Canadian federal election
Elections and parties in
Canada
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Canadian federal elections are nation-wide votes that are held to decide who will govern Canada.
The Prime Minister may ask the Governor General to call an election at virtually any time, although one must be called within five years of the last election. Traditionally, governments have waited four years between elections, but under Jean Chrétien's Liberal government elections were held every three and half years. Parties generally only wait the maximum of five years between elections if they expect to lose, and hope a postponement will allow more time for things to change in their favour.
Elections are generally held in either the fall or spring. This avoids the problems of a winter campaign, where outdoor events are harder to hold. It also avoids the problems of the summer, when many Canadians are on holiday.
Using the so-called first past the post system, Canadians vote for a Member of Parliament, who sits in the House of Commons. Canadians do not vote directly for the Prime Minister, nor do they vote for senators. See also Canadian electoral system for more detail.
By-elections can be held between general elections when seats become vacant. It is at the discretion of the Prime Minister to call by-elections. The federal government can also hold nation-wide referendums on major issues. The last referendum was held in 1992 on proposed constitutional changes in the Charlottetown Accord. On occasion, one particular issue will dominate an election, and the election will in a sense be a virtual referendum. The most recent instance of this was the 1988 election, which was considered by most parties to be a referendum on free trade with the United States.
Canadian election turn-out is generally higher than that in the United States but lower than in most European nations. Election turn-out has also steadily been falling for many decades. Currently, about two-thirds of eligible voters vote in federal elections.
The most recent Canadian election was held on June 28, 2004.
This is a list of Canadian federal elections
- 1867-1879 (summary of results)
- 1880-1899 (summary of results)
- 1882 - 5th general election, Macdonald is re-elected with another majority
- 1887 - 6th general election, Macdonald is re-elected for his fifth majority government
- 1891 - 7th general election, Sir John A. Macdonald's Conservatives win their sixth majority government
- 1896 - 8th general election, Sir Wilfrid Laurier's Liberals win a majority government
- 1900-1919 (summary of results)
- 1900 - 9th general election, Laurier is re-elected with another majority
- 1904 - 10th general election, Laurier is re-elected for his third majority government
- 1908 - 11th general election, Laurier is re-elected for his fourth majority government
- 1911 - 12th general election, Sir Robert Borden's Conservatives win a majority government
- 1917 - 13th general election, Borden's pro-conscription unionists win a majority government
- 1920-1939 (summary of results)
- 1921 - 14th general election, William Lyon Mackenzie King's Liberals win a minority government
- 1925 - 15th general election, the Conservatives win more seats than the Liberals, but not enough for a majority; King clings to power
- 1926 - 16th general election, King's Liberals win a majority government with the support of the Liberal-Progressives.
- 1930 - 17th general election, R.B. Bennett's Conservatives win a majority
- 1935 - 18th general election, King's Liberals are swept back in majority
- 1940-1959 (summary of results)
- 1940 - 19th general election, King's Liberals are re-elected with another majority
- 1945 - 20th general election, King's Liberals win a third straight majority government
- 1949 - 21st general election, Louis St. Laurent's Liberals win a majority government
- 1953 - 22nd general election, St. Laurent wins a second majority government
- 1957 - 23rd general election, John Diefenbaker's Progressive Conservatives win a surprise minority government
- 1958 - 24th general election, Diefenbaker is re-elected with a the largest majority in Canadian history
- 1960-1979 (summary of results)
- 1962 - 25th general election, Diefenbaker's Tories have their majority reduced to a minority
- 1963 - 26th general election, Lester Pearson is elected with a minority government
- 1965 - 27th general election, Pearson re-elected with a minority government
- 1968 - 28th general election, Pierre Trudeau's Liberals win a majority government
- 1972 - 29th general election, Trudeau re-elected with a minority government
- 1974 - 30th general election, Trudeau wins a majority government
- 1979 - 31st general election, Joe Clark's Tories win a minority government defeating Trudeau
- 1980-1999 (summary of results)
- 1980 - 32nd general election, Pierre Trudeau is re-elected with a majority government
- 1984 - 33rd general election, Brian Mulroney's Tories win the most seats in Canadian history, defeating John Turner's Liberals
- 1988 - 34th general election, Brian Mulroney's Tories are re-elected to a second majority government
- 1993 - 35th general election, Jean Chrétien's Liberals defeat Kim Campbell's Conservatives
- 1997 - 36th general election, Chrétien's Liberals are re-elected to a second majority government
- 2000- (summary of results)
- 2000 - 37th general election, Chrétien's Liberals are re-elected to a majority government
- 2004 - 38th general election, Paul Martin's Liberals are re-elected to a minority government
See also
