King, W(illiam) L(yon) Mackenzie (1874–1950)
Canadian Liberal prime minister 1921–26, 1926–30, and 1935–48. He maintained the unity of the English- and French-speaking populations, and was instrumental in establishing equal status for Canada with the UK.
Emphasizing Canada's independence from the UK
In 1925 King's request to Governor General Byng to dissolve parliament was initially refused. As a result, after his re-election in 1926 King insisted that the governor general should represent only the British crown and not the British government. This was eventually incorporated in the Statute of Westminster of 1931, which defined dominion status.
When Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, King, by postponing Canada's declaration for a week, affirmed Canada's independence in foreign affairs. When the Conservative opposition criticized Canada's war efforts as inadequate, King sought re-election and gained it decisively, the real issue being conscription, which he consistently opposed.
Early career King was born in Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario, and educated at Toronto University. He became deputy minister of labour and editor of the Labour Gazette 1900, and chaired several royal commissions on labour and immigration problems. In 1906 and 1908 he represented Canada in negotiations with the UK regarding immigration, and in 1908 became a member of the Dominion of Canada parliament. Beaten in the Liberal overthrow of 1911, he spent the years 1914–18 with the Rockefeller Foundation in the USA. |
Party leader He was re-elected to parliament in 1919 and became leader of the Liberal Party in August that year, succeeding Wilfrid Laurier, and in 1921 became prime minister in succession to Arthur Meighen. In July 1930 the elections went against King, and he was succeeded by the Conservative Richard Bennett. In 1935, however, the Liberals won the most sweeping victory in the history of Canadian politics, winning 174 seats out of 250, and King became premier again. In August 1940 he negotiated with US president Franklin D Roosevelt the setting-up of a permanent Joint Defence Committee for the defence of the Western hemisphere. King resigned as prime minister in 1948, and was succeeded by Louis S St Laurent. |
