The Diefenbaker Years

Political Trends Mackenzie King retires Louis St. Laurent becomes Prime Minister John Diefenbaker becomes Prime Minister Liberal Majorities Builds the Diefenbunker Cancels the Avro Arrow Passes Canadian Bill of Rights Cdn $ = 99.5 US Lester B. Pearson’s Liberals return to power 1963 Conservative Majority Liberal Majorities Commission in Bilingualism and Biculturalism New Flag Trudeau joins the Liberals St. Lawrence Seaway Closure to end pipeline debate

John Diefenbaker Leader of the Conservatives From the Prairies Had a Minority government 1957 Had a Majority government Canada in a recession – hard economic times Appointed Ellen Fairclough-1 st female cabinet minister James Gladstone – 1 st Aboriginal Senator

Diefenbaker Attacks the Liberals Liberals had not helped Quebec, the Prairies or the Maritimes…farmers were also hurt. Liberals campaign was based on past success, no future plan Diefenbaker attacked their smugness…The Liberals lost the majority:  From 65% to 40%

Diefenbaker’s Lasting Contributions Bill of Rights Freedom of speech, religion and of the press Protection of the law without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin Right of the individual to life, liberty, and security of the person  Limitations: Applied to federal law only (practically meaningless) Diefenbaker holding his Bill or Rights

Diefenbaker – disappointments Economic recession  Diefenbaker fixed the dollar at 92.5 cents  Made exports cheaper and imports more expensive  Canadians did not approve Cancelled the Avro Arrow project  $12 million cost per plane – drain Canada’s military budget  15,000 people lost their jobs  Resulted in the brain-drain

Nationalism Vs. Continentals Nationalism – Policies that strengthen/favor your country Continentalism – Policies that impede your country’s ability to act independently and tie you to another country. Diefenbaker accused the Liberals of selling out to the Americans over a joint pipeline agreement. (used US steel to build it rather than invest in creating Canadian steel…)

Diefenbaker and China US refused to acknowledge CCP in UN and refused to trade with them… Canada had surplus wheat, China had poor harvests…Create a trade agreement $450 million worth(although Canada does not recognize them in the UN) He protested when the US tried to prevent Chinese ships from refueling in Canadian ports.

Diefenbaker the hypocrite He harped on Canadian Nationalism… He professed more trade with Britain and less with America…however he refused free trade with Britain… 1957 USA & Canadian air forces merged for North American Defense (NORAD), a joint command located under a mountain in Colorado. (similar to Ogdensburg Agreement)

Continentalism continued Aircraft Development and Production Sharing Program enabled Canadian companies to bid on American defense contracts on the same level as US companies. (similar to Hyde Park Declaration) How could Canada be impartial to US wars, if Canadian companies are building their weapons and the Canadian air force acts as a branch of the US air force?

US-Canadian relations 1960 – first exports of natural gas to US began Treaty allowed US to exploit the hydro- electric potential of the Columbia by damning the river near the border and flooding land in British Columbia. Diefenbaker’s continentalism was worse than the Liberals.

WHY? Anticommunism made the cries for nationalism grow dim Commitment to capitalism weakened the commitment to public welfare programs Desire to promote humanitarianism cancelled the impulse to be fiscally safe Diefenbaker professed “DIY” development, but caved in and submitted to the US to stand against communism.

Diefenbaker - The Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962 Soviets built missile sites in Cuba so they could launch a nuclear attack against the US Kennedy demanded krushchev turn back the ships that were on their way to deliver the missiles US formed a naval blockade around Cuba  Threatened to take military action if Krushchev didn’t comply For 5 days Krushchev refused to call back his ships. The world stood on the brink of nuclear war

Diefenbaker - The Cuban Missile Crisis October continued Kennedy requested Canada immediately put its military on alert Diefenbaker delayed for 2 days  Angry that Kennedy had not consulted him first  Feared that being on military alert might heighten tensions with the USSR  Demonstrate an act of independence from US foreign policy Crisis ended 5 days later when Khrushchev agreed to turn back his ships

Calvin and Hobbs on the Cuban Missile Crisis

Diefenbaker Continued BOMARC missiles  Used to stop surface-to-air missiles (to protect Canada from a possible Soviet attack)  Diefenbaker was indecisive about arming the missiles with nuclear warheads  Canada would not be in control, only the US, which means, Americans would be there and in charge.  Caused a problem with nationalism and independence  Conservative party was split on the issue Diefenbaker forced to call an election over the issue – Pearson won a minority government Video: Peoples History “The Shadow of Nuclear War”of

Lester B. Pearson The Diplomat

Lester B. Pearson - Career Diplomat Canadian ambassador to the U.S. Was involved in the formation of the United Nations Oversaw Canada’s joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Suez Crisis, 1956 Nasser (President of Egypt) nationalized the Suez Canal  Canal originally controlled by Britain and France  Make the canal Egyptian  Canal important for shipping oil to Europe  Br. and Fr. Bombed the Canal Zone

Suez continued USSR condemned Britain and France’s aggression and threatened nuclear strikes against Paris and London US was angry – had not been consulted Canada – trapped in the middle  Could not support Britain (dies to empire not strong enough)  Needed to support US (needed to maintain western alliance  Possible show-down between 2 new superpowers - deadly for all

Pearson and the UN Pearson went to the UN and proposed sending in a UN peacekeeping mission UN unanimously supported the idea Peacekeepers remained in Egypt until 1967 Pearson won the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize Video: Peoples History “On Guard for Thee”

Pearson’s Minority Government Liberals forced to work with the NDP Universal healthcare plan Canada Pension Plan Royal Commission on the Status of Women Video Peoples History , “A Question of Equality” Canada’s new flag 1965 Video Peoples History , “Under a New Flag”

Shadows for the Future – French English Relations Concern over French English relations  Unity crisis in Canada Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism  Explore relationship between French and English Canadians  Made recommendations Federal civil service should be bilingual Pearson PM till New liberal leader  Pierre Elliot Trudeau Video Peoples History , “Language Wars”