Manitoba Social Credit Party
Encyclopedia
The Manitoba Social Credit Party (originally the Manitoba Social Credit League) was a political party
in the Canadian
province of Manitoba
. In its early years, it espoused the monetary reform theories of social credit
.
It was formed in the 1935-36, shortly after William Aberhart
's supporters formed a Social Credit
government in Alberta
. While the party never won many seats in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
, it maintained a presence in the legislature for most of the period from 1936 to 1973.
protest movement. Like other Social Credit parties in Canada, it eventually became as a party of conservatism
while retaining an anti-establishment message. The party's leadership was consistently anti-socialist.
The Social Credit Party ran 19 candidates in the provincial election of 1936
, five of whom were elected. It did not have a leader during the election, but chose Stanley Fox
to lead the parliamentary group shortly thereafter. During this period, the party supported the monetary reforms of Major Douglas, which Aberhart had been promoting in Alberta for several years.
The 1936 election produced a minority government, with 23 Liberal-Progressives
, 16 Conservatives
, 7 Independent Labour Party
members, the 5 Social Crediters and 4 others. After early talks for a Liberal-Progressive/Conservative coalition broke down, the Social Crediters made a surprise offer to keep the outgoing Liberal-Progressive government of John Bracken
in power. Some party members may have hoped for a formal coalition, but this came to nothing and the party supported the government from the outside for the next four years.
Fox stepped down as party leader in 1937, and was replaced by S.E. Rogers.
, Bracken promoted a "non-partisan government" for Manitoba, in which all four major parties would hold cabinet portfolios in a demonstration of provincial unity. The plan was approved by the other parties, and Social Credit joined the government in late 1940. Social Credit Member of the Legislative Assembly
(MLA) Norman Turnbull
was sworn in as a minister without portfolio
on November 4, 1940, and served in this capacity until February 14, 1946.
The decision to join government caused a split in the party. Salome Halldorson
crossed the floor to sit as an Opposition Social Credit MLA and won the support of Alberta Socred Premier Ernest Manning
as well as the Manitoba Social Credit League which officially expelled the four Social Credit MLAs who supported the government. Nevertheless, in the election of 1941
, several Social Credit candidates ran in opposition to the coalition, while coalition supporters continued to call themselves Social Credit candidates. This division damaged the party's credibility with the electorate, and only three Social Credit candidates were elected: Fox, Turnbull and Rogers (all government supporters).
, but the party ran only two other candidates in the rest of the province. It completely lost its coherence as a parliamentary force in the late 1940s, and did not run any candidates in the 1949 election
.
The Social Credit Party re-emerged for the election of 1953
: William Bullmore
was elected in the constituency of Dauphin, and Gilbert Hutton
won in Minnedosa. The party was again marginalized in the parliament which followed, however, and none of its candidates were elected in the provincial elections of 1958
and 1959
. Although the Social Credit parties of Alberta and British Columbia
had largely abandoned their monetary policies by this time, Bullmore and Hutton continued to promote social credit during their time in parliament.
During the late 1940s and the 1950s, the President of the Manitoba Social Credit League was Wilbert James Tinkler
. He was the closest that the party had to an official leader in this period, as neither Bullmore nor Hutton held an official role in the legislature.
won a by-election in the riding of Rhineland. Froese remained a member of the legislature until the 1973 election
, when he was defeated by a Progressive Conservative
candidate. The party was unable to win any other seats, however, and Froese effectively acted as an independent MLA during his time in parliament. He served as party leader for most, if not all of the period from 1959 to 1977. Froese was sometimes called the "conscience of parliament", and does not appear to have endorsed his party's original views on monetary reform.
The Manitoba Social Credit Party ran five candidates in the 1977 election
, all of whom fared poorly. Even Froese was reduced to a fourth-place finish in Rhineland. In the 1981 election
, the party announced that it would not run any candidates. Froese was by this time a member of Sidney Green's Progressive Party.
The party seems to have dissolved itself shortly thereafter.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. In its early years, it espoused the monetary reform theories of social credit
Social Credit
Social Credit is an economic philosophy developed by C. H. Douglas , a British engineer, who wrote a book by that name in 1924. Social Credit is described by Douglas as "the policy of a philosophy"; he called his philosophy "practical Christianity"...
.
It was formed in the 1935-36, shortly after William Aberhart
William Aberhart
William Aberhart , also known as Bible Bill for his outspoken Baptist views, was a Canadian politician and the seventh Premier of Alberta between 1935 and 1943. The Social Credit party believed the reason for the depression was that people did not have enough money to spend, so the government...
's supporters formed a Social Credit
Social Credit Party of Alberta
The Alberta Social Credit Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the social credit monetary policy and conservative Christian social values....
government in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. While the party never won many seats in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
, it maintained a presence in the legislature for most of the period from 1936 to 1973.
Origins
In its earliest years, the Social Credit League took the form of a populistPopulism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
protest movement. Like other Social Credit parties in Canada, it eventually became as a party of conservatism
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
while retaining an anti-establishment message. The party's leadership was consistently anti-socialist.
The Social Credit Party ran 19 candidates in the provincial election of 1936
Manitoba general election, 1936
Manitoba's general election of July 27, 1936 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The was the second election in Manitoba after the formation of a Liberal-Progressive alliance in 1932...
, five of whom were elected. It did not have a leader during the election, but chose Stanley Fox
Stanley Fox
Stanley Fox was a politician in Manitoba, Canada, who served as the first leader of the Manitoba Social Credit Party, a party that supported the social credit theories of monetary reform....
to lead the parliamentary group shortly thereafter. During this period, the party supported the monetary reforms of Major Douglas, which Aberhart had been promoting in Alberta for several years.
The 1936 election produced a minority government, with 23 Liberal-Progressives
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
, 16 Conservatives
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
, 7 Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party (in Manitoba) (II)
Prior to 1920, there were a number of groups in Winnipeg which called themselves the "Independent Labour Party". For information on these groups, see Independent Labour Party ....
members, the 5 Social Crediters and 4 others. After early talks for a Liberal-Progressive/Conservative coalition broke down, the Social Crediters made a surprise offer to keep the outgoing Liberal-Progressive government of John Bracken
John Bracken
John Bracken, PC was an agronomist, the 11th Premier of Manitoba and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ....
in power. Some party members may have hoped for a formal coalition, but this came to nothing and the party supported the government from the outside for the next four years.
Fox stepped down as party leader in 1937, and was replaced by S.E. Rogers.
World War II and coalition
After the start of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Bracken promoted a "non-partisan government" for Manitoba, in which all four major parties would hold cabinet portfolios in a demonstration of provincial unity. The plan was approved by the other parties, and Social Credit joined the government in late 1940. Social Credit Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
(MLA) Norman Turnbull
Norman Turnbull
Norman Leslie Turnbull was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1936 to 1949 as a representative of the Social Credit League, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of John Bracken and Stuart Garson.Turnbull was educated at the Manitoba...
was sworn in as a minister without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
on November 4, 1940, and served in this capacity until February 14, 1946.
The decision to join government caused a split in the party. Salome Halldorson
Salome Halldorson
Elin Salome Halldorson was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1936 to 1941 as a member of the Social Credit League. She was the second woman to serve in the provincial legislature.Halldorson was born to an Icelandic family in Lundar, Manitoba...
crossed the floor to sit as an Opposition Social Credit MLA and won the support of Alberta Socred Premier Ernest Manning
Ernest Manning
Ernest Charles Manning, , a Canadian politician, was the eighth Premier of Alberta between 1943 and 1968 for the Social Credit Party of Alberta. He served longer than any premier in the province's history, and was the second longest serving provincial premier in Canadian history...
as well as the Manitoba Social Credit League which officially expelled the four Social Credit MLAs who supported the government. Nevertheless, in the election of 1941
Manitoba general election, 1941
Manitoba's general election of April 22, 1941 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was held shortly after the formation of a coalition government in December 1940...
, several Social Credit candidates ran in opposition to the coalition, while coalition supporters continued to call themselves Social Credit candidates. This division damaged the party's credibility with the electorate, and only three Social Credit candidates were elected: Fox, Turnbull and Rogers (all government supporters).
Decline
The party does not seem to have had a leader in the parliament which followed, and in fact became little more than an appendage of the Liberal-Conservative coalition as the 1940s progressed. Fox and Turnbull were re-elected in the 1945 electionManitoba general election, 1945
Manitoba's general election of October 15, 1945 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The 1945 provincial election was extremely different from the previous election, which was held in 1941...
, but the party ran only two other candidates in the rest of the province. It completely lost its coherence as a parliamentary force in the late 1940s, and did not run any candidates in the 1949 election
Manitoba general election, 1949
Manitoba's general election of November 10, 1949 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election pitted the province's coalition government, made up of the Liberal-Progressive Party and the Progressive Conservative Party, against a variety of...
.
The Social Credit Party re-emerged for the election of 1953
Manitoba general election, 1953
Manitoba's general election of June 8, 1953 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. This was the first election held in Manitoba after the breakup of a ten-year coalition government led by the Liberal-Progressives and Progressive Conservatives...
: William Bullmore
William Bullmore
William Lewis Bullmore was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He married Arla Maynes, from Harrowby, Manitoba, on August 11, 1936 and they had two children, who were named James William Bullmore and Arla Anne Bullmore Porter...
was elected in the constituency of Dauphin, and Gilbert Hutton
Gilbert Hutton
Gilbert "Bunty" Hutton was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1953 to 1958 as a representative of the Social Credit League...
won in Minnedosa. The party was again marginalized in the parliament which followed, however, and none of its candidates were elected in the provincial elections of 1958
Manitoba general election, 1958
Manitoba's general election of June 16, 1958 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was the first to be held in Manitoba after a comprehensive electoral redistribution in 1956...
and 1959
Manitoba general election, 1959
Manitoba's general election of May 14, 1959 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a majority victory for the Progressive Conservative Party under the leadership of Dufferin Roblin...
. Although the Social Credit parties of Alberta and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
had largely abandoned their monetary policies by this time, Bullmore and Hutton continued to promote social credit during their time in parliament.
During the late 1940s and the 1950s, the President of the Manitoba Social Credit League was Wilbert James Tinkler
Wilbert James Tinkler
Wilbert James Tinkler was a farmer and politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as president of the province's Manitoba Social Credit Party for at least some of the period between 1947 to 1959, and ran several times at the provincial and federal levels as a Social Credit candidate.Tinkler became...
. He was the closest that the party had to an official leader in this period, as neither Bullmore nor Hutton held an official role in the legislature.
Later years
The party received another lease on life in November 1959, when Jacob FroeseJacob Froese
Jacob Froese was a politician in the Canadian province of Manitoba. He was the province's only Social Credit MLA between 1959 and 1973, and was the party's leader for most if not all of the period from 1959 to 1977....
won a by-election in the riding of Rhineland. Froese remained a member of the legislature until the 1973 election
Manitoba general election, 1973
The Manitoba General Election of June 28, 1973 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the social-democratic New Democratic Party, which took 31 of 57 seats...
, when he was defeated by a Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
candidate. The party was unable to win any other seats, however, and Froese effectively acted as an independent MLA during his time in parliament. He served as party leader for most, if not all of the period from 1959 to 1977. Froese was sometimes called the "conscience of parliament", and does not appear to have endorsed his party's original views on monetary reform.
The Manitoba Social Credit Party ran five candidates in the 1977 election
Manitoba general election, 1977
The Manitoba general election of October 11, 1977 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which took 33 seats out of 57...
, all of whom fared poorly. Even Froese was reduced to a fourth-place finish in Rhineland. In the 1981 election
Manitoba general election, 1981
The Manitoba general election of November 17, 1981 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the opposition New Democratic Party, which took 34 of 57 seats. The governing Progressive Conservative Party took the remaining 23, while the...
, the party announced that it would not run any candidates. Froese was by this time a member of Sidney Green's Progressive Party.
The party seems to have dissolved itself shortly thereafter.
See also
- List of Manitoba political parties
- List of Manitoba general elections
- Social Credit Party of CanadaSocial Credit Party of CanadaThe Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
- Canadian social credit movementCanadian social credit movementThe Canadian social credit movement was a Canadian political movement originally based on the Social Credit theory of Major C. H. Douglas. Its supporters were colloquially known as Socreds...