Bennett, Richard Bedford (1870–1947)

Canadian Conservative politician, prime minister 1930–35. He was minister of finance in 1926. In the election of 1935 he was heavily defeated because of his failure to cope with the effects of the economic depression. He was succeeded as premier by Mackenzie King.

Bennett graduated in law from Dalhousie University, and practised in New Brunswick. Later he worked in Calgary and entered the legislature of the Northwest Territories. His opposition to the provisions for separate Catholic schools in the proposed constitutions of Alberta and Saskatchewan won him the leadership of the small band of Conservatives in Alberta's first legislature in 1905. At the ‘reciprocity’ elections in 1911 he was returned by Calgary with a large majority. His opposition to the railway policy of the Robert Laird Borden government enhanced his reputation. He opposed ministerial policy during World War I and withdrew from politics in 1917, but was returned again for Calgary 1925, and was selected in 1927 to replace Arthur Meighen as leader of the party in opposition. Bennett was chiefly responsible for the Conservative election victory in 1930.

An ardent champion of protective tariffs, Bennett came to London in 1930 as head of the Canadian delegation to the Imperial Conference, and presided over the Ottawa (Imperial Economic) Conference in 1932. In 1938 he took up permanent residence in England, and was created a viscount in 1941.