Social Credit Party of Saskatchewan

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The Social Credit Party of Saskatchewan (originally known as the Social Credit League of Saskatchewan) was a political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan that promoted social credit economic theories from the mid-1930s to the mid-1970s.

A political party is an organized group of people, often with common views, who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. The party agrees on some proposed policies and programmes, with a view to promoting the collective good or furthering their supporters' interests.

Provinces and territories of Canada Top-level subdivisions of Canada

The provinces and territories of Canada are the sub-national governments within the geographical areas of Canada under the authority of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North America—New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Province of Canada —were united to form a federated colony, becoming a sovereign nation in the next century. Over its history, Canada's international borders have changed several times, and the country has grown from the original four provinces to the current ten provinces and three territories. Together, the provinces and territories make up the world's second-largest country by area.

Saskatchewan Province of Canada

Saskatchewan is a prairie and boreal province in western Canada, the only province without natural borders. It has an area of 651,900 square kilometres (251,700 sq mi), nearly 10 percent of which is fresh water, composed mostly of rivers, reservoirs, and the province's 100,000 lakes.

Social Credit first appeared in Saskatchewan in the 1935 federal election, when the party received 20% of the popular vote and won two seats in Kindersley and The Battlefords. [1]

The party fought its first election campaign in the 1938 provincial election, and won 15.90% of the popular vote. Because Saskatchewan, like the other provinces and the federal government of Canada, uses the 'first past the post' system for electing its Legislative Assembly, only two of the 40 Social Credit candidates won election in 52 seats available in the legislature. MP Joseph Needham was president of the provincial party in the 1930s into the 1940s.

Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan

The Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan is one of two components of the Legislature of Saskatchewan, the other being the Queen of Canada in Right of Saskatchewan,. The legislature has been unicameral since its establishment; there has never been a provincial upper house.

In the subsequent election in 1944, Social Credit collapsed: it nominated only one candidate, who won only 249 votes (0.06% of the provincial popular vote).

Social Credit recovered somewhat in the 1948 provincial election, nominating 36 candidates and winning 8.09% of the popular vote.

In the 1956 provincial election, Social Credit nominated candidates in all 53 ridings, and won 21.48% of the popular vote, but only three of its candidates were elected.

Electoral district (Canada) federal or provincial electoral district in Canada

An electoral district in Canada, also known as a "constituency" or a "riding", is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based. It is officially known in Canadian French as a circonscription, but frequently called a comté (county).

Its vote fell to 12.35% in the 1960 election. Although the party nominated a few candidates in the two subsequent elections, (1964 and 1967), it could not win more than 0.45% of the popular vote or win a seat. The party did not contest elections after 1967.

Ed Nasserden, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, called for the merger of the two parties in November 1970. The Social Credit and Progressive Conservative Parties entered into talks about merging from November 1970 to February 1971. The move was mostly supported by the Progressive Conservatives, as some members of the Social Credit Party were, according to former leader Lloyd Avram, "...skeptical of our ability to get our views of monetary reform across in a merged party." [2] Members of the Social Credit Party voted against a merger with the Progressive Conservative Party in February 1971. [3] Following the vote, the Social Credit Party emerged as a divided party, and did not contest the 1971 and 1975 provincial elections. From 1971 to 1975 the Social Credit Party did not have a leader, and chose to focus on educating the people of Saskatchewan about the party's beliefs and values. [4]

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1921 Saskatchewan general election

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1938 Saskatchewan general election

The Saskatchewan general election of 1938 was the ninth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 8, 1938, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

1944 Saskatchewan general election

The Saskatchewan general election of 1944 was the tenth provincial election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 15, 1944 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

1948 Saskatchewan general election

The Saskatchewan general election of 1948 was the eleventh provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 24, 1948, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

1952 Saskatchewan general election

The Saskatchewan general election of 1952 was the twelfth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 11, 1952, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

1964 Saskatchewan general election

The Saskatchewan general election of 1964 was the fifteenth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on April 22, 1964, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

1971 Saskatchewan general election

The Saskatchewan general election of 1971 was the seventeenth provincial election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 23, 1971, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

1982 Saskatchewan general election

The Saskatchewan general election of 1982 was the twentieth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on April 26, 1982, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

1944 Alberta general election

The Alberta general election of 1944 was the tenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. The Assembly was dissolved on July 8, 1944, and the vote was held on August 8, 1944, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

The British Columbia general election of 1979 was the 32nd general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 3, 1979. The election was held on May 10, 1979, and the new legislature met for the first time on June 6, 1979.

References

  1. Ken Andrews, "'Progressive' Counterparts Of The CCF: Social Credit and The Conservative Party In Saskatchewan, 1935-1938," Journal of Canadian Studies 17 (1982): 60.
  2. "Amalgamation Vote Legality Questioned," The Leader-Post, November 23, 1970, 4.
  3. "Social Credit League Votes Against Merger With PCs," The Leader-Post, February 25, 1971, 1.
  4. "Socreds Won't Field Candidates," The Leader-Post, February 25, 1971, 4.