In the 1930 Canadian federal election, R.B. Bennett's Conservative Party won a majority government, defeating the Liberal Party led by William Lyon Mackenzie King.
The first signs of the Great Depression were clearly evident by the 1930 election, and Conservative party leader Richard Bedford Bennett campaigned on a platform of aggressive measures in order to combat it.
"I propose that any government of which I am the head will at the first session of parliament initiate whatever action is necessary to that end, or perish in the attempt." - R.B. Bennett, June 9, 1930.
Canadian voters agreed with Bennett and the Conservatives were elected with a majority of 137 seats in the House Of Commons. The incumbent Liberals under William Lyon Mackenzie King became the official opposition after being reduced to 88, with the Progressives taking the remaining 2.
"R. B. Bennett leads the Tories to a smashing federal victory, defeating Mackenzie King's Liberals as voters vent their anger over the depression." - Newspaper headline from July 28, 1930
Unfortunately for Bennett and the Conservatives, the Depression brought complex problems to politicians and extreme hardship for most Canadians. Bennett and the Conservatives lost the 1935 election to the Liberals under the previous Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.
National results
| Party
| Party Leader
| # of candidates
| Seats
| Popular Vote
|
| Before
| After
| % Change
| #
| %
| Change
|
| Conservative
| | 229
| 91
| 134
| +69.6%
| 1,863,115
| 47.79%
| +3.07%
|
| Liberal
| <center> Mackenzie King
| 226
| 116
| 90
| -21.1%
| 1,716,798
| 44.03%
| +1.29%
|
| United Farmers of Alberta
| <center>
| 10
| 11
| 9
| -18.2%
| 56,968
| 1.46%
| -0.55%
|
| Progressive
| <center>
| 15
| 11
| 3
| -72.7%
| 70,822
| 1.82%
| -2.41%
|
| Liberal-Progressive
| <center>
| 8
| 8
| 3
| -62.5%
| 44,822
| 1.15%
| -0.94%
|
| Labour
| <center> J.S. Woodsworth
| 8
| 4
| 2
| -50.0%
| 26,548
| 0.68%
| -0.95%
|
| Independent
| <center>
| 11
| 2
| 2
| -
| 21,608
| 0.55%
| -0.30%
|
| Progressive-Conservative
| <center>
| 2
| -
| 1
|
| 15,996
| 0.41%
| +0.18%
|
| Independent Labour
| <center>
| 2
| n.a.
| 1
| n.a.
| 15,988
| 0.41%
| n.a.
|
| Independent Liberal
| <center>
| 8
| 1
| -
| -100%
| 14,426
| 0.37%
| -0.25%
|
| Farmer
| <center>
| 5
| n.a.
| -
| n.a.
| 11,999
| 0.31%
| n.a.
|
| Independent Conservative
| <center>
| 6
| -
| -
|
| 10,360
| 0.27%
| -0.07%
|
| Unknown
| <center>
| 2
| -
| -
|
| 7,441
| 0.19%
| +0.08%
|
| Liberal-Labour
| <center>
| 1
| -
| -
|
| 7,195
| 0.18%
| +0.05%
|
| Communist
| <center>Tim Buck
| 6
| n.a.
| -
| n.a.
| 4,557
| 0.12%
| n.a.
|
| Labour-Farmer
| <center>
| 2
| -
| -
|
| 3,276
| 0.08%
| +0.04%
|
| Liberal-Protectionist
| <center>
| 1
| n.a.
| -
| n.a.
| 2,723
| 0.07%
| n.a.
|
| Farmer-Labour
| <center>
| 1
| n.a.
| -
| n.a.
| 2,091
| 0.05%
| n.a.
|
| Independent Progressive
| <center>
| 1
| n.a.
| -
| n.a.
| 1,294
| 0.03%
| n.a.
|
| Franc Lib
| <center>
| 1
| n.a.
| -
| n.a.
| 429
| 0.01%
| n.a.
|
| Prohibitionist
| <center>
| 1
| n.a.
| -
| n.a.
| 266
| 0.01%
| n.a.
|
| Total
| <center>
| <center> 546
| <center>245
| <center> 245
| <center>-
| <center> 3,898,722
| <center> 100.00%
| <center>
|
| Sources: http://www.elections.ca -- History of Federal Ridings since 1867 (http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E)
|
Notes:
"Previous" refers to the results from the previous election, and not to the standings in the House of Commons at dissolution.
n.a. - not applicable - party was not recognized at last election.
Results by province
| Party Name
| BC
| AB
| SK
| MB
| ON
| QC
| NB
| NS
| PE
| YK
| Total
|
| Conservative
| Seats:
| 7
| 4
| 6
| 10
| 59
| 24
| 10
| 10
| 3
| 1
| 134
|
| Popular Vote (%):
| 49.3%
| 35.0%
| 33.6%
| 44.1%
| 53.9%
| 43.7%
| 59.3%
| 52.5%
| 50.0%
| 60.3%
| 47.8%
|
| Liberal
| Seats:
| 5
| 3
| 13
| 1
| 22
| 40
| 1
| 4
| 1
| -
| 90
|
| Vote:
| 40.9%
| 30.0%
| 48.4%
| 19.6%
| 42.4%
| 53.2%
| 40.7%
| 47.5%
| 50.0%
| 39.7%
| 44.0%
|
| UF Alberta
| Seats:
|
| 9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 9
|
| Vote:
|
| 28.4%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1.5%
|
| Progressive
| Seats:
|
| -
| 2
| -
| 1
|
|
|
|
|
| 3
|
| Vote:
|
| 1.9%
| 8.1%
| 6.4%
| 1.8%
|
|
|
|
|
| 1.8%
|
| Liberal-Progressive
| Seats:
|
|
| -
| 3
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 3
|
| Vote:
|
|
| 2.1%
| 16.2%
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1.2%
|
| Labour
| Seats:
|
| -
|
| 2
| -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Vote:
|
| 3.0
|
| 8.4
| 0.1
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.7
|
| Independent
| Seats:
| 1
|
| -
|
| -
| 1
|
|
|
|
| 2
|
| Vote:
| 2.6
|
| 3.5
|
| 0.1
| 0.3
|
|
|
|
| 0.6
|
| Progressive-Conservative
| Seats:
|
|
|
| 1
|
| -
|
|
|
|
| 1
|
| Vote:
|
|
|
| 2.7
|
| 1.0
|
|
|
|
| 0.4
|
| Independent Labour
| Seats:
| 1
|
|
| -
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1
|
| Vote:
| 6.5
|
|
| 0.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.4
|
| Total Seats
|
| 14
| 16
| 21
| 17
| 82
| 65
| 11
| 14
| 4
| 1
| 245
|
| Parties that won no seats:
|
| Independent Liberal
| Vote:
|
|
|
| 0.4
|
| 1.3
|
|
|
|
| 0.4
|
| Farmer
| Vote:
|
|
| 3.6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.3
|
| Independent Conservative
| Vote:
|
|
|
| 1.2
| 0.5
| 0.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Unknown
| Vote:
|
|
|
|
| 0.5
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.2
|
| Liberal-Labour
| Vote:
|
|
|
|
| 0.5
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.2
|
| Communist
| Vote:
| 0.4
|
|
| 0.9
| 0.1
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.1
|
| Labour-Farmer
| Vote :
|
| 0.6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.1
|
| Liberal-Protectionist
| Vote:
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.3
|
|
|
|
| 0.1
|
| Farmer-Labour
| Vote:
|
|
| 0.6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.1
|
| Independent Progressive
| Vote:
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.1
|
|
|
|
| xx
|
| Franc Lib
| Vote:
| 0.2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| xx
|
| Prohibitionist
| Vote:
| 0.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| xx
|
xx - less than 0.05% of the popular vote
