| Canadian Federal Election, 1980 |
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The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18 , 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House Of Commons . It was called when the Minority Progressive Conservative government led by Joe Clark was defeated on a motion of no confidence in the Commons. Clark and his government had been under attack for its perceived inexperience, for example, in its handling of its 1979 election campaign commitment to move Canada's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem . Clark had maintained uneasy relations with the fourth largest party in the House of Commons, Social Credit . While he needed the six votes that the conservative-populist Quebec-based party had in order to get legislation passed, he was unwilling to agree to the conditions they imposed for their support. Clark had managed to recruit one Social Credit MP, Richard Janelle, to join the PC caucus. Clark's Minister of Finance, John Crosbie , introduced an austere government budget in late 1979 that proposed to increase the excise tax on gasoline by 18 cents per Imperial gallon to reduce the federal government's deficit. The five remaining Social Credit MPs demanded that the revenues raised be allocated to Quebec, and decided to abstain from a vote of non-confidence introduced by Bob Rae of the New Democratic Party . In addition, several Conservative MPs were either stuck abroad or too ill to attend the crucial vote, while the Liberals had assembled their entire caucus, even going as far as to bring in several bedridden MPs by ambulance. This resulted in the defeat of the government in the House of Commons, and forced a new election to be called. Clark's Tories campaigned under the slogan, "Real change deserves a fair chance", but the voters were unwilling to give Clark another chance. The loss of the budget vote just seven months into his mandate and his subsequent defeat in the February 18 general election would eventually Cost Him The Leadership of the Progressive Conservatives. Former Liberal prime minister Pierre Trudeau had announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party following its defeat in 1979. However, no leadership convention had been held when the Progressive Conservative government fell. Trudeau quickly rescinded his resignation to lead the party to victory, winning 34 more seats than in the 1979 Federal Election . This enabled the Liberals to form a Majority Government that would last until its defeat in the 1984 Election . The abstention by Social Credit on the crucial budget vote (while the Liberals and NDP voted to bring down the government) contributed to the growing perception that the party had become irrelevant following the death of iconic leader Réal Caouette . The Social Credit Party lost its last five seats in the House of Commons, and rapidly declined into obscurity after this election. NATIONAL RESULTS Despite winning at least one seat in every province and territory, the Progressive Conservatives lost to the Liberals, who won a majority government. This was mainly because the Liberals won all but one seat in their stronghold of Quebec, and captured the majority of the seats in Ontario, Canada's two most populous provinces. Progressive Conservative Premier Bill Davis 's criticism of the gas tax was brought up by the Trudeau's Liberals and that sapped federal PC support in Ontario . The Liberals were shut out west of Manitoba, highlighted a sharp geographical divide in the country. Notes: "% change" refers to change from previous election. Changes to party standings from previous election: Social Credit MP Richard Janelle cross the floor to join the PC Party. PC MP John Diefenbaker died during the parliamentary session. A New Democrat was elected in the subsequent by-election. RESULTS BY PROVINCE xx - less than 0.05% of the popular vote. NOTES
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