Canadian federal election, 1968
The 28th Canadian General Election (English 28th Canadian General Election, French 28e élection fédérale canadienne ) took place on 25 June 1968. Were elected 264 Members of the Canadian House of Commons (English House of Commons, French Chambre des Communes ). The Liberal Party, with its new chairman Pierre Trudeau to win an absolute majority succeeded.
The choice
The election campaign the Liberals was completely focused on the charismatic Pierre Trudeau, who had rather surprisingly in April 1968 won the election as party leader and become the successor of Lester Pearson. With his non-conformist style, he corresponded entirely to the spirit of the '68 movement and sparked a media frenzy, who received the jocular name " Trudeaumania ". Trudeau promised to expand the social welfare system, thereby creating a "just society".
At the head of the Progressive Conservatives stood since 1967, Robert Stanfield. The former Prime Minister of the province of Nova Scotia, however, remained in a deep split in the party faced, which was created after the forced resignation of John Diefenbaker. The possibility raised by Tommy Douglas New Democratic Party, in turn, did not manage the breakthrough hoped for and was confined to the left political spectrum. The Social Credit Party lost all seats, while the Ralliement créditiste, a French-Canadian spin-off, the second largest party in the province of Quebec climb.
The first time was before the elections a televised debate with the leaders of major parties instead. For the last time lost several provinces after a reorganization of constituencies individual seats and the only time the total number of seats (264 compared to 265 ) decreased. Subsequent amendments to the Constitution made sure that such a case is much less likely in the future.
The turnout was 75.7 %.