Ontario general election, 1945
Encyclopedia
The Ontario general election of 1945 was held on June 4, 1945, to elect the 90 members of the 22nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario
(Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario
, Canada
.
The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, led by George Drew, won a second consecutive term in office, winning a solid majority of seats in the legislature—66, up from 38 in the previous election
.
The Ontario Liberal Party
, led by former premier Mitchell Hepburn
, was returned to the role of official opposition with 11 seats, plus 3 Liberal-Labour
seats that it won in coalition with the Labour-Progressive Party
(which was, in fact, the Communist Party). The three new Liberal-Labour MPPs were James Newman
of Rainy River
, Joseph Meinzinger of Waterloo North
and Alexander Parent of Essex North.
The social democratic Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
(CCF), led by Ted Jolliffe
, was reduced from 34 seats to only 8.
Two seats were won by the Labour-Progressive Party on its own with the re-election of A.A. MacLeod and J.B. Salsberg. The LPP contested a total of 31 ridings under the leadership of Leslie Morris
who was defeated in the Toronto riding of Bracondale. As well, the Labour-Progressive Party ran several joint candidates with the Liberals under the Liberal-Labour banner.
The Drew government called the election in an attempt to get a majority government
. By exploiting increasing Cold War tensions, the PC Party was able to defeat Jolliffe's CCF by stoking fears about communism. Jolliffe replied by giving a radio speech (written by Lister Sinclair) that accused Drew of running a political gestapo
in Ontario, alleging that a secret department of the Ontario Provincial Police
was acting as a political police spying on the opposition and the media. This accusation led to a backlash, and loss of support for the CCF, including the loss of Jolliffe's own seat of York South
. This probably helped Drew win his majority, although in the 1970s, archival evidence was discovered proving the charge.
22nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The 22nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario was in session from June 4, 1945 until April 27, 1948, just prior to the 1948 general election. The majority party was the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party led by George Drew.- External links :*...
(Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario
Ontario
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....
, Canada
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...
.
The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, led by George Drew, won a second consecutive term in office, winning a solid majority of seats in the legislature—66, up from 38 in the previous election
Ontario general election, 1943
The Ontario general election of 1943 was held on August 4, 1943, to elect the 90 Members of the 21st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
.
The Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
, led by former premier Mitchell Hepburn
Mitchell Hepburn
Mitchell Frederick Hepburn was the 11th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1934 to 1942. He was the youngest Premier in Ontario history, appointed at age 37....
, was returned to the role of official opposition with 11 seats, plus 3 Liberal-Labour
Liberal-Labour (Canada)
The Liberal-Labour banner has also been used several times by candidates in Canadian elections:In the early twentieth century when the idea of trade unionists running for elected office under their own banner gained ground, several working class candidates on the provincial or federal level were...
seats that it won in coalition with the Labour-Progressive Party
Labour-Progressive Party
For the Labour-Progressive Coalition Government in New Zealand see the Fifth Labour Government of New ZealandThe Labor-Progressive Party was the legal political organization of the Communist Party of Canada between 1943 and 1959....
(which was, in fact, the Communist Party). The three new Liberal-Labour MPPs were James Newman
James Newman (Canadian politician)
James Melvin Newman was an Ontario merchant and political figure. He represented Rainy River in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal-Labour member from 1945 to 1951....
of Rainy River
Rainy River, Ontario
The Canadian town of Rainy River is situated on the Ontario-Minnesota border, along the Rainy River opposite Baudette, Minnesota, USA, and southeast of the Lake of the Woods...
, Joseph Meinzinger of Waterloo North
Waterloo North
Waterloo North was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario...
and Alexander Parent of Essex North.
The social democratic Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section)
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation – The Farmer-Labor Party of Ontario, or more informally and commonly known as The Ontario CCF, was a democratic socialist political party that existed from 1932 to 1961. It was the provincial wing of the National CCF. The party officially had no leader in...
(CCF), led by Ted Jolliffe
Ted Jolliffe
Edward Bigelow "Ted" Jolliffe, QC was a Canadian social democratic politician and lawyer from Ontario. He was the first leader of the Ontario section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and leader of the Official Opposition in the Ontario Legislature during the 1940s and 1950s...
, was reduced from 34 seats to only 8.
Two seats were won by the Labour-Progressive Party on its own with the re-election of A.A. MacLeod and J.B. Salsberg. The LPP contested a total of 31 ridings under the leadership of Leslie Morris
Leslie Morris
Leslie Tim Morris was a Welsh-Canadian politician, journalist and long time member of the Communist Party of Canada and, its front group, the Labour-Progressive Party....
who was defeated in the Toronto riding of Bracondale. As well, the Labour-Progressive Party ran several joint candidates with the Liberals under the Liberal-Labour banner.
The Drew government called the election in an attempt to get a 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...
. By exploiting increasing Cold War tensions, the PC Party was able to defeat Jolliffe's CCF by stoking fears about communism. Jolliffe replied by giving a radio speech (written by Lister Sinclair) that accused Drew of running a political gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
in Ontario, alleging that a secret department of the Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
was acting as a political police spying on the opposition and the media. This accusation led to a backlash, and loss of support for the CCF, including the loss of Jolliffe's own seat of York South
York South
York South was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1999....
. This probably helped Drew win his majority, although in the 1970s, archival evidence was discovered proving the charge.
Results
| Party | Leader | 1943 Ontario general election, 1943 The Ontario general election of 1943 was held on August 4, 1943, to elect the 90 Members of the 21st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada.... |
Elected | % change | Popular vote | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | change |
Progressive Conservative | George Drew | 38 | 66 | +73.7% | 44.3% | +8.6% |
Liberal Ontario Liberal Party The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and... |
Mitchell Hepburn Mitchell Hepburn Mitchell Frederick Hepburn was the 11th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1934 to 1942. He was the youngest Premier in Ontario history, appointed at age 37.... |
15 | 11 | -26.7% | 29.8% | -1.4% |
Liberal-Labour Liberal-Labour (Canada) The Liberal-Labour banner has also been used several times by candidates in Canadian elections:In the early twentieth century when the idea of trade unionists running for elected office under their own banner gained ground, several working class candidates on the provincial or federal level were... |
- | 3 | |
Co-operative Commonwealth Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section) The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation – The Farmer-Labor Party of Ontario, or more informally and commonly known as The Ontario CCF, was a democratic socialist political party that existed from 1932 to 1961. It was the provincial wing of the National CCF. The party officially had no leader in... |
Ted Jolliffe Ted Jolliffe Edward Bigelow "Ted" Jolliffe, QC was a Canadian social democratic politician and lawyer from Ontario. He was the first leader of the Ontario section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and leader of the Official Opposition in the Ontario Legislature during the 1940s and 1950s... |
34 | 8 | -76.5% | 22.4% | -9.3% |
Labour-Progressive Party | Leslie Morris Leslie Morris Leslie Tim Morris was a Welsh-Canadian politician, journalist and long time member of the Communist Party of Canada and, its front group, the Labour-Progressive Party.... |
2 | 2 | - | 2.4% | |
Liberal Independent | 1 | - | - | |||
| Total Seats | 90 | 90 | - | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
- Politics of OntarioPolitics of OntarioThe Province of Ontario is governed by a unicameral legislature, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, which operates in the Westminster system of government...
- List of Ontario political parties
- Premier of OntarioPremier of OntarioThe Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
- Leader of the Opposition (Ontario)Leader of the Opposition (Ontario)The Leader of the Opposition in Ontario is usually leader of the largest party in the Ontario legislature which is not the government. The current official opposition is formed by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, and Tim Hudak is the current Leader of the Opposition.Ontario's first...