Political Responses to the
Great Depression
J.S. Woodsworth
Maurice Duplessis
“Bible Bill” Aberhart
“R.B. Bennett
The Politicians offer their Solutions
Political Responses to the Great
Depression
Homeless Canadian family in Western
Canada during the heart of the Depression
The Effect of the Great Depression
• In Saskatchewan, over 200,000
left their farms
• 70% of their population was
dependent upon relief
• Imports fell by 55%; exports by
25%.
• Out of a total population of 10
Million, 2 million Canadians
were living off relief handouts
(e.g. soup kitchens).
• Canada’s unemployment rate
went from 4% to 27% (1 in 4
Canadians were out of work)
A “Soup Kitchen” during the Depression
How did the Government Respond?
• No Social programs existed
• No Employment Insurance,
no welfare.
• King PM at start & end of
depression
27% Unemployment
• Bennett PM during the worst
years
MacKenzie King
R.B. Bennett
What was the government afraid of?
Could this happen
in Canada?
King’s Response to the Depression
• MacKenzie King- leave it up
to the provinces
• Leave the economy alone
• I won’t give “a five cent
piece” of relief money to any
province that had a
Conservative Government
He won’t give “a five cent piece”
Enter Bennett
• On July 28th, 1930 R.B. Bennett
became Prime Minister of Canada.
• “Rags to riches”- grew up to be a
self-made millionaire as a corporate
lawyer and businessman in
Calgary.
• Believed in capitalism and the freeenterprise system (i.e. leave the
government out of the economy
alone and everything will work out
in the end)
Prime Minister R.B. Bennett
Bennett’s Response to the Depression
• $20 Million towards
emergency relief
• Raised the tariffs on
imports to 50% in order to
protect Canada’s
industries from foreign
competition and end the
trade deficit.
“Bonfire” Bennett
Canada’s Reaction
• R.B. Bennett’s plans
made the depression
worse as his
protectionism cut off
Canadian exports.
• Canadians called these
cars (with horses)
“Bennett Buggies”
The “Bennett Buggy”
Other Political Parties offer their
solutions
• Bill Aberhart was a preacher
and school teacher from
Alberta
• His idea? Give every citizen
$25 per month “prosperity
certificate” so people could
buy more products and help
the economy.
• His party was called the
“Social Credit” Party.
• His party was elected in 1935
in Alberta, but they never paid
out the certificates.
Social Credit Party leader
“Bible Bill” Aberhart
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
• “Conscientious objector” during
WW1 and worked as a minister
in Winnipeg helping the
homeless.
• Free enterprise system had
failed the people = government
needed to take a greater role
• He proposed: Unemployment
insurance, free medical care,
family allowances and old age
pensions.
• His CCF Party later was
renamed the NDP in 1961.
J.S. Woodsworthkind of a Commi!
The Union Nationale
• Quebec was in depression
because Quebec’s
industries were owned by
Americans and English
speaking Canadians.
• He formed the Union
Nationale so that
Quebeckers would have
more control over their
economy.
• The Union Nationale won
the Quebec election in
1936 and remained a force
in Quebec politics for the
next 22 years
Maurice Duplessis of the Union Nationale
The Return of King
• In 1935, the Canadian
people had enough of
Bennett
• Running under the slogan
“King or Chaos”, King won
the election.
• Bennett ended his final
days in Great Britain and
remains the only
Canadian prime minister
to be buried outside of
Canada.
He’s Back Again