Canadian social credit movement
Encyclopedia
The 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. It gained popularity and its own political party in the 1930s, as a result of the Great Depression
.
taking many votes from the Progressive Party of Canada
and the United Farmers
movement. In the 1940 federal election
, Socreds ran with supporters of William Duncan Herridge
as New Democracy
, but reverted to the Social Credit name in subsequent elections with the Social Credit Association of Canada being officially formed in 1944. The party was generally fairly small, and gradually declined.
In the 1960s, the Québécois wing of the party split off
to form the Ralliement créditiste
. The two wings reunited in 1971. The party was left without any parliamentary seats following the 1980 federal election
, and thereafter declined into irrelevance.
, who formed the Alberta Social Credit League
based on Douglas' ideology and conservative Christian social values. He was elected Premier of Alberta in the 1935 provincial election
. His government was probably the only one in the world that adhered to the social credit ideology. In fact, following the 1937 Social Credit backbenchers' revolt
in which Aberhardt's government was pressured to implement its fiscal program, he once tried to implement social credit by issuing "Prosperity Certificates" to Albertans, although this measure was disallowed by the Supreme Court of Canada
on the basis that only the federal government of Canada was authorized to issue currency. Aberhart died in office, and was replaced by Ernest Manning
, who discarded the theory and attempted to purge the party of anti-Semites, but kept the Social Credit name.
The Social Credit Party of Alberta
formed nine consecutive majority government
s spanning 36 years, one of the longest spans of a single party in government in Canadian history.
Although the party is no longer a significant force in Alberta politics, it still has some support and in recent times showed signs of a mini-revival. Under current leader Lavern Ahlstrom
, it has also moved to re-embrace some elements of Social Credit economic policies.
was largely fractious, and made up of various small groups, the largest of which being the Social Credit League. The British Columbian movement was largely at odds with the Albertan wing and sought to distance itself from William Aberhart's religious preaching.
The effective death of the movement came when W. A. C. Bennett was elected leader of the League in 1951. Bennett joined in order to use the party as a political vehicle, and was quick to dump the original ideology, and reorganize into the conservative populist British Columbia Social Credit Party.
Social Credit's first government in British Columbia was a very small minority
, but they were elected to a majority a year later. After the minority, and 20 years of majority government, the party was defeated by the New Democratic Party of British Columbia
. The NDP served only one term in Government, before the Social Credit Party was returned to office for four more terms of majority government under W.A.C. Bennett's son, Bill Bennett
. Bennett was succeeded by Bill Vander Zalm
in 1986, but Vander Zalm was forced to resign in 1991 in favour of Rita Johnston
.
The Social Credit government was defeated by the NDP in the 1991 election
. The party effectively came to an end in the 1996 election
when it failed to win a single seat in the legislature, and received only 0.4% of votes cast. Many of the party's mainstream members left to join the British Columbia Liberal Party
, which emerged in the early 1990s as the new "free enterprise" coalition opposing the NDP.
However, a small Social Credit Party remains. It ran only two candidates in the 2001 election
. The strongest candidate of the two, Grant Mitton, a former radio talk show host who received 17% of the vote in his riding
, later left the party to form the British Columbia Party
.
in part because of the work of Louis Even
who translated social credit literature into French, wrote his own articles on the subject and published and circulated periodicals to promote social credit theories. He and Gilberte Côté-Mercier founded a lay
Christian group called the "Pilgrims of Saint Michael
", based in Rougemont, Quebec, that promotes social credit monetary policy coupled with conservative Catholicism. The Pilgrims publish The Michael Journal in English and Vers Demain in French. The group is nicknamed "the White Berets" for the headgear worn by members.
Even and Côté-Mercier also founded the Union des électeurs in 1939 as a provincial party based on social credit theories and recruited Réal Caouette
to the movement. Even and Armand Turpin ran federally as New Democracy
candidates in the 1940 federal election
, but none was elected. The movement was able to win a post World War II
by-election
under the Union des électeurs label, with Caouette being sent to the Canadian House of Commons
. The Union broke with the Social Credit Party of Canada
in 1947 over Ernest Manning
's rejection of more orthodox social credit economic theory and his purge of anti-Semites from the social credit movement. The Union held more orthodox views in line with C.H. Douglas's original economic and political philosophy including a rejection of party politics in the belief that it should be replaced by a non-partisan "union of eletors" in which elected officials would implement the popular will.
Caouette ran for re-election as a union des electeurs candidate and lost his seat in the 1949 federal election
. Caouette continued to run in elections unsuccessfully through the 1950s over the objections of Even and Côté-Mercier and split with them on May 4, 1958 to form Ralliement des créditistes as the Quebec wing of the Social Credit Party of Canada
with himself as leader. It achieved a major breakthrough in the 1962 federal election
, and remained in the House of Commons under various names until 1980.
Social Credit was never able to form a provincial government in Quebec due to the near dominance of social conservative votes by the Union Nationale party from the 1930s into the 1960s. The Social Credit Party, however, soon became a major contender in Quebec for seats to the federal Parliament
in the 1960s. Although BC and Alberta would elect a few Social Credit Members of Parliament
(MPs) in that decade, it would be Quebec that maintained the party's national presence after 1962. Social Credit remained dominant in the other two provinces in provincial elections.
In the 1962 election
, Social Credit won 26 of 75 seats in Quebec, beating the Progressive Conservative Party
. They continued to finish in second place in terms of federal seats from Quebec until their last MPs fell with the minority government of Joe Clark
in 1980. The most Social Credit ever captured in terms of the Quebec popular vote was 27.3% federally, and 11.2% provincially.
The Quebec wing of the movement broke from the rest of the party in 1963 to form its own Quebec-only federal Social Credit party, the Ralliement des créditistes. As a social conservative party, the party generally attracted voters who supported of the Union Nationale in provincial elections.
The party formed a provincial wing in 1970, the Ralliement créditiste du Québec
, which benefited as the UN declined after the death of Premier
Daniel Johnson
in 1968.
The growth of Quebec separatism stymied the rise of the provincial Créditistes. Although Parti Québécois
is a social democratic party, it drew nationalist voters away from the Créditistes.
In the 1970 provincial election
, the Liberals took 72 seats, followed by the Union Nationale with 17, and Ralliement créditiste du Québec with 12. The party was riven by internal dissent for the remainder of its history, capturing two seats in the 1973 election
, and only one in the 1976 election
, the last time a créditiste was elected to the Quebec National Assembly
.
Legislature, it won 3.1% of the vote in 1948.
, the party was able to win a few seats in the Legislature, and was the third party in each at various times. From 1936 to 1940, the party supported John Bracken
's minority government
, and in 1940 it joined Bracken's coalition government
.
Of the ten elections from 1936–1973, the party won seats in seven. In the 1936 provincial election
, Social Credit finished third, and in the 1941 provincial election
, it tied for third. However, Social Credit never won more than 14% of the popular vote.
, Social Credit won seats in the Legislature in two elections - 2 seats in the 1938 election
, and 3 in the 1956 election
. In 1956, the party held third party status. Social Credit was never able to win more 16% of the popular vote.
, the party unsuccessfully ran candidates in most provincial elections from 1945 until 1975, never obtaining electoral support beyond a negligible level.
The party faced serious divisions in the 1940s, 1960s and early 1970s due to attempted takeovers by fascist groups and was put in trusteeship by the federal party in 1972 when the fascist Western Guard
succeeded in taking control.
The party continued as a registered party into the 1980s despite not running candidates in the 1977 and 1981 elections but was defunct by 1985.
's Christian Credit Party
and Abolitionist Party of Canada
, and the short-lived Canada Party
. The Global Party of Canada also appears to promote social credit economic policies.
The Canadian Action Party
has monetary reform
policies in its platform, but is not considered to be a social credit party.
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...
political movement
Political movement
A political movement is a social movement in the area of politics. A political movement may be organized around a single issue or set of issues, or around a set of shared concerns of a social group...
originally based on the 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"...
theory of Major C. H. Douglas
C. H. Douglas
Major C. H. Douglas MIMechE, MIEE, , was a British engineer and pioneer of the Social Credit economic reform movement.-Education and engineering career:...
. Its supporters were colloquially known as Socreds. It gained popularity and its own political party in the 1930s, as a result of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
Federal politics
The Western Social Credit League, an outgrowth of Alberta Social Credit, ran candidates in the 1935 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1935
The Canadian federal election of 1935 was held on October 14, 1935 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 18th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of William Lyon Mackenzie King won a majority government, defeating Prime Minister R.B. Bennett's Conservative Party.The central...
taking many votes from the Progressive Party of Canada
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
and the United Farmers
United Farmers of Canada
The United Farmers of Canada was a radical farmers organization. It was established in 1926 as the United Farmers of Canada as a merger of the Farmers' Union of Canada and the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association...
movement. In the 1940 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1940
The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history. It was held March 26, 1940 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 19th Parliament of Canada...
, Socreds ran with supporters of William Duncan Herridge
William Duncan Herridge
William Duncan Herridge, PC, KC, MC, DSO was a Canadian politician and diplomat.He was the son of Reverend William T...
as New Democracy
New Democracy (Canada)
New Democracy was a political party in Canada founded by William Duncan Herridge in 1939. Herridge, a former Conservative party adviser who was Canada's Envoy to the United States from 1931-35 during the government of R. B. Bennett....
, but reverted to the Social Credit name in subsequent elections with the Social Credit Association of Canada being officially formed in 1944. The party was generally fairly small, and gradually declined.
In the 1960s, the Québécois wing of the party split off
Social Credit Party of Canada split, 1963
The split between Ralliement des créditistes, which was the Quebec wing of the Social Credit Party of Canada, and the national organization had its roots in a long-standing dispute between the de facto leader of the Ralliement, Réal Caouette, and the party’s national leader, Robert N. Thompson...
to form the Ralliement créditiste
Ralliement créditiste
Historically in Quebec, Canada, there was a number of political parties that were part of the Canadian social credit movement. There were various parties at different times with different names at the provincial level, all broadly following the social credit philosophy; at various times they had...
. The two wings reunited in 1971. The party was left without any parliamentary seats following the 1980 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
, and thereafter declined into irrelevance.
Alberta
The ideology was embraced by the Reverend "Bible Bill" William AberhartWilliam 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...
, who formed the Alberta Social Credit League
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....
based on Douglas' ideology and conservative Christian social values. He was elected Premier of Alberta in the 1935 provincial election
Alberta general election, 1935
The Alberta general election of 1935 was the eighth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 22, 1935 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. His government was probably the only one in the world that adhered to the social credit ideology. In fact, following the 1937 Social Credit backbenchers' revolt
1937 Social Credit backbenchers' revolt
The 1937 Social Credit backbenchers' revolt took place from March to June 1937 in the Canadian province of Alberta. It was a rebellion against Premier William Aberhart by a group of backbench members of the Legislative Assembly from his Social Credit League...
in which Aberhardt's government was pressured to implement its fiscal program, he once tried to implement social credit by issuing "Prosperity Certificates" to Albertans, although this measure was disallowed by the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
on the basis that only the federal government of Canada was authorized to issue currency. Aberhart died in office, and was replaced by 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...
, who discarded the theory and attempted to purge the party of anti-Semites, but kept the Social Credit name.
The Social Credit Party of 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...
formed nine consecutive majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
s spanning 36 years, one of the longest spans of a single party in government in Canadian history.
Although the party is no longer a significant force in Alberta politics, it still has some support and in recent times showed signs of a mini-revival. Under current leader Lavern Ahlstrom
Lavern Ahlstrom
Lavern Ahlstrom is a retired provincial level politician and former leader of the Alberta Social Credit Party.-Political career:Ahlstrom first became involved with Social Credit in the 1970s. He has been a perennial candidate for the party with some moderately successful showings during his career...
, it has also moved to re-embrace some elements of Social Credit economic policies.
British Columbia
In the 1930s and 1940s, the social credit movement in British ColumbiaBritish 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...
was largely fractious, and made up of various small groups, the largest of which being the Social Credit League. The British Columbian movement was largely at odds with the Albertan wing and sought to distance itself from William Aberhart's religious preaching.
The effective death of the movement came when W. A. C. Bennett was elected leader of the League in 1951. Bennett joined in order to use the party as a political vehicle, and was quick to dump the original ideology, and reorganize into the conservative populist British Columbia Social Credit Party.
Social Credit's first government in British Columbia was a very small minority
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
, but they were elected to a majority a year later. After the minority, and 20 years of majority government, the party was defeated by the New Democratic Party of British Columbia
New Democratic Party of British Columbia
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
. The NDP served only one term in Government, before the Social Credit Party was returned to office for four more terms of majority government under W.A.C. Bennett's son, Bill Bennett
Bill Bennett
William Richards Bennett, PC, OBC , commonly known as Bill Bennett, was the 27th Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia 1975–1986. He is a son of the former Premier, W. A. C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed, of R.B...
. Bennett was succeeded by Bill Vander Zalm
Bill Vander Zalm
Wilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie "Bill" Vander Zalm is a politician and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. He was the 28th Premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991.-Early life:...
in 1986, but Vander Zalm was forced to resign in 1991 in favour of Rita Johnston
Rita Johnston
Rita Margaret Johnston was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. Johnston became the first female premier in Canadian history when she succeeded William Vander Zalm in 1991 to become the 29th Premier of British Columbia.Much of her early life was spent running a successful trailer park in the...
.
The Social Credit government was defeated by the NDP in the 1991 election
British Columbia general election, 1991
The British Columbia general election of 1991 was the 35th provincial 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 September 19, 1991, and held on October 17, 1991...
. The party effectively came to an end in the 1996 election
British Columbia general election, 1996
The British Columbia general election of 1996 was the thirty sixth provincial 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 30, 1996, and held on May 28, 1996...
when it failed to win a single seat in the legislature, and received only 0.4% of votes cast. Many of the party's mainstream members left to join the British Columbia Liberal Party
British Columbia Liberal Party
The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
, which emerged in the early 1990s as the new "free enterprise" coalition opposing the NDP.
However, a small Social Credit Party remains. It ran only two candidates in the 2001 election
British Columbia general election, 2001
The British Columbia general election of 2001 was the 37th provincial 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 18, 2001, and held on May 16, 2001...
. The strongest candidate of the two, Grant Mitton, a former radio talk show host who received 17% of the vote in his riding
Electoral district (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...
, later left the party to form the British Columbia Party
British Columbia Party
The British Columbia Party is a right-wing political party in the Canadian province of British Columbia, founded in 1998 as a populist party by John Motiuk, a North Vancouver lawyer.The party did not nominate candidates in the 2001 provincial election...
.
Quebec
The movement also caught on in QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in part because of the work of Louis Even
Louis Even
Louis Even was a lay Christian leader and publisher who founded the social credit movement in Quebec. He co-founded and led the Pilgrims of Saint Michael, better known as the white berets, with Gilberte Côté-Mercier and was a founder of the Union of Electors, a predecessor of Réal Caouette's...
who translated social credit literature into French, wrote his own articles on the subject and published and circulated periodicals to promote social credit theories. He and Gilberte Côté-Mercier founded a lay
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
Christian group called the "Pilgrims of Saint Michael
Pilgrims of Saint Michael
The Pilgrims of St. Michael is a Roman Catholic organization in Canada that promotes social credit economic theories in Canada and other countries.The Pilgims of St...
", based in Rougemont, Quebec, that promotes social credit monetary policy coupled with conservative Catholicism. The Pilgrims publish The Michael Journal in English and Vers Demain in French. The group is nicknamed "the White Berets" for the headgear worn by members.
Even and Côté-Mercier also founded the Union des électeurs in 1939 as a provincial party based on social credit theories and recruited Réal Caouette
Réal Caouette
David Réal Caouette was a Canadian politician from Quebec. He was a Member of Parliament and leader of the Social Credit Party of Canada and founder of the Ralliement des créditistes...
to the movement. Even and Armand Turpin ran federally as New Democracy
New Democracy (Canada)
New Democracy was a political party in Canada founded by William Duncan Herridge in 1939. Herridge, a former Conservative party adviser who was Canada's Envoy to the United States from 1931-35 during the government of R. B. Bennett....
candidates in the 1940 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1940
The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history. It was held March 26, 1940 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 19th Parliament of Canada...
, but none was elected. The movement was able to win a post World War II
World 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...
by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
under the Union des électeurs label, with Caouette being sent to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
. The Union broke with the Social Credit Party of Canada
Social Credit Party of Canada
The Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
in 1947 over 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...
's rejection of more orthodox social credit economic theory and his purge of anti-Semites from the social credit movement. The Union held more orthodox views in line with C.H. Douglas's original economic and political philosophy including a rejection of party politics in the belief that it should be replaced by a non-partisan "union of eletors" in which elected officials would implement the popular will.
Caouette ran for re-election as a union des electeurs candidate and lost his seat in the 1949 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1949
The Canadian federal election of 1949 was held on June 27 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 21st Parliament of Canada. It was the first election in Canada in almost thirty years in which the Liberal Party of Canada was not led by William Lyon Mackenzie King. King had...
. Caouette continued to run in elections unsuccessfully through the 1950s over the objections of Even and Côté-Mercier and split with them on May 4, 1958 to form Ralliement des créditistes as the Quebec wing of the Social Credit Party of Canada
Social Credit Party of Canada
The Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
with himself as leader. It achieved a major breakthrough in the 1962 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1962
The Canadian federal election of 1962 was held on June 18, 1962 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 25th Parliament of Canada...
, and remained in the House of Commons under various names until 1980.
Social Credit was never able to form a provincial government in Quebec due to the near dominance of social conservative votes by the Union Nationale party from the 1930s into the 1960s. The Social Credit Party, however, soon became a major contender in Quebec for seats to the federal Parliament
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
in the 1960s. Although BC and Alberta would elect a few Social Credit Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MPs) in that decade, it would be Quebec that maintained the party's national presence after 1962. Social Credit remained dominant in the other two provinces in provincial elections.
In the 1962 election
Canadian federal election, 1962
The Canadian federal election of 1962 was held on June 18, 1962 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 25th Parliament of Canada...
, Social Credit won 26 of 75 seats in Quebec, beating the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
. They continued to finish in second place in terms of federal seats from Quebec until their last MPs fell with the minority government of Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
in 1980. The most Social Credit ever captured in terms of the Quebec popular vote was 27.3% federally, and 11.2% provincially.
The Quebec wing of the movement broke from the rest of the party in 1963 to form its own Quebec-only federal Social Credit party, the Ralliement des créditistes. As a social conservative party, the party generally attracted voters who supported of the Union Nationale in provincial elections.
The party formed a provincial wing in 1970, the Ralliement créditiste du Québec
Ralliement créditiste du Québec
The Ralliement créditiste du Québec was a provincial political party in Quebec, Canada that operated from 1970 to 1978. It promoted social credit theories of monetary reform, and acted as an outlet for the expression of rural...
, which benefited as the UN declined after the death of Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
Daniel Johnson
Daniel Johnson, Sr
Francis Daniel Johnson, Sr., PC was a Quebec politician and the 20th Premier of Quebec from 1966 until his death in 1968.-Background:...
in 1968.
The growth of Quebec separatism stymied the rise of the provincial Créditistes. Although Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
is a social democratic party, it drew nationalist voters away from the Créditistes.
In the 1970 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1970
The Quebec general election of 1970 was held on April 29, 1970 to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The former Legislative Assembly had been renamed the "National Assembly" in 1968...
, the Liberals took 72 seats, followed by the Union Nationale with 17, and Ralliement créditiste du Québec with 12. The party was riven by internal dissent for the remainder of its history, capturing two seats in the 1973 election
Quebec general election, 1973
The Quebec general election of 1973 was held on October 29, 1973 to elect members to National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Robert Bourassa, won re-election, defeating the Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, and the Union Nationale .The Liberals won a...
, and only one in the 1976 election
Quebec general election, 1976
The Quebec general election of 1976 was held on November 15, 1976 to elect members to National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled only by the 1960 general election, and caused major repercussions in the rest of Canada...
, the last time a créditiste was elected to the Quebec National Assembly
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
.
New Brunswick
While Social Credit never won any seats in the New BrunswickNew Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
Legislature, it won 3.1% of the vote in 1948.
Manitoba
In ManitobaManitoba
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...
, the party was able to win a few seats in the Legislature, and was the third party in each at various times. From 1936 to 1940, the party supported John Bracken
John Bracken
John Bracken, PC was an agronomist, the 11th Premier of Manitoba and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ....
's minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
, and in 1940 it joined Bracken's coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
.
Of the ten elections from 1936–1973, the party won seats in seven. In the 1936 provincial election
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...
, Social Credit finished third, and in the 1941 provincial election
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...
, it tied for third. However, Social Credit never won more than 14% of the popular vote.
Saskatchewan
In SaskatchewanSaskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Social Credit won seats in the Legislature in two elections - 2 seats in the 1938 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1938
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....
, and 3 in the 1956 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1956
The Saskatchewan general election of 1956 was the thirteenth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 20, 1956, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.-The campaign:...
. In 1956, the party held third party status. Social Credit was never able to win more 16% of the popular vote.
Ontario
In OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, the party unsuccessfully ran candidates in most provincial elections from 1945 until 1975, never obtaining electoral support beyond a negligible level.
The party faced serious divisions in the 1940s, 1960s and early 1970s due to attempted takeovers by fascist groups and was put in trusteeship by the federal party in 1972 when the fascist Western Guard
Western Guard
For the Canadian neo-nazi group see Western Guard PartyThe Western Guard is a newspaper serving Madison and Lac qui Parle County in western Minnesota. It is published once a week on Wednesdays and has 2,100 subscribers.-External links:**...
succeeded in taking control.
The party continued as a registered party into the 1980s despite not running candidates in the 1977 and 1981 elections but was defunct by 1985.
Other parties
Other political parties have also promoted social credit principles, including John C. TurmelJohn C. Turmel
John C. Turmel is a perennial candidate for election in Canada, and according to the Guinness Book of Records holds the records for the most elections contested and for the most elections lost having contested 75 elections and lost 74...
's Christian Credit Party
Christian Credit Party
The Christian Credit Party was a short-lived Canadian political party founded in 1982 by perennial candidate and social credit activist, John C...
and Abolitionist Party of Canada
Abolitionist Party of Canada
The Abolitionist Party of Canada was a Canadian political party founded by perennial candidate John C. Turmel. The party ran on a platform of: monetary reform, including the abolition of interest rates and the income tax, the use of the local employment trading system of banking, and introducing a...
, and the short-lived Canada Party
Canada Party
The Canada Party was a short-lived political party in Canada that nominated 56 candidates in the 1993 federal election and one candidate in a 1996 by-election. It was unable to win any seats. The party was populist and ran on a platform of banking and monetary reform...
. The Global Party of Canada also appears to promote social credit economic policies.
The Canadian Action Party
Canadian Action Party
The Canadian Action Party is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1997. It promotes Canadian nationalism, monetary and electoral reform, and opposes neoliberal globalization and free trade agreements.- Background :The Canadian Action Party was founded by Paul T...
has monetary reform
Monetary reform
Monetary reform describes any movement or theory that proposes a different system of supplying money and financing the economy from the current system.Monetary reformers may advocate any of the following, among other proposals:...
policies in its platform, but is not considered to be a social credit party.
See also
- List of Social Credit/Creditistes MPs
- Committee on Monetary and Economic ReformCommittee on Monetary and Economic ReformThe Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform is an international publishing and education centre based in Toronto, Canada.Its mandate is to study the destabilization that its members believe current economic and monetary policies have caused, and are causing, for the citizens of Canada and other...
(COMER) - Pilgrims of Saint MichaelPilgrims of Saint MichaelThe Pilgrims of St. Michael is a Roman Catholic organization in Canada that promotes social credit economic theories in Canada and other countries.The Pilgims of St...
- Australian League of RightsAustralian League of RightsThe Australian League of Rights is a long-lived far right and anti-semitic political organisation in Australia founded by Eric Butler with its basis in the economic theory of Social Credit expounded by C. H. Douglas. It describes itself as upholding the virtues of freedom...
- Social Credit Party (New Zealand)Social Credit Party (New Zealand)The New Zealand Social Credit Party was a political party which served as the country's "third party" from the 1950s through into the 1980s. The party held a number of seats in the New Zealand Parliament, although never more than two at a time...