1932 Newfoundland general election

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1932 Newfoundland general election
Flag of the Dominion of Newfoundland.svg
  1928 June 11, 1932 1949 (Canada)  

27 seats of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
14 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
  Frederick C. Alderdice.png Richard Squires.jpg
Leader Frederick C. Alderdice Richard Squires
Party United Newfoundland Liberal
Leader since19321928
Leader's seatSt. John's West [a] Humber
Ran in Trinity South (lost)
Last election12 [b] 28 [c]
Seats won242
Seat changeIncrease2.svg12Decrease2.svg26
Popular vote82,03732,726
Percentage70.85%28.26%
SwingIncrease2.svg28.00%Decrease2.svg26.72%

Prime Minister before election

Richard Squires
Liberal

Prime Minister after election

Frederick C. Alderdice
United Newfoundland

The 1932 Newfoundland general election was held on 11 June 1932 to elect members of the 28th General Assembly of Newfoundland. It was the final legislative general election held in the Dominion of Newfoundland.

Contents

As a result of a riot which occurred in 1932 due to Newfoundland's deteriorating economic situation, Prime Minister Sir Richard Squires dissolved the House of Assembly and called an election. His Liberals were reduced to two seats while Frederick C. Alderdice's United Newfoundland Party won 24 seats and was elected to government. The size of the House was reduced from 40 to 27 as an economy measure.

Alderdice was not able to rescue the public finances. By this time Newfoundlanders despaired of the ability of their politicians to solve the problems. The British government commissioned a report from William Warrender Mackenzie, 1st Baron Amulree which was scathing about the political culture of Newfoundland. [1]

The price of British government financial aid was the abandonment of responsible and representative government. The legislature was dissolved. The Commission of Government came into operation on 16 February 1934 ending more than a century of legislative democracy in Newfoundland.

Results

 PartyLeader 1928 CandidatesSeats wonChange in seats% of seats
(% change)
Popular vote% of vote
(% change)
  United Newfoundland Frederick C. Alderdice 12 [b] 2624Increase2.svg1288.89%
(Increase2.svg58.89%)
82,03770.85%
(Increase2.svg 28.00%)
  Liberal Richard Squires 28 [c] 262Decrease2.svg267.41%
(Decrease2.svg62.59%)
32,72628.26%
(Decrease2.svg26.72%)
 Other031Increase2.svg 13.70%
(Increase2.svg3.70%)
1,0340.90%
(Decrease2.svg1.27%)
Totals405527Decrease2.svg 13100%115,797100%

Results by district

St. John's

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
Liberal (historical)United (historical)Other
St. John's East Leo Murphy
1,390
8.32%
Gerald Byrne
6,987
41.83%
Frederick C. Alderdice
St. John's City East (ran in St. John's West)
Gerald Byrne
St. John's City East
Thomas J. Mahoney
1,356
8.12%
Edward Emerson
6,969
41.73%
Merged district
John Tobin
St. John's East Extern
St. John's WestKenneth Ruby
2,884
14.05%
Frederick C. Alderdice
7,554
36.81%
George Ayre (Independent)
214
1.04%
Alexander Campbell
St. John's City West (ran in St. George's-Port au Port)
Joseph Fitzgibbon
St. John's City West (ran in Placentia and St. Mary's)
James Power
2,548
12.42%
Patrick Halley
7,320
35.67%
Merged district
Frank Bennett
St. John's West Extern

Conception Bay

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
Liberal (historical)United (historical)
Carbonear-Bay de Verde Richard Cramm
1,955
37.03%
John Puddester
3,325
62.97%
James Moore
Carbonear
Merged district
John Puddester
Bay de Verde
Harbour Grace Frank Archibald
620
20.98%
Harry Winter
2,335
79.02%
Frank Archibald
Harbour Main-Bell Island Albert Walsh
1,938
18.18%
Charles Furey
3,480
32.65%
Philip Lewis
Harbour Main (ran in Placentia and St. Mary's)
Albert Walsh
Harbour Main
Joseph Greene
1,872
17.56%
William Browne
3,370
31.61%
Merged district
Joseph Greene
Bell Island
Port de Grave Robert Smith
1,074
32.87%
James Ayre
2,193
67.13%
John Parsons
Bay Roberts
Merged district
Robert Smith
Port de Grave

Avalon and Burin Peninsulas

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
Liberal (historical)United (historical)
Burin H. B. C. Lake
1,383
36.63%
Samuel Foote
2,393
63.37%
James Winter
Burin East
Merged district
H. B. C. Lake
Burin West
FerrylandW. Loyola Whelan [2]
395
14.07%
Michael Shea
2,412
85.93%
Peter Cashin
Placentia and St. Mary's Joseph Fitzgibbon
472
15.92%
Philip Lewis
2,492
84.08%
Edward Emerson
Placentia East (ran in St. John's East)
Merged district
James Bindon
St. Mary's
Placentia WestJ. J. St. John
613
21.06%
William Walsh
2,298
78.94%
Leo Murphy
(ran in St. John's East)
Trinity South Richard Squires
1,686
41.62%
Harold Mitchell
2,365
58.38%
Edwin Godden
(ran in Fogo)

Eastern and Central Newfoundland

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
Liberal (historical)United (historical)Other
Bonavista NorthJoseph Davis
1,020
26.32%
William C. Winsor
2,856
73.68%
J. H. Scammell
Bonavista Centre
Merged district
Nathan Winsor
Bonavista North
Bonavista South Joey Smallwood
812
18.71%
Herman Quinton
3,528
81.29%
William Coaker
Bonavista East
Merged district
Herman Quinton
Bonavista South
Fogo Edwin Godden
734
23.44%
Harold Earle
2,397
76.56%
Richard Hibbs
Grand Falls William Earle
1,420
33.66%
Kenneth Brown
2,799
66.34%
William Earle
Merged district
Helena Squires
Lewisporte (ran in Twillingate)
Green Bay Roland Starkes
1,271
54.13%
Frederick Wells
1,077
45.87%
Roland Starkes
Trinity NorthBert King
726
16.37%
John Stone
2,888
65.13%
Reuben Vardy (Independent)
820
18.49%
F. Gordon Bradley
Trinity Centre (ran in Humber)
Merged district
William Halfyard
Trinity North
Twillingate Helena Squires
1,206
44.92%
Norman Gray
1,479
55.08%
Kenneth Brown
(ran in Grand Falls)

Southern and Western Newfoundland

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
Liberal (historical)United (historical)Other
Burgeo and La PoilePhilip Butler
585
23.71%
James Winter
1,882
76.29%
Arthur Barnes
Burgeo
Fortune Bay and Hermitage Harris Mosdell (Independent)
Won by acclamation
Harris Mosdell
Fortune Bay
Merged district
Philip Fudge
Hermitage
Humber F. Gordon Bradley
2,612
54.01%
S. D. Cook
2,224
45.99%
Richard Squires
(ran in Trinity South)
St. BarbeE. S. Spencer
572
31.33%
George Whitely
1,254
68.67%
Walter Skanes
St. George's-Port au Port Alexander Campbell
768
22.89%
William Abbott
2,587
77.11%
Joseph Downey
St. George's
Merged district
William Abbott
Port au Port
White Bay Joseph Strong
814
34.10%
Joseph Moore
1,573
65.90%
Joseph Strong

Notes

  1. Not the incumbent, but ran in this seat and won
  2. 1 2 As the Liberal-Conservative-Progressive Party
  3. 1 2 As a coalition government with the Fishermen's Protective Union

References

  1. "Amulree Report". Newfoundland Royal Commission. 1933.
  2. "Government Candidates". Fishermen's Advocate. June 3, 1932. Retrieved October 19, 2025.

Further reading