Rungs on a Stepladder Canada’s Road to

Independence

CHC2D

The Halibut Treaty (1923) Both Canadian and U.S. fishing boats hauled in

more and more halibut each year to help feed their growing populations

King maintained that the agreement had nothing to do with England and threatened to send separate representation to Washington

Slow rate of maturity of the halibut contributed to the already declining numbers

An agreement was reached that established strict regulations with regard to the fishing season and sustainable fishing practices

Canada’s very first treaty with a foreign nation

The King-Byng Affair Federal Election of 1925, King’s

Liberal government won fewer seats than the Arthur Meighen’s Conservatives

King joined forces with the Progressives to form a government

King stepped into the Prime Ministers Office as head of the Liberal Party, and a minority government, even though he had lost his own seat in the House of Commons.

Prime Minister Willliam Lyon Mackenzie King1921-19261926-19301935-1948

The King-Byng Affair

Meighen was furious at the underhanded way that King had assumed power that he demanded King’s resignation of that office

King refused June of 1925 King’s

government is rocked by a bribery scandal

King went to Governor-General Byng and asked him to call an election before a loss-of-confidence vote was taken Prime Minister Arthur Meighen

1920-1921 (interim)1926-1926 (interim)

The King-Byng Affair

Governor General Byng refused, arguing it was time that the Conservatives held office

King announced that the actions of Governor General Byng amounted to foreign interference in Canadian politics and resigned the Office of the Prime Minister on June 28, 1926

Sir Julian George Byng,Governor General: 1921 - 1926

King-Byng Affair Governor General Byng refused, arguing it was time that the

Conservatives held office King announced that the actions of Governor General Byng

amounted to foreign interference in Canadian politics and resigned the Office of the Prime Minister on June 28, 1926

As leader of the opposition, Meighen assumed the Office of the Prime Minister on the same day

Meighen government only lasted 3 days On September 25, 1926, King defeated Meighen in a vote of

confidence, and Governor General Byng was forced to dissolve Parliament and call an election

King wins a safe majority in the 1926 election by exploiting the threat to Canadian sovereignty

After the election King appoints a high commissioner in London in order to communicate directly with the British government

The Balfour Report 1926

King, representing Canada at the Imperial Conference in London in 1926, was determined to help his country become a self governing nation

Proposal for diplomatic and political independence for the Dominions

Conference concluded with the Balfour Report – Britain and its commonwealth countries were declared to be “autonomous Communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate to one another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs though united by a common allegiance to the Crown”

The Statute of Westminster 1931

By 1929 Canada had set up diplomatic offices in Washington, London and Paris

This readied the path for the Statute of Westminster A statute is a law established by an Act of the

Legislature On December 11, 1931 the Statute of Westminster

became the last Imperial Act of the Parliament of Great Britain to affect all of the Dominions

Explicitly declared that the constitutions of the commonwealth countries on equal status with Britain

The Balfour Declaration of 1926 was incorporated, word for word, in the Statute

Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, Australia, the Union of South Africa and the Irish Free State were granted legislative independence