Social Credit Party of Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia
The Social Credit Party of Saskatchewan (originally known as the Social Credit League of Saskatchewan) was a political party
in the Canadian
province of Saskatchewan
that promoted social credit
economic theories from the mid-1930s to the mid-1970s.
Social Credit first appeared in Saskatchewan in the 1935 federal election, when the party received 20% of the popular vote and won two seats in Kindersley and The Battlefords.
The party fought its first election campaign in the 1938 provincial election
, and won 15.90% of the popular vote. Because Saskatchewan, like the other provinces and the federal government of Canada, uses the British parliamentary model (the 'first past the post' system) for electing its Legislative Assembly
, only two of the 40 Social Credit candidates won election in 52 seats available in the legislature. MP Joseph Needham
was president of the provincial party in the 1930s into the 1940s.
In the subsequent election in 1944
, Social Credit collapsed: it nominated only one candidate, who won only 249 votes (0.06% of the provincial popular vote).
Social Credit recovered somewhat in the 1948 provincial election
, nominating 36 candidates and winning 8.09% of the popular vote.
In the 1956 provincial election
, Social Credit nominated candidates in all 53 ridings, and won 21.48% of the popular vote, but only three of its candidates were elected.
Its vote fell to 12.35% in the 1960 election
. Although the party nominated a few candidates in the two subsequent elections, (1964
and 1967
), it could not win more than 0.45% of the popular vote or win a seat.
The party did not contest elections after 1967. The Social Credit Party did not merge with the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan in the 1970s. Ed Nasserden, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party Called for the merger of the two parties in November 1970. The Social Credit and Progressive Conservative Parties entered into talk's about merging the two parties from November 1970 to February 1971. The move was mostly supported by the Progressive Conservatives, as some members of the Social Credit Party were, according to former leader Lloyd Avram, "...skeptical of our ability to get our views of monetary reform across in a merged party."
Members of the Social Credit Party voted against a merger with the Progressive Conservative Party in February 1971. Following the vote, the Social Credit Party emerged as a divided party, and did not contest the 1971 and 1975 Saskatchewan elections. From 1971 to 1975 the Social Credit Party did not have a leader, and chose to focus on educating the people of saskatchewan about the party's beliefs and values.
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 the Canadian
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...
province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
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....
that 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"...
economic theories from the mid-1930s to the mid-1970s.
Social Credit first appeared in Saskatchewan in the 1935 federal election, when the party received 20% of the popular vote and won two seats in Kindersley and The Battlefords.
The party fought its first election campaign in the 1938 provincial 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 won 15.90% of the popular vote. Because Saskatchewan, like the other provinces and the federal government of Canada, uses the British parliamentary model (the 'first past the post' system) for electing its Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
, only two of the 40 Social Credit candidates won election in 52 seats available in the legislature. MP Joseph Needham
Joseph Needham (Canadian politician)
Joseph J. Needham was a Saskatchewan politician, clergyman and public administrator.Needham was born in Bromhall, Cheshire, England and emigrated to Canada where he settled in Saskatchewan...
was president of the provincial party in the 1930s into the 1940s.
In the subsequent election in 1944
Saskatchewan general election, 1944
The Saskatchewan general election of 1944 was the tenth provincial election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 15, 1944 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, Social Credit collapsed: it nominated only one candidate, who won only 249 votes (0.06% of the provincial popular vote).
Social Credit recovered somewhat in the 1948 provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 1948
The Saskatchewan general election of 1948 was the eleventh provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 24, 1948, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, nominating 36 candidates and winning 8.09% of the popular vote.
In the 1956 provincial 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:...
, Social Credit nominated candidates in all 53 ridings, and won 21.48% of the popular vote, but only three of its candidates were elected.
Its vote fell to 12.35% in the 1960 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1960
The Saskatchewan general election of 1960 was the fourteenth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 8, 1960, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
. Although the party nominated a few candidates in the two subsequent elections, (1964
Saskatchewan general election, 1964
The Saskatchewan general election of 1964 was the fifteenth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on April 22, 1964, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
and 1967
Saskatchewan general election, 1967
The Saskatchewan general election of 1967 was the sixteenth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on October 11, 1967, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
), it could not win more than 0.45% of the popular vote or win a seat.
The party did not contest elections after 1967. The Social Credit Party did not merge with the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan in the 1970s. Ed Nasserden, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party Called for the merger of the two parties in November 1970. The Social Credit and Progressive Conservative Parties entered into talk's about merging the two parties from November 1970 to February 1971. The move was mostly supported by the Progressive Conservatives, as some members of the Social Credit Party were, according to former leader Lloyd Avram, "...skeptical of our ability to get our views of monetary reform across in a merged party."
Members of the Social Credit Party voted against a merger with the Progressive Conservative Party in February 1971. Following the vote, the Social Credit Party emerged as a divided party, and did not contest the 1971 and 1975 Saskatchewan elections. From 1971 to 1975 the Social Credit Party did not have a leader, and chose to focus on educating the people of saskatchewan about the party's beliefs and values.
See also
- Canadian social credit movementCanadian social credit movementThe 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...
- Social Credit Party of CanadaSocial Credit Party of CanadaThe Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
- List of Saskatchewan political parties
- Politics of SaskatchewanPolitics of SaskatchewanThe Politics of Saskatchewan are part of the Canadian federal political system along with the other Canadian provinces. Saskatchewan has a Lieutenant-Governor, Gordon Barnhart, who is the representative of the Crown in Right of Saskatchewan, an elected premier, Brad Wall, leading the Cabinet, and a...