Richard bennett hsbc biography of alberta

He was president of the Calgary Power Company and legal counsel for the Canadian Pacific Railway for many years. Bennett entered national politics and represented the constituency of Calgary East from tothen Calgary West from to In he was elected leader of the Conservative Party.

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Bennett was an excellent parliamentarian and debater who strengthened his party leading up to the election of Elected Prime Minister of Canada in with a strong majority, Bennett campaigned on a platform to provide progressive action to deal with the serious economic situation that would become known as The Great Depression. As the global economic depression continued to worsen, voters turned to governments for security that the economy could not provide.

Traditional government measures which Bennett advocated, such as supporting the dollar and maintaining tariffs for dealing with deflation and unemployment, proved to be ineffective. As a result, Bennett faced isolation and major dissent across the country and even within his own party. The blame and responsibility for The Great Depression was attributed to Bennett personally with the Conservatives losing the election of While Prime Minister of Canada R.

Bennett created many progressive programs. In addition, Bennett signed the Statute of Westminster making the Canadian Parliament fully independent in its decisions. After suffering political and personal family losses, feeling no longer wanted as their Prime Minister by the people of Canada, and betrayed by his own Party, Bennett reconsidered a suggestion made to him in earlier years by his old friend Max Aitken Lord Beaverbrook and moved to England to live and continue his law practice.

It was not all dealing with The Great Depression for Bennett during his term in office. Radio was becoming the dominant form of communication in the country, and a question was raised about the constitutional authority of regulating it. Quebec felt it was a provincial matter, while the federal government wanted to regulate it themselves.

It eventually went to the Supreme Court, who decided on June 30, that it was up to the federal government. From this, a special committee was organized on May 9, and a bill to set up the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, the CRBC, was established to regulate all broadcasting in Canada and to set up a nationally owned radio system, which would become the CBC in a few years.

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At this same time, as Communism grew in popularity among the disenfranchised Canadians, Bennett developed a reputation as an anti-Communist leader. He would earn the nickname of Iron Heel Bennett; thanks to a speech he gave in Toronto in that alluded to the Socialist novel by Jack London of the same name. Socialism, Communism, dictatorship.

They are sowing the seeds of unrest everywhere. Right in this city such propaganda is being carried on and in the little out of the way places as well. And we know that throughout Canada this propaganda is being put forward by organizations from foreign lands that seek to destroy our institutions. And we ask that every man and woman put the iron heel of ruthlessness against a thing of that kind.

In his fight against the threat he perceived from Communism, Bennett invoked Section 98 of the Criminal Code, which had been enacted by his predecessor Arthur Meighen after the Winnipeg General Strike. It allowed the removal of the presumption of innocence in outlawing potential threats to the state. This allowed individuals who had never been accused of an act of violence to be incarcerated just for attending a meeting of an organization deemed to be a threat by the government.

Bennett had the Communist Party of Canada targeted specifically, with eight top leaders in the party, including Tim Buck, arrested in August of Soon after, during a riot that Buck was not participating in, someone attempted to assassinate him by shooting a gun into his locked cell. Eventually, the backlash grew against Bennett over the matter of the imprisonment, and Buck was released with the others, heroes for standing up for civil liberties.

The lasting image of this time are cars being towed by horses because the owners could not afford gas. These vehicles were called Bennett Buggies. On March 21,a royal commission on banking and currency was organized. Chartered banks were not happy about this as they had to give up their issuing of bank notes in favour of a national currency, and all gold reserves would be transferred to the Bank of Canada.

InBennett, facing the uphill battle of The Great Depression, was becoming isolated and dealing with open revolt within the party towards him. Bennett would take a further hit after a protest was organized by men in relief camps over the low pay, lack of recreation facilities, isolation from family and poor food. You can find the episode on my website.

The relief camp strikers wanted to come to Ottawa to bring their grievances right to the prime minister, but Bennett treated the strikers as an insurrection that had to be stopped. This led to the RCMP confronting 3, strikers and supporters on July 1, in Regina, resulting in a riot that left two dead and dozens injured. The public backlash over the response by the government would have significant consequences for Bennett.

Bennett was not against strikes, if he felt they were legitimate, but he felt that public law and order were fundamental and, as has been stated, he hated Communists. Inon the example of the New Deal Program in America, Bennett began to take aggressive action towards the terrible economy. He announced that he supported government control and regulation, and he called for progressive taxation, unemployment insurance, health insurance and other major social reforms.

These caused anger within his own party, and the public was not enthused by his new initiatives. For the most part, critics felt the new initiatives went too far, or they felt they did not go far enough.

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Along with the New Deal program were bills to establish a minimum wage, an eight-hour workday and a hour work week. The old order is gone. We are living in conditions that are new and strange to us. Canada on the whole is like a young and vigorous man in the poorhouse. If you believe that things should be left as they are, you and I hold contrary and irreconcilable views.

I am for reform and in my mind, reform means government intervention. It means government control and regulation. It means the end of laissez-faire. At the start ofthe constant stress of The Great Depression was taking its toll on Bennett. In February, he became sick with what he thought was a bad cold but by March 7 he was dealing with an atrial fibrillation of the heart.

He was told he needed to rest for a month and should consider retiring. While Bennett was gone, his New Deal legislation passed. The Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Act was also passed, which would teachfarmers how to handle and restore the dust bowl area of southern Saskatchewan. In October, the federal election was held, and Mackenzie King roared back into power with a large majority and the Conservatives fell to Official Opposition status.

Bennett continued to lead the Official Opposition, often attending the House every single day, and from all accounts he bore no grudges and accepted that the Canadian people had suffered much under The Great Depression and wanted someone new in power. At this time, he had seen his weight go up to pounds, and his doctors ordered him to lose ten pounds to reduce the strain on his heart.

He thought about retiring in but the party convinced him to carry on. Inknowing that King could call another election at any point, and knowing he could not do another campaign, he chose to resign on March 6, Upon his retirement, King would send him a letter of appreciation for his work. Only two months later, on May 11, his beloved sister Mildred died from breast cancer.

He would shut himself in his room at the Chateau, consumed with grief. He would return to Canada as his new home was upgraded with proper plumbing and heating, and his last day in Canada would be on Jan. That same day, he resigned as the MP for Calgary West. This honour was given to him by Winston Churchill for his unsalaried work in the Ministry of Aircraft Production, managed by his friend Lord Beaverbrook.

On June 26,while taking a bath, Bennett died of a heart attack in England. Bennett was always a fan of hot baths, but he was warned to be careful because of his heart.

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He would be found the following morning. It needs to be pointed out that during The Great Depression, Bennett was not simply ignoring Canadians. Many saw him as being uncaring but at nights he would read an endless stream of desperate letters and sent his own money to struggling families. He would also help put several poor, struggling young men through university using his own funds at the time as well.

As prime minister, he often worked 14 hours per day, held several cabinet posts and lived only a short walk from Parliament Hill. Some historians consider that if Bennett had not had to deal with The Great Depression, he may have been regarded as a good, and even great, prime minister. He would have an influence on another future prime minister as well.

John Turner, who would serve briefly inknew Bennett when he was a child. In a ranking of the first 20 prime ministers, Bennett placed 12 th. He was also the honorary colonel of the Calgary Highlanders from tooften visiting the regiment in England during the second World War, ensuring they had a turkey dinner for Christmas every year.

On Jan. He was elected to the House of Commons as a member of the Co-operative From the changing of the name of German dishes, to the Chances are, if you are a hockey fan, you have heard of The Winnipeg Falcons. Contact About Privacy. Richard Bennett. Paul Martin. John MacDonald. Jan Kretien.