Canadian federal election, 1949

[Hatman 🍁]

The 1946 election resulted in another minority government, but this time with the coalition winning the most seats- 92 to the CCF's 88.

Here is the breakdown by province:

AB: CCF 11, SC 4, Comm 2
BC: CCF 15, Other 1
MB: CCF 13, Coal. 2, Comm 1
NB: Coal. 9, Other 1
NS: Coal. 7, CCF 5
ON: Coal. 54, CCF 21, Comm. 2, BPC 1, Other 1
PEI: Coal. 4
QC: BPC 24, Coal. 14, CCF 1, Comm. 1, Other 25
SK: CCF 21
YT: Comm 1

As Liberal affiliated candidates won a majority of the 92 coalition seats won, William Lyon Mackenzie King became Prime Minister again, for the third time. With just 92 seats in the 245 seat legislature, the coalition needed the support of other parties to keep a stable government. With the war now over, the 25 Independents elected in Quebec as well as three other independents agreed to help prop up the coalition. This gave them almost a majority. They were able to get the support of Social Credit and the Bloc Populaire to help them maintain power against the socialist CCF and the Communists.

The King-led coalition concentrated on the rise of communism. They worked hard with the US and UK in building a cold war pact and he set up a Royal Commission to investigate ex Soviet Igor Gouzenko's allegations of a Canadian Communist spy-ring transmitting top-secret documents to the Soviet Union.  These allegations resulted in the removal of Communist MP Fred Rose who was found to be heading the spy ring. He was re-elected in his Cartier constituency despite having him be accused by Gouzenko prior to the election.

In 1948, King resigned as Prime Minister, and was replaced by Quebec MP Charles Gavan Power. Power's election came as a surprise and signified a switch in direction for the party. Power came from the more French nationalist base of the party. His election brought in many Independents in Quebec back to party, and led the dissolving of the Bloc populaire party, as many of their members joined the Liberals as well. This gave the Liberals a tremendous power advantage over their junior coalition partners. Nevertheless, the Tories just had their own leadership campaign, where they elected an inexperienced backbench MP Donald Fleming as their leader. Power was able to keep the coalition together (despite the Tory's concerns over Power's anti-conscription stance during World War II) by continuing a "red baiting" campaign against the CCF and Communists. The Tories also knew that the CCF would easily get elected without the coalition together.

Upon Power's ascension to the national premiership, Canada was basking in being one of the strongest economies in the world. In 1949, the federation welcomed its newest province, Newfoundland after voters there narrowly voted to join the Dominion.

Basking in Canada's post war prosperity and fears of communism, Power quickly called elections in attempt to finally get a majority government for the coalition.

Parties:

Coalition:

The coalition is running on how good the economy has become since the end of the war, and is taking credit for this. They are also running a severe "red baiting" campaign against the CCF and Communists. The Communists have suffered a huge set back due to the uprooting of the Soviet spy ring, and the Coalition is trying to lump the CCF in that boat. The coalition is asking voters to give them a stable majority government for Canada to fight the cold war.


CCF:

The CCF in turn is asking for a majority of their own, or at least a strong plurality of seats so that they can put forward a number of their own policies to use Canada's post-war prosperity to help the people, rather just the wealthy. They have had to moderate themselves to distance themselves from the beleaguered Communists. Former Prime Minister M.J. Coldwell continues to lead the party.


Communists:

The Communists took a hit in the polls in 1946 and have suffered even more since then, including losing one of its MPs in Fred Rose, who was found to be the head of a Soviet spy ring. The rise of the cold war has made the party even less appealing. For these reasons, the party is only running 17 candidates.  Trinity MP Tim Buck continues to lead the party.


Social Credit:

The SoCreds took a hit in 1946 when their leader, Solon Earl Low lost is Peace River seat to the CCF. Low continued to lead the party- which won just 4 seats- from outside the legislature. The party under Low continues to move in a more populist, social conservative direction. In 1947, Low went on CBC to lambaste "the international power maniacs who aim to destroy Christianity" and the "international gangsters who are day-to-day scheming for world revolution." He also claimed there was a "close tie-up between international communism, international finance, and international political Zionism." (Wikipedia)


Union des électeurs (Union of Electors):

This is a Quebec based splinter group of Social Credit. Recently the Social Credit movement has gained some traction in Quebec, including electing an MP in 1945. With the decline of the Bloc populaire party, SoCred members in Quebec are hoping French Canadian nationalists will back this new party. The party is led by Real Caouette, who was elected as a Social Credit MP in a 1946 by-election in Pontiac. Much like the western Social Credit, The Union was accused of anti-Semitism and of distributing the Protocols of the Elders of Zion in Quebec. The Union des électeurs electoral philosophy is that it is not a partisan political party but an organization which marshals voters to enforce their wishes on their elected representative. (Wikipedia).


There you have it. Poll is for 3 days.

[Leftbehind]

They have had to moderate themselves to distance themselves from the beleaguered Communists.

In what ways, precisely?

[Hatman 🍁]

They have had to moderate themselves to distance themselves from the beleaguered Communists.

In what ways, precisely?

General ideology; less supportive of outright socialism, and more support for Keynesianism, less focus on nationalization and more focus on a mixed economy.  While the party's manifesto still calls for the eradication of capitalism, they are certainly not running on that platform! The are using the model of the elected CCF government in Saskatchewan.

[TNF]

CCF

[Dr. Cynic]

Not falling for the red baiting nonsense. Sticking with CCF.

[DC Al Fine]

Hatman is making me choose between Social Credit parties. I'll take the Anglo Socreds since they're more likely to take seats from the CCF/LPP

[Peter the Lefty]

CCF

[H. Ross Peron]

Coalition

[TDAS04]

Coalition. 

[Hatman 🍁]

LPP

Communists in this timeline, remember.

[Njall]

CCF

[RogueBeaver]

Coalition

[DC Al Fine]

LPP

Communists in this timeline, remember.

Communist is so bland though. TTL Canada should be known for the wonky names of it's left wing parties. CCF, LPP, Grand Association of the Patrons of Industry. Canada F[inks] Yeah! Comin again with some awesome party names yeah!

[Goldwater]

Coalition

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Coalition

[Donerail]

WI: Grand Association of the Patrons of Industry

[DC Al Fine]

WI: Grand Association of the Patrons of Industry

Early left wing party in Canada. It was a farmer's party that co-operated with the labour movement in urban areas. In the 1896 election they got about 4% of the vote and elected 2 MP's, but died out soon after that.

[Hatman 🍁]

WI: Grand Association of the Patrons of Industry

Early left wing party in Canada. It was a farmer's party that co-operated with the labour movement in urban areas. In the 1896 election they got about 4% of the vote and elected 2 MP's, but died out soon after that.

They did much better in this TL

[Hatman 🍁]

Coalition majority! The increase of SC in Alberta prevented the CCF from winning seats there, and with no BPC in Quebec (where the CCF is weak), the coalition was able to sweep the province leading to a majority. 

Coalition: 140
CCF: 82
SC: 17
Comm: 8
Others: 15

Results by province

AB: SC 17
BC: CCF 18
MB: CCF 9, Coal 3, Comm 2, Oth 2
NB: Coal 10
NF: Coal 7
TR: CCF 1
NS: Coal 12, CCF 1
ON: Coal 44, CCF 34, Comm 4, Oth 1
PEI: Coal 4
QC: Coal 60, Comm 1, Oth 12
SK: CCF 19, Comm 1

[Leftbehind]

And people say this forum is left-wing haha.

[Hatman 🍁]

And people say this forum is left-wing haha.

CCF+Communists > Coalition+SC in PV

Coalition won a majority thanks to the intricacies of FPTP.

[Dr. Cynic]

Time to push for PR!

[DC Al Fine]

Time to push for PR!

IRL I agree, but it would take away a lot of what makes Canadian politics interesting like powerful regional parties.

[H. Ross Peron]

And people say this forum is left-wing haha.

Depends on your definition of "left-wing". Obviously this forum isn't another RevLeft, but the CCF has become strong enough to push the traditional two major parties of Canada into a coalition.

[Leftbehind]

And people say this forum is left-wing haha.

Depends on your definition of "left-wing". Obviously this forum isn't another RevLeft, but the CCF has become strong enough to push the traditional two major parties of Canada into a coalition.

Well I don't think many, even in the most generous estimates, would class the Liberals left-wing pre-coalition and presently (in this timeline). It's a North American oddity that socialists never eclipsed the liberals anyway.

Either way a centre-right coalition has won multiple election on the trot, even if it is being helped by the nonsense FPTP spits out, showing how competitive the Right is on here.