1891 Canadian federal election

1891 Canadian federal election

← 1887 March 5, 1891 1896 →
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215 seats in the House of Commons 108 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	64.4%[1] (5.7pp)
First party Second party   Leader John A. Macdonald Wilfrid Laurier Party Conservative Liberal Leader since 1867 1887 Leader's seat Kingston Quebec East[b] Last election 122 seats, 47.4% 80 seats, 43.1% Seats won 117 90 Seat change 5 10 Popular vote 376,518 350,512 Percentage 48.6%[a] 45.2% Swing 1.2% 2.1%
1891 Canadian electoral map
The Canadian parliament after the 1891 election
Prime Minister before election John A. Macdonald Conservative Prime Minister after election John A. Macdonald Conservative

The 1891 Canadian federal election was held on March 5, 1891, to elect members of the House of Commons of Canada of the 7th Parliament of Canada. It was won by the Conservative Party of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald.

The main issue of the 1891 campaign was Macdonald's National Policy, a policy of protective tariffs. The Liberals supported reciprocity (free trade) with the United States.

Macdonald led a Conservative campaign emphasizing stability, and retained the Conservatives' majority in the House of Commons. It was a close election and he campaigned hard. Macdonald died a few months after the election, which led to his succession by four different Conservative Prime Ministers until the 1896 election.

It was Wilfrid Laurier's first election as leader of the Liberals. Although he lost the election, he increased the Liberals' support. He returned in 1896 to win a solid majority, despite losing the popular vote.

Canadian voters would return to the issue of free trade 20 years later in the 1911 federal election.

Notes:

* Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.

¹ One Nationalist candidate was elected by acclamation.

² The Parliamentary website identifies two candidates in Nova Scotia as being "Progressives". This may be an error.

Acclamations:

The following Members of Parliament were elected by acclamation;

• British Columbia: 1 Conservative, 1 Liberal-Conservative
• Manitoba: 1 Conservative
• Ontario: 1 Conservative
• Quebec: 1 Conservative, 2 Liberal, 1 Nationalist

• List of Canadian federal general elections
• List of political parties in Canada
• 7th Canadian Parliament

• Pennington, Christopher John (2011). The Destiny of Canada: Macdonald, Laurier, and the Election of 1891. Toronto: Allen Lane Canada. ISBN 978-0-670-06621-6.

• The Election of 1891: A Question of Loyalty, by James Marsh