1. Cooperative Commonwealth Federation & Social Credit
Politics of Protest
Cooperative Commonwealth Federation
&
Social Credit

2. As the federal government struggled to find a way to deal with the Depression, many looked to alternative political parties for solutions…
Conservatives (in power) – Prime Minister R.B. Bennett
Liberals (in opposition) – William Lyon Mackenzie King
Neither of these men seemed to know what to do….

3. Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) – western based
Appealed to dissatisfied farmers, labourers, intellectuals etc.
CCF was a “Socialist” party
Leader = J.S. Woodsworth
Political platform called the “Regina Manifesto”
Believed in:
Public ownership of key industries
Social programs to assist the elderly, unemployed, homeless, sick etc.
Woodsworth believed government should spend money on public works to create jobs
CCF did not win seats in 1930’s elections…but an alternative

5. Social Credit – Alberta based
Leader – William “Bible Bill” Aberhart – preacher and high school teacher
Weekly radio program – “Voices of the Prairies”
Believed:
Capitalism was wasteful and banks hoarded $ - this prevented customers from buying the goods capitalism produced!
Govt. should release $ into the economy so people could spend it
Promised:
Each citizen a “basic dividend” of $25 a month for necessities – but…only the federal govt. can issue money
Social Credit in power in AB until 1971 under Aberhart’s successors

7. Provincial Solutions:
In Ontario, the Liberals came to power in 1934 for the first time in 29 years
Leader = Mitch Hepburn
Populist farmer who championed the “little man” but really did little for the unemployed
In Quebec, the Union Nationale came to power in 1936
Leader = Maurice Duplessis
Nationalistic French-Cdn. Party – relied on Church and rural voters and blamed Quebec’s problems on English minority which controlled the province’s economy
Few reforms…little done to improve economy or society

8. In BC, the Liberals were elected in 1933
Leader = Dufferin Patullo
Believed in provincial spending and promised a “New Little Deal”
Reforms to shorten the work week, increase minimum wage and increase relief pay
New public works projects – Fraser River Bridge, Vancouver City Hall…