The King-Byng Affair

Election of 1925 Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King “lost” election to Arthur Meighan 100 seats 115 seats

Progressive Party King receives support (and 28 seats) to remain in power. That didn’t sit well with Meighan or Governor General Lord Byng

In the meantime… A scandal erupts: King’s Minister of Customs (Jacques Bureau) is discovered to have taken bribes and allowed liquor to flow freely to the US King fires Bureau, only to appoint him to a Senate position

Progressive Party King’s handling of the scandal… And his failure to follow through with promise that Alberta’s natural resources be transferred to provincial control… Forced Progressive Party to distance themselves from the Liberals

ANOTHER election Believing he will be defeated, King asks Lord Byng to dissolve Parliament and call a new election

Byng’s response NO! King should never have taken control of the government in the first place REFUSES to dissolve Parliament

Conservatives take over briefly King is forced to resign and Meighan is asked to form a new (minority) government Meighan loses ensuing vote of confidence by ONE VOTE Byng now FORCED to dissolve Parliament and call new election

Election of 1926 King’s Liberals won the election with enough seats (not a majority) to control government Liberals 116 Conservatives 91 Progressives 11 United Farmers of Alberta 11 Liberal Progressive 8 Labour 4 Various Independents 4

King back in power Wants changes in the role of Governor General… claiming that the appointed official of Britain should never refuse the Canadian Prime Minister’s advice Result of the King-Byng Crisis: limited the role and power of our Governor General