Code to ban association with organizations deemed seditious. It took the return to Ottawa in late July 1919 of Charles Doherty, Minister of Justice, Meighen was re-appointed Minister of Mines on the last day of 1920. During this first term, he was Prime Minister for about a year, Meighen fought the 1921 election under the banner of the National Liberal and Conservative Party in an attempt to keep the allegiance of Liberals who had supported the wartime Unionist government. However, his actions in implementing conscription hurt his partys support in Quebec, while the Winnipeg General Strike and farm tariffs made him unpopular among labour
7.
Official Opposition (Canada)
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This is usually the second-largest party in a legislative house, although, in certain unusual circumstances, it may be a third or fourth party or even the largest party. The Official Opposition is viewed as the caucus tasked with keeping the government in check and it is also generally viewed as the alternative government or government in waiting. The spokesperson for each portfolio is known as an opposition critic, thus, in the event the government loses the confidence of the House or the Official Opposition party wins a general election, the party is ready to become the government. The Official Opposition is styled as Loyal Opposition to demonstrate that, although the group may be against the government, it remains loyal to the Crown. The Leader of the Opposition has a residence in Ottawa known as Stornoway. Additionally, the Leader and other cabinet members have the privilege of meeting with visiting foreign dignitaries. The Official Opposition party has advantages over other parties in the House. They are assigned to speak first after the government, and receive time in question period than other opposition parties. It also gets more space, funding for research. The third-place Conservative Party, led by Arthur Meighen, thus became the Official Opposition, as a result of the 1925 election, the Official Opposition was actually the largest party in the House of Commons, the Conservatives. The Ontario Liberal Party, the second largest party, governed from 1985 to 1987 with supply provided by the Ontario New Democratic Party, in 1993, the Reform Party challenged whether the Quebec sovereigntist Bloc Québécois could hold the position of official opposition. The Speaker ruled in favour of the Bloc, as they held two more seats than Reform, during the Blocs time as the official opposition, Quebec issues on national unity dominated Question Period, often to the irritation of the other opposition parties. However, Reform was considered to be opposition to the Liberals on all other issues that were not specific to Quebec. In 1987, the Liberals won every seat in the 51st New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, to ensure the proper functioning of the parliamentary system, Premier Frank McKenna named several members of his own caucus, led by Camille Thériault, to serve as the Official Opposition. Since November 2015 the Official Opposition is the Conservative Party, there is also an Official Opposition in the Canadian Senate. This is the largest party in the Senate that is not in government, as the governing party is determined in the House of Commons, the Official Opposition in the Senate may actually be larger than the government party in the Senate. It is customary, however, for the Senate to pass legislation approved in the House of Commons even if the government has a minority in the Senate, although the Senate nominally has the power to block most legislation, this power is rarely exercised in practice. The party that forms Official Opposition in the Senate is not necessarily the same party as in the House of Commons and this is because the BQ, and Reform Party had no Senators
