Canadian federal election, 1911

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221 seats in the 12th Canadian Parliament
First party Second party   Leader Robert Borden Wilfrid Laurier Party Conservative (historical) Liberal Leader since 1901 1887 Leader's seat Halifax Quebec East Last election 85 133 Seats won 132 85 Seat change +47 -48 Popular vote 632,539 596,871 Percentage 48.56% 45.82% Swing +2.34% -3.05%
Prime Minister before election Wilfrid Laurier Liberal Prime Minister-designate Robert Borden Conservative (historical)

The Canadian federal election of 1911 was held on September 21 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Canada. It brought an end to fifteen years of government by the Liberal Party of Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier. The election was fought over the issues of free trade with the United States, and the creation of a Canadian navy. The Conservatives formed a majority government under Robert Borden.

The Liberal government was caught up in a debate over the naval arms race between the British Empire and Germany. Laurier attempted a compromise by starting up the Canadian Navy, but this failed to appease either the French and English Canadians; the former who refused giving any aid, while the latter suggested sending money directly to Britain. After the election, the Conservatives drew up a bill for naval contributions to the British, but it was held up by a lengthy Liberal filibuster before being passed by invoking closure, then it was struck down by the Liberal-controlled Senate.

Many English-Canadians in Alberta, and the Maritimes felt that Laurier was abandoning Canada's traditional links to the United Kingdom. On the other side, Quebec nationalist Henri Bourassa, having earlier quit the Liberal Party over what he considered the government's pro-British policies, campaigned against Laurier in that province. Ironically, Bourassa's attacks on Laurier in Quebec aided in the election of the Conservatives, who held more staunchly Imperialist policies than the Liberals.

The base of Liberal support shifted to Western Canada. The West, seeking markets for its agricultural products, had long been a proponent of free trade with the United States. The protected manufacturing businesses of Central Canada were strongly against it. The Liberals, who by ideology and history were strongly in favour of free trade, decided to make the issue the central plank of their re-election strategy, and negotiated a free trade agreement in natural products with the United States. Although the Liberals still had two years left in their mandate, they decided to call an election to settle the issue after it aroused controversy.

The campaign went badly for the Liberals, however. The powerful manufacturing interests of Toronto and Montreal switched their allegiance and financing to the Conservatives. The Tories argued that free trade would undermine Canadian sovereignty and lead to a slow annexation of Canada by the U.S.

The election is often compared to the 1988 federal election, which was also fought over free trade. Ironically, in that later election, the positions of the two parties were reversed: the Liberals fought against the Tories' free trade proposal.

Voter turn-out: 70.2%

Notes:

* Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.

¹ One Conservative candidate was acclaimed in Ontario.

² One Liberal candidate was acclaimed in Ontario, and two Liberals were acclaimed in Québec.

• Borden, Robert. Robert Laird Borden : his memoirs / edited and with an introduction by Henry Borden* Canadian constitutional studies by Robert Borden at archive.org
• Brown, Robert Craig. Robert Laird Borden: A Biography (1975), the major scholarly biography
• Brown, Robert Craig, and Ramsay Cook. Canada: 1896-1921 (1974)
• Dafoe John W., Clifford Sifton in Relation to His Times. Toronto, 1931.
• Dafoe John W., Laurier: a Study in Canadian Politics. Toronto, 1922.
• L. Ethan Ellis, Reciprocity, 1911: A Study in Canadian-American Relations (1939)
• Harpell James J., Canadian National Economy: the Cause of High Prices and Their Effect upon the Country. Toronto, 1911.
• Hopkins J. Castell (Comp.), The Canadian Annual Review of Public Affairs. Toronto, 1901- annual
• Johnston, Richard, and Michael B. Percy. "Reciprocity, Imperial Sentiment, and Party Politics in the 1911 Election," Canadian Journal of Political Science / Revue canadienne de science politique, Vol. 13, No. 4 (Dec., 1980), pp. 711-729 in JSTOR
• Neatby, H. Blair, Laurier and a Liberal Quebec: A Study in Political Management (1973)
• Macquarrie, Heath. "Robert Borden and the Election of 1911." Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science, 1959, Vol. 25 Issue 3, pp 271-286 in JSTOR
• Porritt Edward, Sixty Years of Protection in Canada, 1846-1907: Where Industry Leans on the Politicians. London, 1908.

• 12th Canadian Parliament