Quebec general election, 1944
Encyclopedia
The Quebec general election of 1944 was held on August 8, 1944 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly
of the Province of Quebec
, Canada
. The Union Nationale, led by former premier
Maurice Duplessis
, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Adélard Godbout
. This was the first provincial election in which women were allowed to vote, having been granted suffrage at the provincial level in 1940 and at the federal level in 1919.
This election marked Duplessis's comeback after having defeated Godbout in the 1936 election
and having lost to him in the 1939 election
. Duplessis won another three elections in a row, for a total of five terms of office (four consecutive), before dying in office in 1959.
In this wartime
election, Godbout's support for Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King
in the Conscription Crisis of 1944
may have contributed to his defeat.
The Bloc Populaire
won four seats on an anti-conscription platform. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
(predecessor of the New Democratic Party
) won one seat. Party member David Côté
was elected to the legislature, but in July 1945, he decided to sit as an independent.
Note:
* Information on party's actions in previous election not available.
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...
of the Province of Quebec
Quebec
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....
, 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 Union Nationale, led by former premier
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. There are currently ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers in Canada....
Maurice Duplessis
Maurice Duplessis
Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis served as the 16th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from 1936 to 1939 and 1944 to 1959. A founder and leader of the highly conservative Union Nationale party, he rose to power after exposing the misconduct and patronage of Liberal Premier Louis-Alexandre...
, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Adélard Godbout
Adélard Godbout
Joseph-Adélard Godbout was an agronomist and politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 15th Premier of Quebec briefly in 1936, and again from 1939 to 1944. He was also leader of the Parti Libéral du Québec .-Youth and early career:Adélard Godbout was born in Saint-Éloi...
. This was the first provincial election in which women were allowed to vote, having been granted suffrage at the provincial level in 1940 and at the federal level in 1919.
This election marked Duplessis's comeback after having defeated Godbout in the 1936 election
Quebec general election, 1936
The Quebec general election of 1936 was held on August 17, 1936 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Union Nationale, led by Maurice Duplessis, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Adélard Godbout.This marked the end of slightly more...
and having lost to him in the 1939 election
Quebec general election, 1939
The Quebec general election of 1939 was held on October 25, 1939 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada...
. Duplessis won another three elections in a row, for a total of five terms of office (four consecutive), before dying in office in 1959.
In this wartime
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...
election, Godbout's support for Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
in the Conscription Crisis of 1944
Conscription Crisis of 1944
The Conscription Crisis of 1944 was a political and military crisis following the introduction of forced military service in Canada during World War II. It was similar to the Conscription Crisis of 1917, but was not as politically damaging....
may have contributed to his defeat.
The Bloc Populaire
Bloc populaire canadien
The Bloc populaire canadien was a political party in the Canadian province of Quebec from 1942 to 1947. It was founded on September 8, 1942 by opponents of conscription during World War II...
won four seats on an anti-conscription platform. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Parti social démocratique du Québec
The Parti social démocratique du Québec was the Quebec wing of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. It was founded in 1939 as the Fédération du Commonwealth Coopératif and was led by Thérèse Casgrain from 1951 to 1957 and by Michel Chartrand from 1957 to 1960...
(predecessor of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
) won one seat. Party member David Côté
David Côté
David Côté was a Canadian politician active in the provincial politics of Quebec. Côté was the only member of the Fédération du Commonwealth Coopératif ever elected to the Quebec legislature.Côté was a trade union organizer for the Congress of Industrial Organizations working...
was elected to the legislature, but in July 1945, he decided to sit as an independent.
Results
| Party | Party leader | # of candidates |
Seats | Popular Vote | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 Quebec general election, 1939 The Quebec general election of 1939 was held on October 25, 1939 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada... |
Elected | % Change | # | % | % Change |
Union Nationale | Maurice Duplessis Maurice Duplessis Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis served as the 16th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from 1936 to 1939 and 1944 to 1959. A founder and leader of the highly conservative Union Nationale party, he rose to power after exposing the misconduct and patronage of Liberal Premier Louis-Alexandre... |
90 | 15 | 48 | +220% | 38.02% | -1.1% |
Liberal | Adélard Godbout Adélard Godbout Joseph-Adélard Godbout was an agronomist and politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 15th Premier of Quebec briefly in 1936, and again from 1939 to 1944. He was also leader of the Parti Libéral du Québec .-Youth and early career:Adélard Godbout was born in Saint-Éloi... |
91 | 70 | 37 | -47.1% | 39.35% | -14.7% |
Bloc Populaire Bloc populaire canadien The Bloc populaire canadien was a political party in the Canadian province of Quebec from 1942 to 1947. It was founded on September 8, 1942 by opponents of conscription during World War II... |
André Laurendeau André Laurendeau Joseph-Edmond-André Laurendeau was a journalist, politician, co-chair of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, and playwright in Quebec, Canada. He is usually referred to as André Laurendeau. He was active in Québécois life, in various spheres and capacities, for three decades... |
80 | * | 4 | * | 14.40% | * |
Co-operative Commonwealth Parti social démocratique du Québec The Parti social démocratique du Québec was the Quebec wing of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. It was founded in 1939 as the Fédération du Commonwealth Coopératif and was led by Thérèse Casgrain from 1951 to 1957 and by Michel Chartrand from 1957 to 1960... |
Romuald-Joseph Lamoureux | 25 | 0 | 1 | * | 2.56% | * |
Other | 47 | 1 | 1 | 5.67% | +3.3% | |||||||
| Total | 86 | 91 | +5.8% | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note:
See also
- List of Quebec premiers
- Politics of QuebecPolitics of QuebecThe politics of Quebec are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces, namely a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The capital of the province is Quebec City, where the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, the legislature, and cabinet reside.The...
- Timeline of Quebec historyTimeline of Quebec historyThis article presents a detailed timeline of Quebec history. Events taking place outside Quebec, for example in English Canada, the United States, Britain or France, may be included when they are considered to have had a significant impact on Quebec's history....
- List of Quebec political parties
- 22nd Legislative Assembly of Quebec22nd Legislative Assembly of QuebecThe 22nd Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the Quebec, Canada provincial legislature that existed from August 8, 1944 to July 28, 1948. The Union Nationale led by Maurice Duplessis returned to power after defeating the Quebec Liberal Party led by Adélard Godbout who defeated the Union Nationale in...