2 Confederation

At the time of the confederation of the former British colonies of Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the radical Liberals were marginalized by the more pragmatic Conservative coalition assembled under Sir John A. Macdonald. In the 29 years after Canadian confederation, the Liberals were consigned to opposition, with the exception of one stint in government. Alexander Mackenzie was able to lead the party to power in 1873 after the Macdonald government lost a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons because of the Pacific Scandal. Mackenzie subsequently won the 1874 election, but lost the government to Macdonald in 1878.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier

3 Laurier

In their early history, the Liberals were the party of free trade, continentalism , and opposition to excessive imperialism. The Liberals also became identified with the aspirations of Quebecers as a result of the growing hostility of French-Canadians to the Conservatives. The Conservatives lost the support of Quebecers because of the role of Conservative governments in the execution of Louis Riel, the suppression of the rights of French-Canadians outside of Quebec, and their role in the Conscription crisis of 1917.

It was not until Wilfrid Laurier became leader that the Liberal Party emerged as a modern party. Laurier was able to capitalize on the Tories' alienation of French Canada by offering the Liberals as a credible alternative. Laurier was able to overcome the party's reputation for anti-clericalism which offended the still powerful Quebec Catholic Church. In English-speaking Canada, the Liberal Party's support for free trade made it tremendously popular among farmers, and helped cement the party's hold in the growing prairie provinces.

Laurier led the Liberals to power in the 1896 Canadian election, and oversaw a government that increased immigration in order to settle Western Canada. Laurier's government created of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta out of the North-West Territories, and oversaw the development of Canadian industry. The Liberals lost power in the 1911 Canadian election due to opposition to the party's policies on reciprocity (or free trade), and the creation of a Canadian navy.

The Conscription crisis divided the party as many Liberals in English Canada supported conscription and Sir Robert Borden's Unionist government. With numerous Liberal candidates running as Unionists or Liberal-Unionists with the support of provincial Liberal parties in a number of provinces the Laurier Liberals were reduced to a largely Quebec based rump. The long term impact of the Conscription crisis benefited the party as the issue only added to the animosity of French-Canadians towards the Conservatives making that party virtually unelectable in Quebec for decades.

4 Canadian sovereignty

William Lyon Mackenzie King

Under Laurier, and his successor William Lyon Mackenzie King, the Liberals promoted Canadian sovereignty and greater independence from the British Empire. In Imperial Conferences held throughout the 1920s, Canadian Liberal governments often took the lead in arguing that Britain and the dominions should have equal status, and against proposals for an imperial parliament that would have subsumed Canadian independence. After the King-Byng Affair of 1926, the Liberals argued that the Governor General of Canada should no longer be appointed on the recommendation of the British government. The decisions of the Imperial Conferences were formalized in the Statute of Westminster, which was actually passed in 1931, the year after the Liberals lost power.

The Liberals also promoted the idea of Canada being responsible for its own foreign and defence policy. Initially, it was Britain which determined external affairs for the dominion. In 1905, Laurier created the Department of External Affairs , and in 1909 he appointed the first Secretary of State for External Affairs to Cabinet. It was also Laurier who first proposed the creation of a Canadian Navy in 1910. Mackenzie King appointed Vincent Massey the first Canadian ambassador to Washington in 1926, marking the Liberal government's insistence on having direct relations with the United States rather than having Britain act on Canada's behalf.

5 Liberals and the welfare state

Lester B. Pearson

For many years Liberals have been accused of, or credited with, not having any great vision but rather reflecting whatever policies could best get them elected. In the period just before and after the Second World War, the party became a champion of social goals.

Liberal Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King introduced several measures that led to the creation of Canada's welfare state (or social safety net). Bowing to popular pressure, Mackenzie King introduced the mother's allowance. He also reluctantly introduced old age pensions when J. S. Woodsworth required it in exchange for his support of King's minority government. Later, Lester B. Pearson introduced universal health care, the Canada Pension Plan, Canada Student Loans, and the Canada Assistance Plan (which provided funding for provincial welfare programs).

6 Trudeau era

Under Pierre Trudeau, this mission evolved into the goal of creating a "just society". In recent years, however, the party has been accused of "campaigning on the left and ruling on the right".

Pierre Trudeau The Trudeau Liberals became the champions of bilingualism, passing the Official Languages Act which gave the French and English languages equal status in Canada. Trudeau hoped that the promotion of bilingualism would cement Quebec's place in confederation, and counter growing calls for an independent Quebec. This policy aimed to transform Canada into a country where English and French-Canadians could live together in comfort, and could move to any part of the country without having to lose their language. While this has not occurred, official bilingualism has helped to halt the decline of the French language outside of Quebec, and has also ensured that all federal government services (as well as radio and television) are available in both languages throughout the country.

The Trudeau Liberals are also credited with support for official multiculturalism as a means of integrating immigrants into Canadian society without forcing them to shed their culture. As a result of this and a more sympathetic attitude by Liberals towards immigration policy, the party has built a base of support among recent immigrants and their children.

The most lasting effect of the Trudeau years has been the patriation of the Canadian constitution and the creation of Canada's Charter of Rights. Trudeau Liberals support the concept of a strong, central government, and fought Quebec separatism, other forms of Quebec nationalism, and the granting of distinct society status to Quebec.

7 Post-Trudeau

After Trudeau's retirement in 1984, many Liberals, such as Jean Chrétien and Clyde Wells, continued to adhere to Trudeau's concept of federalism. Others, such as John Turner and Paul Martin, supported the failed Meech Lake and Charlottetown Constitutional Accords, which recognized Quebec as a distinct society and would have increased the powers of the provinces to the detriment of the federal government.

Jean Chrétien

Under the party's new leader, John Turner, the Liberals lost power in the 1984 Canadian election and were reduced to only 40 seats in the House of Commons. The Liberals began a long process of reconstruction.

The 1988 Canadian election was notable for John Turner's strong opposition to the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement negotiated by Tory Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Although most Canadians voted for parties opposed to free trade, the Tories were returned with a majority government, and implemented the deal.

Turner resigned in 1990 due to growing discontent within the party with his leadership, and was replaced by bitter rival Jean Chrétien. Chrétien's Liberals formally opposed free trade and campaigned in the 1993 Canadian election on the promise of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. But when Chrétien took power, his government implemented only minor changes to NAFTA, and embraced the free trade concept.

While the Chrétien Liberals campaigned from the left, they implemented a neo-liberal agenda, reducing taxes and social programs, in order to balance the federal budget when they were in power. The Chrétien Liberals were also keen supporters of globalization. Chrétien continued the Trudeau Liberal approach to federalism, and opposed making major concessions to Quebec.

After a proposal for Quebec independence was narrowly defeated in the 1995 Quebec referendum, the Liberals passed the 'Clarity Act' in an attempt to outline the federal government's preconditions for negotiating Quebec independence. In Chrétien's final days, he supported same-sex marriage in Canada as well as decriminalizing the possession of small quantities of marijuana.

8 Paul Martin

Paul Martin succeeded Chrétien in 2003. Despite the personal rivalry between the two, Martin was the architect of the Liberals' economic policies as Chrétien's Minister of Finance during the 1990s. He is expected to continue these policies, though there is also speculation that he will be more flexible on the issue of federalism and possible constitutional concessions to Quebec and the other provinces.

The transition period around Martin's takeover, and since, has seen unprecedented infighting within the party. See: 2004 Liberal Party of Canada infighting

In the June 28th, 2004 federal election, Paul Martin was re-elected as the Prime Minister of Canada, despite fierce competition from Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper. The Liberal party formed a minority government.

9 General

Known colloquially as the "Grits" (originally " Clear Grits"), the Liberal Party has held power for a substantial majority of the past century. In fact, in the entire history of the Liberal Party, there has only been one non-interim leader, Edward Blake, who was never Prime Minister of Canada. It is also worth noting that every successive Liberal Prime Minister has been a cabinet minister in the past Liberal leader's cabinet: Martin was in Chrétien's cabinet, who was in Turner's cabinet, who was in Trudeau's cabinet, etc. The party has a reputation among members for being very united and loyal, though this is always called into question during leadership races.

The Liberal Party is a member of the Liberal International.

• For information about the 2004 election including a list of nominated candidates see: Canadian federal election, 2004

10 Leaders of the Liberal Party

• George Brown ( July 1 1867 - September 20 1867)¹ (unofficial)
• Alexander Mackenzie ( March 6 1873 - April 27, 1880)
• Edward Blake ( May 4, 1880 - June 2, 1887)
• Wilfrid Laurier ( June 23, 1887 - February 17, 1919)
• Daniel Duncan McKenzie ( February 17, 1919 - August 7, 1919 interim)
• William Lyon Mackenzie King ( August 7, 1919 - August 6, 1948)
• Louis St. Laurent ( August 7, 1948 - January 15, 1958)
• Lester B. Pearson ( January 16, 1958 - April 5, 1968)
• Pierre Trudeau ( April 6, 1968 - June 15, 1984)
• John Turner ( June 16, 1984 - June 22, 1990)
• Jean Chrétien ( June 23, 1990 - November 13, 2003)²
• Paul Martin ( November 14, 2003 - present)

NOTES:

¹ Brown was regarded by most Liberal candidates as their leader in the 1867 Canadian election but did not officially hold the title. Had he won a seat he would have almost certainly become Leader of the Opposition and had the Liberals won enough seats to form a government Brown would almost certainly have become Prime Minister. However, he failed in his bid for a seat in the House of Commons and the Liberals had no official leader until 1873.

² Herb Gray served as Leader of the Opposition from June 23 until Chrétien was re-elected to Parliament in December 1990, though he was never the leader, nor even the interim leader, of the Liberal party.

The Liberal Party held its first leadership convention in 1919 electing William Lyon Mackenzie King as leader. Prior to that party leaders were chosen by caucus.

See also: Liberal leadership conventions for ballot by ballot results.

11 Election results 1917-2004

Election	# of candidates nominated	# of seats won	# of total votes	% of popular vote
1917*	213	82	729,756	38.80%
1921	204	118	1,285,998	41.15%
1925	216	100	1,252,684	39.74%
1926	189	114	1,294,072	42.74%
1930	226	90	1,716,798	44.03%
1935	245	173	1,967,839	44.68%
1940	242	179	2,365,979	51.32%
1945	236	117	2,086,545	39.78%
1949	259	190	2,878,097	49.15%
1953	263	169	2,743,013	48.62%
1957	265	105	2,703,687	40.91%
1958	265	49	2,444,909	33.50%
1962	264	100	2,862,001	37.17%
1963	265	128	3,293,789	62.80%
1965	265	131	3,099,521	40.18%
1968	263	155	3,696,945	57.85%
1972	263	109	3,717,804	38.42%
1974	264	141	4,102,853	43.15%
1979	282	114	4,595,319	40.11%
1980	282	147	4,855,425	44.40%
1984	282	40	3,516,486	28.02%
1988	294	83	4,205,072	31.92%
1993	295	177	5,598,775	41.24%
1997	301	155	4,994,377	38.46%
2000	301	172	5,251,961	40.85%
2004	308	135	4,951,107	36.7%

• 1953-1968 includes one Liberal-Labour Member of Parliament.

* In 1917, some Liberals ran under the Unionist banner, figures only count those who ran as " Laurier Liberals"

12 Provincial and territorial Liberal parties

Each province in Canada has its own Liberal Party.

In most provinces, they are direct organizational affiliates with the federal Liberal party, much like the provincial sections of the New Democratic Party.

These parties, and their leaders, are:

• Manitoba Liberal Party, Hon. Jon Gerrard, MLA
• New Brunswick Liberal Association, Shawn Graham, MLA
• Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, Roger Grimes, MHA
• Nova Scotia Liberal Party, Wayne Gaudet , MLA ( interim)
• Prince Edward Island Liberal Party, Robert Ghiz
• Saskatchewan Liberal Party, David Karwacki
• Yukon Liberal Party, Pat Duncan, MLA

The Ontario Liberal Party (Hon. Dalton McGuinty, MPP, Premier of Ontario, leader) and Alberta Liberal Party ( Kevin Taft, MLA, leader) are officially autonomous but are still closely associated with the federal Liberal Party.

The Parti libéral du Québec (Hon. Jean Charest, MNA, Premier of Quebec, leader) and the Liberal Party of British Columbia (Hon. Gordon Campbell, MLA, Premier of British Columbia, leader) use the Liberal name but are completely independent of the federal party and function as coalitions of Liberal and Conservative supporters. They do not support the Liberal Party in federal elections, preferring to remain neutral. In practice, these parties are conservative in orientation, though they do have prominent supporters of the federal Liberals in their caucuses.

The Northwest Territories and Nunavut have non-partisan legislatures.

13 See also

• Timeline of liberal parties in Canada
• List of political parties in Canada
• Prime Minister of Canada
• Official Opposition (Canada)
• Worldwide liberalism

14 External link

• Liberal Party of Canada (official website)

Federal Political Parties of Canada
Liberal	Conservative	B.Q.	N.D.P.
Not represented in the House of Commons
Action	C.H.P.	Communist	Green
Libertarian	Marijuana	Marxist-Leninist	PC Party
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This text is part of the Liberalism series (III) Liberalism - Liberalism in countries - Liberal parties - Liberal parties - Liberal International Liberal leaders - Timeline of liberal parties - Liberal thinkers - Liberal bibliography

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