Ralliement créditiste du Québec
Encyclopedia
The Ralliement créditiste du Québec was a provincial political party
in Quebec
, Canada
that operated from 1970 to 1978. (The party was also known as the Parti créditiste from September to December 1973, contesting the 1973 provincial election
under that name.) It promoted social credit
theories of monetary reform, and acted as an outlet for the expression of rural discontent. It was a successor to an earlier social credit party in Quebec, the Union des électeurs which ran candidates in the 1940s.
, split from the national organization
. It also debated establishing a provincial party. De facto party leader Réal Caouette
opposed the creation of a provincial party, and convinced delegates to accept the creation of a ten-member committee to study the proposal instead. Caouette argued that the creditistes had no organization and no money to create a provincial party. Furthermore, the social credit proposal for reform of the monetary system could only be implemented at the federal level (as the Social Credit
government of William Aberhart
in Alberta
had learned when it tried to issue “prosperity certificates”). Most of the support for the creation of a provincial party came from the separatist element in the party, many of whom were also members of the Parti républicain du Québec
led by Marcel Chaput
.
However, the party later decided to test the provincial waters by contesting four by-election
s held on October 8, 1969. All four candidates, who appeared on the ballot as "unaffiliated" candidates ("sans désignation"), were defeated, finishing in second place behind the Union Nationale candidates. The Quebec Liberal Party and the Parti Québécois
did not contest those by-elections.
Despite those results, a provincial wing was established, under the name "Ralliement créditiste du Québec", to compete in the next provincial elections. Gaston Tremblay
, an Independent
Member of the National Assembly
(MNA) (elected as a Union Nationale member in 1966) became the first Ralliement créditiste MNA late in 1969. The party was officially founded on January 25, 1970. Camil Samson
, the new party's president, was elected as leader of the party on March 22, 1970.
, the créditistes benefited from the decline of the conservative Union Nationale party and made a modest breakthrough, winning 12 seats in the National Assembly and 11.2% of the vote. The party was never able to build on this initial success because it was wracked continually by internal divisions.
On February 13, 1972, faced by challenges from within his party, Camil Samson resigned as leader, and a leadership convention was planned for March 18–19, 1972: Armand Bois
(MNA for Saint-Sauveur) was chosen interim leader on February 21.
On March 16, Camil Samson was expelled from the party by nine of the créditiste MNAs (organized by Armand Bois) for criticizing some of the caucus members, and for not attending party meetings. On March 19, Samson declared himself to be the leader of a new créditiste group, and demanded to be seated in the National Assembly as a member of the "Registered Ralliement créditiste du Québec"', along with two other créditiste MNAs, Aurèle Audet
(Abitibi-Ouest) and Bernard Dumont
(Mégantic
). However, the speaker of the National Assembly recognized Armand Bois as parliamentary leader of the party. On August 11, Samson, Dumont and Audet rejoined the "Ralliement créditiste du Québec".
On February 4, 1973, Yvon Dupuis
was elected leader of the Ralliement créditiste du Québec over Samson. The party was renamed the Parti créditiste. Samson was named leader in the National Assembly. On February 21, Armand Bois, the former interim leader, was expelled from the party for saying at the February 4 leadership convention that Yvon Dupuis’s entourage included members of the Montreal
underworld. Bois sat as an independent créditiste until October 3, when he apologized for his statements and asked to be readmitted to the party.
Dupuis failed to win a by-election to enter the National Assembly, and was pressured to quit the leadership of the party. On May 5, 1974, Dupuis resigned as leader of the Parti créditiste, and formed the Parti présidentiel
. Dupuis resigned as leader of that party on October 21, 1974, and ended his political career. The Parti présidentiel was merged into the Union Nationale a year later.
, after campaigning under the name Parti créditiste, only two party members won election to the National Assembly, Fabien Roy
and Camil Samson
, although the party won 9.9% of the popular vote.
On December 1, 1974, Armand Bois announced the foundation of a new créditiste party, the Parti réformateur. That party merged with the Ralliement créditiste on November 18, 1975.
Before the 1976 election, there was a further split as the only two sitting Parti créditiste MNAs went their separate ways. Camil Samson
became leader of the party, again called the Ralliement créditiste du Québec, on May 11, 1975. Fabien Roy
was expelled from the party. It is not clear whether Roy was expelled on January 15, 1974 or November 3, 1975.
On December 14, 1975, Roy teamed up with former Liberal Jérôme Choquette
to form the Parti national populaire
under Choquette's leadership. The PNP and the Union Nationale, led by Rodrigue Biron
, announced the merger of their two parties, but the idea was abandoned by the Union Nationale one month later.
, Camil Samson was the only créditiste elected, although the party won 4.63% of the popular vote across the province. (The PNP's Roy also won his seat, while Choquette was defeated.)
Samson’s strong oratorical ability and sense of humour pleased the crowds who attended his rallies, and the party spent $150,000 on 15-minute television advertisements that aired almost every day”, but his inability to get along with his colleagues had decimated Creditiste ranks over the years, and left the party largely composed of his own supporters who had followed him “though thick and thin”. Samson promised interest-free loans and a guaranteed annual income, and emphasised traditional social credit themes including the rejection of socialism and the plight of the common man.”
Some traditional Creditistes such as Carl O’Malley had followed Fabien Roy into the Parti Nationale Populaire (O’Malley was the PNP candidate in Notre-Dame-de-Grace
riding) even through the PNP did not embrace social credit.
Samson was re-elected with 9011 votes (40%) in his riding of Rouyn-Noranda.
, on November 12, 1978. Samson’s partner in establishing the new party was Pierre Sévigny
, a federal cabinet minister in the Progressive Conservative
government of John Diefenbaker
. Sévigny had resigned from the federal cabinet in disgrace because of his relationship with Gerda Munsinger
, who was later revealed to be a spy for East Germany.
That party would later be renamed as the Parti démocrate créditiste on January 1, 1980; on September 2, 1980, Samson joined the Quebec Liberal Party caucus, and the Parti démocrate créditiste was dissolved. Samson was defeated as a Liberal candidate in the 1981 provincial election
.
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 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...
that operated from 1970 to 1978. (The party was also known as the Parti créditiste from September to December 1973, contesting the 1973 provincial 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...
under that name.) It promoted 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"...
theories of monetary reform, and acted as an outlet for the expression of rural discontent. It was a successor to an earlier social credit party in Quebec, the Union des électeurs which ran candidates in the 1940s.
Founding
At its 1963 annual convention in Hull, the Ralliement des créditistes, the Quebec wing of the Social Credit Party of CanadaSocial 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...
, split from the national organization
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...
. It also debated establishing a provincial party. De facto party leader 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...
opposed the creation of a provincial party, and convinced delegates to accept the creation of a ten-member committee to study the proposal instead. Caouette argued that the creditistes had no organization and no money to create a provincial party. Furthermore, the social credit proposal for reform of the monetary system could only be implemented at the federal level (as the 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 of 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...
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...
had learned when it tried to issue “prosperity certificates”). Most of the support for the creation of a provincial party came from the separatist element in the party, many of whom were also members of the Parti républicain du Québec
Parti républicain du Québec
The Parti républicain du Québec or PRQ was a political party that advocated the independence of Quebec from Canada...
led by Marcel Chaput
Marcel Chaput
Marcel Chaput "", in Bilan du Siècle, Université de Sherbrooke, retrieved June 5, 2008) was a scientist and a militant for the independence of Quebec from Canada...
.
However, the party later decided to test the provincial waters by contesting four by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
s held on October 8, 1969. All four candidates, who appeared on the ballot as "unaffiliated" candidates ("sans désignation"), were defeated, finishing in second place behind the Union Nationale candidates. The Quebec Liberal Party and the 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...
did not contest those by-elections.
Despite those results, a provincial wing was established, under the name "Ralliement créditiste du Québec", to compete in the next provincial elections. Gaston Tremblay
Gaston Tremblay
Gaston Tremblay was a politician in Quebec, Canada and a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec .-Member of the legislature:...
, an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
Member of the 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...
(MNA) (elected as a Union Nationale member in 1966) became the first Ralliement créditiste MNA late in 1969. The party was officially founded on January 25, 1970. Camil Samson
Camil Samson
Camil Samson was a politician in Quebec, Canada, Member of the National Assembly of Quebec , and leader of the Ralliement créditiste du Québec and other political parties.-Background:...
, the new party's president, was elected as leader of the party on March 22, 1970.
1970 election
In the April 29, 1970 electionsQuebec 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 créditistes benefited from the decline of the conservative Union Nationale party and made a modest breakthrough, winning 12 seats in the National Assembly and 11.2% of the vote. The party was never able to build on this initial success because it was wracked continually by internal divisions.
On February 13, 1972, faced by challenges from within his party, Camil Samson resigned as leader, and a leadership convention was planned for March 18–19, 1972: Armand Bois
Armand Bois
Armand Bois was a politician in Quebec, Canada and a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec .-Background:He was born in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec on April 21, 1920 and served as a military officer during World War II...
(MNA for Saint-Sauveur) was chosen interim leader on February 21.
On March 16, Camil Samson was expelled from the party by nine of the créditiste MNAs (organized by Armand Bois) for criticizing some of the caucus members, and for not attending party meetings. On March 19, Samson declared himself to be the leader of a new créditiste group, and demanded to be seated in the National Assembly as a member of the "Registered Ralliement créditiste du Québec"', along with two other créditiste MNAs, Aurèle Audet
Aurèle Audet
Aurèle Audet was a politician in Quebec, Canada and a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec .-Background:He was born in La Sarre, Quebec on October 12, 1920 and made career in the dairy industry.-Political career:...
(Abitibi-Ouest) and Bernard Dumont
Bernard Dumont
Bernard Dumont was a politician in Quebec, Canada and a Member of the Canadian House of Commons.- Member of Parliament :He ran as a Social Credit candidate in the district of Bellechasse in the 1962 federeal election...
(Mégantic
Mégantic (provincial electoral district)
Mégantic was a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Estrie region, it was created in 1867. After the 1970 elections, it was merged with Compton to create the new riding of Mégantic-Compton...
). However, the speaker of the National Assembly recognized Armand Bois as parliamentary leader of the party. On August 11, Samson, Dumont and Audet rejoined the "Ralliement créditiste du Québec".
On February 4, 1973, Yvon Dupuis
Yvon Dupuis
Yvon Dupuis, PC is a former Canadian politician.-Political career:Born in Montreal, Dupuis was educated at Collège de Varennes in Longeuil, Quebec, and worked as an insurance agent and as the owner of two music stores prior to running for elected office.He was first elected to the National...
was elected leader of the Ralliement créditiste du Québec over Samson. The party was renamed the Parti créditiste. Samson was named leader in the National Assembly. On February 21, Armand Bois, the former interim leader, was expelled from the party for saying at the February 4 leadership convention that Yvon Dupuis’s entourage included members of the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
underworld. Bois sat as an independent créditiste until October 3, when he apologized for his statements and asked to be readmitted to the party.
Dupuis failed to win a by-election to enter the National Assembly, and was pressured to quit the leadership of the party. On May 5, 1974, Dupuis resigned as leader of the Parti créditiste, and formed the Parti présidentiel
Parti présidentiel
The Parti présidentiel was a political party in Quebec, Canada. It was founded on May 5, 1974 by former Liberal Party of Quebec Member of the National Assembly Yvon Dupuis. Dupuis founded the party after resigning from the leadership of the Ralliement créditiste du Québec. Dupuis resigned from the...
. Dupuis resigned as leader of that party on October 21, 1974, and ended his political career. The Parti présidentiel was merged into the Union Nationale a year later.
1973 election
In the October 29, 1973 electionQuebec 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...
, after campaigning under the name Parti créditiste, only two party members won election to the National Assembly, Fabien Roy
Fabien Roy
Fabien Roy was a politician in Quebec, Canada, in the 1970s. Roy was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec and the Canadian House of Commons, and advocated social credit theories of monetary reform.-Background:...
and Camil Samson
Camil Samson
Camil Samson was a politician in Quebec, Canada, Member of the National Assembly of Quebec , and leader of the Ralliement créditiste du Québec and other political parties.-Background:...
, although the party won 9.9% of the popular vote.
On December 1, 1974, Armand Bois announced the foundation of a new créditiste party, the Parti réformateur. That party merged with the Ralliement créditiste on November 18, 1975.
Before the 1976 election, there was a further split as the only two sitting Parti créditiste MNAs went their separate ways. Camil Samson
Camil Samson
Camil Samson was a politician in Quebec, Canada, Member of the National Assembly of Quebec , and leader of the Ralliement créditiste du Québec and other political parties.-Background:...
became leader of the party, again called the Ralliement créditiste du Québec, on May 11, 1975. Fabien Roy
Fabien Roy
Fabien Roy was a politician in Quebec, Canada, in the 1970s. Roy was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec and the Canadian House of Commons, and advocated social credit theories of monetary reform.-Background:...
was expelled from the party. It is not clear whether Roy was expelled on January 15, 1974 or November 3, 1975.
On December 14, 1975, Roy teamed up with former Liberal Jérôme Choquette
Jérôme Choquette
Jérôme Choquette is a lawyer and politician in Quebec, Canada.-Background:Choquette was born in Montreal, Quebec, and studied at the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Academy and Collège Stanislas in Montreal, a Roman Catholic private school and the most elite institution of its kind in Quebec...
to form the Parti national populaire
Parti national populaire
The Parti national populaire or PNP was a minor political party in Quebec, Canada that operated in the 1970s....
under Choquette's leadership. The PNP and the Union Nationale, led by Rodrigue Biron
Rodrigue Biron
Rodrigue Biron is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was leader of the Union Nationale political party from 1976 to 1980, when he joined the Parti Québécois.-Background:...
, announced the merger of their two parties, but the idea was abandoned by the Union Nationale one month later.
1976 election
In the November 15, 1976 general electionQuebec 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...
, Camil Samson was the only créditiste elected, although the party won 4.63% of the popular vote across the province. (The PNP's Roy also won his seat, while Choquette was defeated.)
Samson’s strong oratorical ability and sense of humour pleased the crowds who attended his rallies, and the party spent $150,000 on 15-minute television advertisements that aired almost every day”, but his inability to get along with his colleagues had decimated Creditiste ranks over the years, and left the party largely composed of his own supporters who had followed him “though thick and thin”. Samson promised interest-free loans and a guaranteed annual income, and emphasised traditional social credit themes including the rejection of socialism and the plight of the common man.”
Some traditional Creditistes such as Carl O’Malley had followed Fabien Roy into the Parti Nationale Populaire (O’Malley was the PNP candidate in Notre-Dame-de-Grace
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (provincial electoral district)
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec.The riding was created in 1939 from parts of the former Westmount provincial electoral district. The riding was called Montreal-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce from 1939 to 1965 and...
riding) even through the PNP did not embrace social credit.
Samson was re-elected with 9011 votes (40%) in his riding of Rouyn-Noranda.
Dissolution
The Ralliement créditiste du Québec was dissolved as Camil Samson founded a new party, Les DémocratesLes Démocrates
Les Démocrates was a provincial political party in Quebec, Canada, founded by former Ralliement créditiste du Québec leader Camil Samson and former Progressive Conservative Party of Canada federal cabinet minister Pierre Sévigny on November 18, 1978...
, on November 12, 1978. Samson’s partner in establishing the new party was Pierre Sévigny
Pierre Sévigny
Joseph Pierre Albert Sévigny, PC, OC, CD, VM, ED was a Canadian soldier, author, politician, and academic. He is best known for his involvement in the Munsinger Affair....
, a federal cabinet minister in the Progressive Conservative
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....
government of John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
. Sévigny had resigned from the federal cabinet in disgrace because of his relationship with Gerda Munsinger
Gerda Munsinger
Gerda Munsinger was an East German prostitute and alleged Soviet spy who was the centre of the Munsinger Affair political scandal in Canada....
, who was later revealed to be a spy for East Germany.
That party would later be renamed as the Parti démocrate créditiste on January 1, 1980; on September 2, 1980, Samson joined the Quebec Liberal Party caucus, and the Parti démocrate créditiste was dissolved. Samson was defeated as a Liberal candidate in the 1981 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1981
The Quebec general election of 1981 was held on April 13, 1981, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Claude Ryan.The PQ won re-election despite...
.
Election results
| General election | # of candidates | # of seats won | % of popular vote |
| 1970 (RC) | 99 | 12 | 11.19% |
| 1973 (PC) | 109 | 2 | 9.92% |
| 1976 (RC) | 109 | 1 | 4.63% |
| 1976 (PNP) | 36 | 1 | 0.92% |
| 1981 (CSU) | 16 | 0 | 0.04% |
| 1985 (CSU) | 12 | 0 | 0.05% |
| 1989 (CSU) | 11 | 0 | 0.09% |
See also
- Parti présidentielParti présidentielThe Parti présidentiel was a political party in Quebec, Canada. It was founded on May 5, 1974 by former Liberal Party of Quebec Member of the National Assembly Yvon Dupuis. Dupuis founded the party after resigning from the leadership of the Ralliement créditiste du Québec. Dupuis resigned from the...
- Parti national populaireParti national populaireThe Parti national populaire or PNP was a minor political party in Quebec, Canada that operated in the 1970s....
- Les Démocrates/Parti démocrate créditisteLes DémocratesLes Démocrates was a provincial political party in Quebec, Canada, founded by former Ralliement créditiste du Québec leader Camil Samson and former Progressive Conservative Party of Canada federal cabinet minister Pierre Sévigny on November 18, 1978...
- 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...
- List of Quebec general elections
- List of Quebec premiers
- List of Quebec leaders of the Opposition
- National Assembly of QuebecNational Assembly of QuebecThe 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...
- 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....
- Political parties in Quebec