Revival and Change: The 1957 and 1958 Diefenbaker Elections

by John C. Courtney

Overview

A history of the rise and fall of Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker’s governments.

Upsetting a decades-long Liberal majority, John Diefenbaker led the Canadian Conservatives to a landslide victory in 1957. His boisterous media appearances, denouncing leftist arrogance, not only earned him the prime ministry but also fueled a 1958 election that reduced the Liberals to a historical low, ousted the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation’s leader, and eliminated the Social Credit Party altogether. It was a rout never before seen in Canadian history. Revival and Change is the story of those elections, the governments and oppositions they produced, and the era’s legacy in Canadian politics and society.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780774866644
Publisher:	University of British Columbia Press
Publication date:	12/06/2022
Series:	Turning Point Elections
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

John C. Courtney is a senior policy fellow in the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Saskatchewan. He is author of several books, including Commissioned Ridings: Designing Canada’s Electoral Districts.

Table of Contents

Foreword: Turning Point Elections … and the Case of the 1957 and 1958 Elections Gerald Baier R. Kenneth Catty vii

Preface xii

1 On the Cusp of Change 5

2 The Parties Heading into the 1957 Election 21

3 The Players in 1957 46

4 The Issues in 1957 79

5 The 1957 Campaign 96

6 A New Parliament, a New Leader, and Another Election 123

7 Challenges, Failures, Defeat, and Regrouping 154

8 Legacies 172

9 Turning Point for the Parties and the Party System 195

Appendix 1 List of Key Players 211

Appendix 2 Timeline of Events 215

Appendix 3 Data Tables 219

Notes 223

Suggestions for Further Reading 242

Index 249