Canadian Election Series 1949

DC Al Fine
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	Canadian Election Series 1949 « on: November 28, 2015, 08:45:48 AM »
	« edited: November 28, 2015, 08:51:30 AM by DC Al Fine »

The election of 1946 had inconclusive results
CCF: 33% (-2%) 85 seats (+3)
Unionist: 30% (-5%) 79 seats (-16)
Liberal: 23% (+9%) 56 seats (+46)
Social Credit: 4% (-2%) 11 seats (-10)
Bloc leaning Independents: 3% (-6%) 8 seats (-29)
Communist: 6% (+5%) 6 seats, (+6)

The CCF formed a slim minority, while the Liberals had a strong resurgence, electing their first Anglophone MP’s since 1931. Bloc Populaire’s more popular MP’s held on, but the movement was largely shattered. A few MP’s stuck it out as independents while the rest joined the Liberal caucus. Dorion was left in an awkward position. He was far too anti-English to support the hated Unionists, but as a Catholic traditionalist, he couldn’t support the CCF on many issues either. In the end, he elected to support the CCF government on a case by case basis.

Among the minor parties, Social Credit was hit hard as voters fearful of a socialist government switched to the Unionists. The Communists benefited from goodwill towards the Soviets, and managed to elect half a dozen MP’s, mostly from the poorest neighbourhoods in Montreal, Toronto, and Winnipeg. They would struggles as goodwill towards the Soviets declined and the Cold War began.

In 1947, Igor Gouzenko, a young Soviet diplomat, defected to Canada. He brought documents with him proving that Fred Rose, a Communist MP from Montreal, was the leader of a Soviet spy ring. Rose was expelled from Parliament, forcing a by-election, which the CCF won. He was later convicted of treason and sentenced to six years in prison.

The Unionists, with the help of anti-communist Dorion, and the always hawkish Social Credit, passed legislation banning the Communists. A couple of the the more right wing Communists joined the CCF, while the remainder sat out their terms as independents. Drew and the Socreds wished to push things further and force an election, but Dorion, wary of former Communist voters giving the CCF a majority, elected to keep the government alive.

In the late 1940’s, there was talk of a formal alliance to oppose the Soviet Bloc, the CCF took a principled stand and opposed joining the new NATO group. This gave the other parties more ammo, as the CCF looked increasingly soft on communism. In order to keep his government going, Gillis proposed a popular new policy, a National Health Service modelled on the system recently introduced in Britain.. He called an election 1949, seeking a new mandate to nationalize the healthcare system, and provide free healthcare for all.

Also new for this, election is Newfoundland, a former British colony which has recently voted to join Canada. Their poplar Premier is a prominent English Liberal, and together with Martin, they are giving the Anglo Liberals new life.

CCF: Gillis is seeking a majority to properly implement his agenda. Wary of scaring prosperous middle class voters away from the party, he is keeping quiet about the old promises to nationalize industries, except one… The CCF is promising to nationalize the healthcare system and create system modeled on the recently created NHS in Britain. The CCF are against joining NATO, seeing it as too aggressive.

Unionist: Drew has decided to take a hawkish turn, lambasting the CCF for being insufficiently anti-communist and is promising to reverse defence cuts implemented by the Gillis administration, and increase spending to defend against the Soviets. The Unionists are also in favour of developing a nuclear program. Drew is against the national healthcare system proposed by the CCF.

Liberal: The Liberals’ two pronged campaign has proven successful, so they are repeating it. In Quebec and francophone areas in the rest of Canada, Dorion is promoting his Catholicism and advocacy for language rights, while in English Canada, Paul Martin is promoting the old Liberal standby of free trade. Martin is proposing an alternative healthcare system whereby the government only pays for health services, but does not run them directly. the Liberals are pro-NATO but anti-nuke.

Social Credit: Blackmore is continuing the old Social Credit campaign to return to traditional values. Social Credit is virulently anti-communist, and favours both joining NATO and creating a nuclear program.

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