1948 Progressive Conservative Leadership Convention

October 2, 1948 – Ottawa Coliseum

Chairs: J.M. Macdonnell (MP for Muskoka–Ontario, Ont. and party president) and Léon Methot (MP for Three Rivers, Que.)

John Bracken’s retirement from the leadership led to the party’s third vote in 10 years.

THE CONTENDERS

Ontario Premier George Drew initially denied he planned to jump to federal politics after a June provincial election. The Tories won but Drew lost his seat at Queen’s Park.

Saskatchewan MP John Diefenbaker ran for a second time but had little support from Quebec Conservatives. He had more western support but the voting favoured the more populous eastern provinces, where Drew was stronger.

Toronto MP Donald Fleming claimed he would receive a strong boost from Quebec.

Ontario MP W. Garfield Case ended his candidacy before the convention to support Drew.

THE CONVENTION

About 1,300 delegates arrived at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa. They were given 30 policy resolutions to consider, including tax relief, a ban on Communist “activities,” abolishing an annual $2.50 radio licence fee, reducing the cost of government, strengthened defence, a long-term immigration policy, a national flag, and a national library.

Banners proclaimed the “Four Fs – Firmness, Fidelity, Frankness, Fleming” and “Diefenbaker: A National Leader.” The program also exhorted delegates: “If the march of Communism is to be halted; if our Canadian Way of Life is to be maintained, and our Free Institutions strengthened and expanded, there must be at the helm in our Country a strong, united Government. That Government must regard itself as the Servant, not the Master of the people.”

Drew became the clear frontrunner as the convention proceeded. His Friday night speech earned more applause than Diefenbaker. Drew called for stronger relations between Quebec and the rest of Canada, warned of too much centralized power in Ottawa, and spoke of a future based on personal initiative, saving, and security.

Fleming spoke of the “cancer of Communism in our midst (that) must be fought without quarter by every democratic weapon open to a free people.” He accused the Liberal government of surrendering to socialist economic principles and pointed to Quebec as key for the party’s future success.

Diefenbaker said the party needed more support from what he called the “forgotten man.”

“They want leadership that will assert that decent living cannot come from government handouts; they know that government cannot take the place of fundamental virtues of honest, thrift, hard work, tolerance and sympathy… I believe that progress can be achieved by free enterprise rather than through the muddling interference of bureaucrats.”

THE VOTE

Voting began at 2 p.m. with 1,311 eligible voters. Drew dominated on the first ballot to become the new Progressive Conservative leader.

His victory speech accused the government of “acts of economic lunacy.” Drew’s wife gave brief remarks to the convention as well.

George Drew (Library and Archives Canada)

 
More:

• Drew won a Carleton, Ont. by-election to enter the House of Commons.


• The convention began with the Lord’s Player in English and French, O Canada, and two minutes of silence for the war’s dead.


• The platform included a blue and white cloth ceiling, the provinces’ coat of arms, and a slogan of “freedom, opportunity and security.”


• More than 3,000 attended a reception at the Château Laurier hotel.


• The total cost was estimated at $52,000, including work on the Ottawa Coliseum.


• A woman presided over part of the convention, a first in Canada according to the Ottawa Citizen.


• Delegates hoping to speak were instructed to: “”Keep mouth about six inches from the microphone and talk in natural speaking voice.”


• Bracken’s farewell speech took aim at both the Liberals and the CCF: “On the one hand we have an aged and decrepit government, slithering cunningly from platitude to platitude, a government whose only guiding star is political expediency. On the other hand we have a socialist party whose leadership seeks to divide this country into hostile camps … A party whose chief stock-in-trade is the fallacious and anti-Christian doctrine of class conflict.”