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Social Credit Party of Canada split, 1963

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359:– one up from the 1962 and 1963 performance in English Canada. Bennett, leader of the party's second-most powerful provincial branch, cut off his party's financial and organizational support to the federal party in order to pressure the national Social Credit Party to reconcile with Caouette's wing. Meanwhile, the Alberta wing also failed to give its federal counterpart material and organizational support. Manning, was concerned at the leftward drift of Canadian politics and urged Thompson to negotiate a merger between Social Credit and 216:). Dr. Marcoux rejoined the Social Credit Party and announced his loyalty to Thompson. (Marcoux had never stated his reasons for quitting the party, but said that the reasons had now been removed.) This left the Thompson faction with 11 MPs, the Caouette faction with ten, and three MPs who had not announced. The Ralliement's riding executive in Marcoux's Quebec—Montmorency riding called for his resignation, saying that he had "betrayed us, has lost our confidence forever, and for the last time we ask him to resign." 271:, declared his support for Caouette, bringing the Ralliement caucus to 13. The Thompson faction was now reduced to 11 MPs, one less than the minimum for a party to be a recognized group in the Commons, which meant that Caouette—and not Thompson—would receive an extra $ 4,000 per year in compensation (worth about $ 29,700 in 2011 dollars), and be given priority in speaking in the House. As a measure of how much the party's dynamics had changed, seven of the Social Credit Party's 11 MPs were from Quebec. 97:. Whatever the case, when the party returned to Parliament Hill in the 1962 election, its dynamics were greatly altered. Of the 29 Social Credit MPs, only four—including Thompson—came from the party's traditional heartland in western Canada. The other 25 came from Quebec, including Caouette. More or less by default, Caouette became the party's deputy leader. 286:, had supported Caouette's bid for the leadership of the national party in 1960. However, following the split, Bennett declared his support for Thompson, albeit in a less than convincing way: “I am for making unity, not disunity. What’s-his-name was elected national leader at the national convention and he is the national leader.” 220:
be determined by a national convention. They announced that they would establish a new branch of the National Social Credit Association in Quebec to replace Caouette's Ralliement des créditistes, which had been serving in that role. They also said that they expected that they would be expelled from the Ralliement.
51:, but all but four of its 30 MPs came from Quebec. Under the circumstances, Thompson was all but forced to name Caouette as deputy leader of the party. The relationship was strained, however, and the strain was exacerbated when the party failed to make any gains in its old heartland of the Prairies in the 346:
views, but maintained that he wanted to work within the spirit and letter of Confederation: “Let us not burn our bridges. It is not the time for le Ralliement des crĂ©ditistes to be separatists, but rather to win recognition for the French fact within Canada.” Caouette said that he would fight for the
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Caouette again called for a new national convention of the Social Credit Party of Canada to choose a new leader, and announced that the Thompson loyalists in the Quebec caucus would not be expelled from the Ralliement des creditistes. Caouette said that Thompson did not care about the French Canadian
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The Thompson loyalists said that they had been elected to work in the interests of party policies throughout the country under Thompson's leadership, and that that mandate would remain intact until the next election. Further, they said that the positions of party leader and deputy leader could only
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On the Saturday of the convention, Caouette had given a 90-minute speech in which he described Thompson as a “marionette” for Manning. He also dropped a bombshell: he claimed that in 1960, ten minutes before the leadership vote, Manning had instructed him to “tell your people to vote for Thompson
385:. Caouette was elected as the reunified party's leader. However, the party's dynamics had been permanently altered. It would never win another seat in English Canada, and went into headlong decline after Caouette's death in 1976. The party lost its remaining seats in 1980, never to return. 223:
Caouette met with 14 Quebec Socred MPs on 2 September 1963 to start work on creating the new party, saying, “Eventually we will attempt to make this a national party and take it across Canada to protect French Canadians in every province.” His faction now included Charles Gauthier
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Thompson's response to the split in his party was limited at first: “Quebec doesn’t quite run me yet, nor the country.” The following day, he said that the Social Credit Party would now have wider acceptance throughout Canada than it had before because of Caouette's departure.
116:, held on 1 September 1963. The 600 delegates in attendance voted to establish a new party. The vote was held after virtually no discussion by a show of hands. Approximately three-quarters of the delegates supported the motion to: 347:
recognition of French Canada's aspirations within Confederation on the basis of a partnership with the other nine provinces, “But if this partnership cannot be brought about, I shall become the more ardent separatist in Quebec.”
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called “Social Credit Action”. This group had split from the Ontario wing of the party over its refusal to campaign aggressively in provincial elections. Social Credit Action, led by James Audy, the party's former candidate in
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riding, and by David Hartman, also of Toronto, announced its support for Caouette. Audy blamed the split on Thompson, saying that he only wanted to keep power for Manning. While Audy was announced by Caouette as leader of the
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considered Caouette, not Thompson, to be their true leader. Eventually, Caouette came to believe that since the party was strongest in Quebec nationally, he should be its leader. However, Thompson refused to give way.
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Thompson and Caouette never got along very well, and their relationship became even chillier after the 1963 election. The party held onto all of its seats in Quebec, but lost four seats in English Canada.
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After the vote, 16 of the party's 19 Quebec MPs met to consider approval of the motion. Ten of the MPs approved it immediately, while six deferred approval pending discussions with their constituents.
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to join the Liberals. The next year, Thompson himself joined the Tories with the open support of both Manning and Stanfield. The three remaining Social Credit MPs lost their seats in the
382: 40: 381:, leaving Caouette's party as the sole representative of the Canadian social credit movement in the House of Commons. This cleared the way for the two parties to reunite at the 55:. Only Thompson and three others were elected outside of Quebec, while 20 Socreds were elected in Quebec. The two factions of the party were not re-united until October 1971. 799: 169:
Caouette then gave a 55-minute speech to the convention saying that the results were the basis for forming an “efficient national Social Credit movement”.
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as party leader. At the ensuing leadership convention, Caouette lost to Thompson, who had the support of the leader of the party's most powerful branch,
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view of politics, and was afraid of embracing social credit doctrine, for which there was more support in Quebec than in the rest of Canada.
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The convention also voted to appoint a ten-member committee to consider forming an affiliated party to contest provincial elections.
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adherent since 1939, did much to build a strong base for the movement in Quebec while it was out of Parliament. He founded the
1008: 753: 237: 197: 193: 717: 697: 642: 213: 256:), in addition to Latulippe and Dionne. Caouette was elected parliamentary leader and Gregoire was elected House Leader. 773: 727: 1018: 794: 763: 290: 339:, attended the annual meeting of the Quebec wing as an observer, and was seen talking to groups of young delegates. 789: 332: 629: 576: 289:
The rejection of Thompson's leadership by the Quebec wing of the party was supported by a group of rebels in the
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For his part, Caouette walked a thin line between federalism and separatism. He made no secret of his strong
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Thompson's Social Credit Party continued to stagnate, electing only five MPs to the House of Commons in the
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On 2 September 1963, seven Quebec MPs announced that they would be supporting Caouette's breakaway faction:
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as the party's Quebec branch. By 1961, his following had grown to the point that he felt he should succeed
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The Social Credit Party had been represented in Parliament in one form or another from 1935 until the
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Montreal Gazette, 11 September 1963, "Vote of Quebec MP to Caouette's group Gives Power Balance", p.1
312: 31:. The split had its roots in a long-standing dispute between the de facto leader of the Ralliement, 1013: 692: 151: 1023: 677: 427:
Dufresne, Bernard, “7 in Quebec Give Support to Thompson”, Globe and Mail, 3 September 1963, p. 1
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won the biggest majority government in Canadian history. All 19 Socred MPs lost their seats.
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Dufresne, Bernard, “In the Separatist Shadow”, Globe and Mail, 3 September 1963, p. 7
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in 1963, had left the Socred caucus to sit as an “independent Social Credit” MP.)
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they again stood a candidate in Restigouche but nowhere else outside of Quebec.
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Matters came to a head at the annual meeting of the Quebec wing of the party in
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Globe and Mail, “7 in Quebec Give Support to Thompson”, 3 September 1963, p. 1
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because the West will never accept a Roman Catholic French Canadian leader”.
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Dufresne, “In the Separatist Shadow”, Globe and Mail, 3 September 1963, p. 7
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Globe and Mail, “Creditiste MPs Outweigh Socreds”, 11 September 1963, p.41
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Globe and Mail, “Bennett Forgets ‘What’s His Name’”, 6 September 1963
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There is evidence that support for the split came, in part, from a
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Dufresne, Bernard, “Quebec’s Socreds vote to Disown Thompson”,
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Social Credit Party of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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element in the party. Yvan Piche, chief organizer of the
435: 433: 274: 120:no longer recognize Thompson as party leader; and 1000: 545:"Socred leader resigns, lack of support cited", 430: 401: 399: 397: 367:. Thompson attempted this but was unsuccessful. 162:, who had been elected as a Social Credit MP in 597: 394: 604: 590: 475: 966:Social Credit Party of Canada split, 1963 658:Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform 370:Facing the loss of their seats, in 1967, 322: 956:1937 Social Credit backbenchers' revolt 58: 1001: 754:Democratic Labour Party (New Zealand) 585: 478:"Bank of Canada inflation calculator" 303:s Ontario wing he did not run in the 718:Social Credit Party of New Brunswick 643:British Columbia Social Credit Party 84:Ralliement des crĂ©ditistes du Canada 774:Solomon Islands Social Credit Party 728:Social Credit Party of Saskatchewan 506:Montreal Gazette, 11 September 1963 158:) did not attend the meeting. (Dr. 35:, and the party's national leader, 27:off from the national party as the 13: 14: 1035: 795:Irish Monetary Reform Association 764:Social Credit Party (New Zealand) 611: 497:Globe and Mail, 11 September 1963 291:Ontario Social Credit Association 196:), Chapdelaine, Gerard Ouelette ( 698:Ralliement crĂ©ditiste du QuĂ©bec 577:Canadian social credit movement 539: 530: 509: 500: 805:Social Credit Party of Ireland 723:Social Credit Party of Ontario 491: 469: 460: 451: 442: 421: 412: 275:Reaction in the rest of Canada 1: 1009:Social Credit Party of Canada 713:Social Credit Party of Canada 567:Social Credit Party of Canada 383:1971 Social Credit convention 350: 22:Social Credit Party of Canada 668:Manitoba Social Credit Party 638:Abolitionist Party of Canada 335:, a separatist party led by 7: 749:Country Party (New Zealand) 744:Australian League of Rights 708:Alberta Social Credit Party 555: 527:Dufresne, 2 September 1963. 284:Premier of British Columbia 10: 1040: 572:Ralliement des crĂ©ditistes 457:Dufresne, 3 September 1963 311:and Joseph-Hurgel DubĂ© in 45:House of Commons of Canada 41:1960 leadership convention 29:Ralliement des crĂ©ditistes 1019:1963 in Canadian politics 974: 948: 817: 782: 736: 688:Pilgrims of Saint Michael 628: 621: 365:Progressive Conservatives 69:Progressive Conservatives 388: 683:Parti crĂ©dit social uni 678:Pauper Party of Ontario 409:, 2 September 1963, p.1 123:ask the party's Quebec 961:Prosperity certificate 790:British People's Party 653:Christian Credit Party 263:On 10 September 1963, 693:Ralliement crĂ©ditiste 379:1968 federal election 357:1965 federal election 323:A separatist element? 317:1968 federal election 313:Restigouche—Madawaska 305:1965 federal election 252:), Raymond Langlois ( 152:Charles-Eugene Dionne 125:Members of Parliament 53:1963 federal election 49:1962 federal election 845:John Horne Blackmore 759:Douglas Credit Party 248:), L.-P. Boulanger ( 236:), Gilbert Rondeau ( 228:), Gilles Gregoire ( 59:Founding a new party 703:Social Credit Board 190:Jean-Louis Frenette 890:Robert A. Heinlein 309:Glengarry—Prescott 240:), Pierre Boulin ( 232:), Gerard Perron ( 164:Quebec—Montmorency 136:Gerard Chapdelaine 37:Robert N. Thompson 996: 995: 930:Manasseh Sogavare 813: 812: 480:. Bankofcanada.ca 375:crossed the floor 333:Parti rĂ©publicain 329:Quebec separatist 148:Compton—Frontenac 39:. At the party's 1031: 988: 981: 860:Vernon Cracknell 840:W. A. C. Bennett 825:William Aberhart 769:Social Credit-NZ 626: 625: 615: 606: 599: 592: 583: 582: 550: 549:, March 10, 1967 543: 537: 534: 528: 525: 516: 513: 507: 504: 498: 495: 489: 488: 486: 485: 476:Bank of Canada. 473: 467: 464: 458: 455: 449: 446: 440: 437: 428: 425: 419: 416: 410: 403: 361:Robert Stanfield 280:W. A. C. Bennett 73:John Diefenbaker 1039: 1038: 1034: 1033: 1032: 1030: 1029: 1028: 1014:1963 in Alberta 999: 998: 997: 992: 986: 979: 970: 944: 830:Lavern Ahlstrom 809: 778: 732: 617: 613: 610: 558: 553: 544: 540: 535: 531: 526: 519: 514: 510: 505: 501: 496: 492: 483: 481: 474: 470: 465: 461: 456: 452: 447: 443: 438: 431: 426: 422: 417: 413: 404: 395: 391: 353: 325: 277: 210:GĂ©rard Girouard 144:Henri Latulippe 92:Alberta Premier 61: 12: 11: 5: 1037: 1027: 1026: 1024:1963 in Quebec 1021: 1016: 1011: 994: 993: 991: 990: 983: 975: 972: 971: 969: 968: 963: 958: 952: 950: 946: 945: 943: 942: 937: 932: 927: 922: 917: 912: 907: 905:Ernest Manning 902: 900:Solon Earl Low 897: 892: 887: 882: 877: 872: 867: 862: 857: 852: 847: 842: 837: 832: 827: 821: 819: 815: 814: 811: 810: 808: 807: 802: 797: 792: 786: 784: 780: 779: 777: 776: 771: 766: 761: 756: 751: 746: 740: 738: 734: 733: 731: 730: 725: 720: 715: 710: 705: 700: 695: 690: 685: 680: 675: 670: 665: 663:Les DĂ©mocrates 660: 655: 650: 645: 640: 634: 632: 623: 619: 618: 609: 608: 601: 594: 586: 580: 579: 574: 569: 564: 557: 554: 552: 551: 547:Globe and Mail 538: 529: 517: 508: 499: 490: 468: 459: 450: 441: 429: 420: 411: 407:Globe and Mail 392: 390: 387: 352: 349: 324: 321: 276: 273: 265:Lucien Plourde 244:), R. BeaulĂ© ( 206:Lac-Saint-Jean 202:Marcel Lessard 129: 128: 121: 114:Granby, Quebec 95:Ernest Manning 88:Solon Earl Low 60: 57: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1036: 1025: 1022: 1020: 1017: 1015: 1012: 1010: 1007: 1006: 1004: 989: 984: 982: 977: 976: 973: 967: 964: 962: 959: 957: 954: 953: 951: 947: 941: 938: 936: 933: 931: 928: 926: 923: 921: 918: 916: 915:Neil Morrison 913: 911: 908: 906: 903: 901: 898: 896: 895:Norman Jaques 893: 891: 888: 886: 885:John Hargrave 883: 881: 878: 876: 873: 871: 868: 866: 865:C. H. Douglas 863: 861: 858: 856: 855:RĂ©al Caouette 853: 851: 848: 846: 843: 841: 838: 836: 835:Bruce Beetham 833: 831: 828: 826: 823: 822: 820: 816: 806: 803: 801: 798: 796: 793: 791: 788: 787: 785: 781: 775: 772: 770: 767: 765: 762: 760: 757: 755: 752: 750: 747: 745: 742: 741: 739: 735: 729: 726: 724: 721: 719: 716: 714: 711: 709: 706: 704: 701: 699: 696: 694: 691: 689: 686: 684: 681: 679: 676: 674: 673:New Democracy 671: 669: 666: 664: 661: 659: 656: 654: 651: 649: 646: 644: 641: 639: 636: 635: 633: 631: 627: 624: 620: 616: 614:Social Credit 607: 602: 600: 595: 593: 588: 587: 584: 578: 575: 573: 570: 568: 565: 563: 562:Social Credit 560: 559: 548: 542: 533: 524: 522: 512: 503: 494: 479: 472: 463: 454: 445: 436: 434: 424: 415: 408: 402: 400: 398: 393: 386: 384: 380: 376: 373: 368: 366: 362: 358: 348: 345: 340: 338: 337:Marcel Chaput 334: 330: 320: 318: 314: 310: 306: 302: 297: 292: 287: 285: 282:, the Socred 281: 272: 270: 266: 261: 257: 255: 251: 247: 243: 239: 235: 231: 227: 221: 217: 215: 211: 207: 203: 199: 195: 191: 187: 183: 178: 174: 170: 167: 165: 161: 157: 153: 149: 145: 141: 137: 132: 126: 122: 119: 118: 117: 115: 110: 107: 102: 98: 96: 93: 89: 85: 81: 80:social credit 76: 74: 70: 66: 65:1958 election 56: 54: 50: 46: 42: 38: 34: 33:RĂ©al Caouette 30: 26: 23: 19: 16:In 1963, the 965: 935:Ken Sweigard 920:Al Overfield 648:Canada Party 546: 541: 532: 511: 502: 493: 482:. Retrieved 471: 462: 453: 444: 423: 414: 406: 369: 354: 341: 326: 300: 288: 278: 262: 258: 222: 218: 182:Maurice CotĂ© 179: 175: 171: 168: 133: 130: 111: 105: 103: 99: 83: 78:Caouette, a 77: 62: 24: 20:wing of the 15: 940:John Turmel 880:Ron Gostick 875:A. N. Field 850:Eric Butler 344:nationalist 301:Ralliement' 269:Quebec West 160:Guy Marcoux 106:crĂ©ditistes 104:The Quebec 67:, when the 1003:Categories 925:Ezra Pound 910:Roly Marks 870:Louis Even 484:2012-01-07 351:Resolution 250:Charlevoix 246:Quebec Est 242:Dorchester 186:Chicoutimi 156:Kamouraska 140:Sherbrooke 622:Movements 372:Bud Olson 267:, MP for 987:Politics 980:Category 556:See also 254:Megantic 238:Shefford 230:Lapointe 226:Roberval 198:Rimouski 194:Portneuf 949:History 737:Oceania 296:Spadina 214:Labelle 818:People 783:Europe 630:Canada 234:Beauce 208:) and 150:) and 71:under 18:Quebec 389:Notes 25:split 363:'s 200:), 188:), 142:), 1005:: 520:^ 432:^ 396:^ 605:e 598:t 591:v 487:. 224:( 212:( 204:( 192:( 184:( 154:( 146:( 138:(

Index

Quebec
Social Credit Party of Canada
Ralliement des créditistes
RĂ©al Caouette
Robert N. Thompson
1960 leadership convention
House of Commons of Canada
1962 federal election
1963 federal election
1958 election
Progressive Conservatives
John Diefenbaker
social credit
Solon Earl Low
Alberta Premier
Ernest Manning
Granby, Quebec
Members of Parliament
Gerard Chapdelaine
Sherbrooke
Henri Latulippe
Compton—Frontenac
Charles-Eugene Dionne
Kamouraska
Guy Marcoux
Quebec—Montmorency
Maurice Coté
Chicoutimi
Jean-Louis Frenette
Portneuf

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