A Conservative, he served two short terms as prime minister. He became prime minister upon the resignation of Sir Robert Borden in 1921, and again upon the resignation of Mackenzie King in 1926. His first term was just over one year, and the second for only a few months.
He led his party in three general elections and lost all three to King. Appointed to the Senate in 1932, he attempted an electoral come-back in 1942, but was defeated in his attempt to re-enter Parliament.
Meighen stood for election to the House of Commons of Canada nine times, winning six times and losing three times. He was acclaimed once. His defeat in his constituency in the 1921 election was the first time in Canada that a sitting prime minister lost his seat. He lost his seat again in the 1926 election, becoming the only sitting Canadian prime minister to lose his seat twice (Mackenzie King lost his seat twice while prime minister in 1925 and 1945 but did not resign).
Summary
Canada had nine provinces and two territories during Meighen's time in office.
Meighen ranks seventeenth out of twenty-three prime ministers for time in office, serving two short terms. He was prime minister for one year and 172 days in 1920-1921, and then again for 88 days in 1926.[1]
Meighen was the second of four prime ministers to serve non-consecutive terms, the others being Sir John A. Macdonald, King, and Pierre Trudeau.
Meighen is the only prime minister from Manitoba.
Meighen served in several positions in the government of Sir Robert Borden from 1913 to 1920. When Borden announced his retirement, Meighen was chosen as party leader by Borden, after extensive consultations with the Conservative caucus.[2] As leader of the majority party in the Commons, Meighen automatically became prime minister, and did not call a general election immediately on taking office in 1920. When he called the general election the next year, in 1921, he was defeated by Mackenzie King and the Liberals. Meighen became Leader of the Opposition. However, since he had been defeated in his own riding of Portage la Prairie, he had to be elected in a by-election before he could re-enter Parliament. This was the first time in Canada that a sitting prime minister lost his seat.
Four years later, in the general election of October 1925, Meighen again led the Conservatives and was again defeated by Mackenzie King. However, in the spring of the next year, a procurement scandal in the federal government led to King's resignation. Because the election had been so recent and the state of the parties in the Commons was fluid, Governor-General Byng appointed Meighen to succeed King as prime minister, rather than call a general election, as King had requested. Byng's refusal to call the election on King's request triggered a constitutional crisis, the King-Byng affair. The Meighen government fell shortly afterwards his appointment on a motion of non-confidence and the Governor-General then called an election, which King won by a majority. For the second time, Meighen did not win his seat in the general election and resigned immediately as leader of the Conservatives.[2]
In 1942, Meighen attempted a political comeback and was elected leader of the Conservatives. He stood for election in a by-election, but was defeated. He resigned the leadership and retired from politics.[2]
Meighen in 1912
Meighen began his political career in the federal election of 1908. He stood for election to the House of Commons of Canada nine times (1908, 1911 1913, 1917, 1921, 1922, 1925, 1926, and 1942), primarily in the constituency of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. He was elected six times (1908, 1911, 1913, 1917, 1922 and 1925) and defeated three times (1921, 1926 and 1942).[3]
Federal general elections, 1921 to 1926
Meighen led the Conservative Party in three general elections (1921, 1925 and 1926). He lost all three to Mackenzie King although King technically lost the 1925 election.
Meighen called the election the year after he was appointed prime minister. King won a razor-thin majority and was able to form a government with the support of members of the Progressives. Meighen and the Conservatives came in third in party standings in the Commons, after the Liberals and the Progressives. However, the Progressives declined to form the Official Opposition and Meighen became the Leader of the Opposition.
Canadian federal election, 1921 – Parties, leaders, seats won and popular vote
1 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Prime Minister after the election. 2 Prime Minister when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after the election. 3 Table does not include parties which received votes but did not elect any members.
For information about the constitutional crisis caused by King's resignation over a federal procurement scandal, see King-Byng Affair.
The 1925 election was called by Prime Minister King. Meighen and the Liberal-Conservatives won more seats than King and the Liberals in the election, but did not win a majority. King was able to form a minority government with the support of the Progressives and Meighen remained Leader of the Opposition. However, King resigned over a federal procurement scandal less than a year into office. The Governor-General, Lord Byng, refused King's request for a dissolution of Parliament and instead appointed Meighen as prime minister. When Meighen's government fell on a non-confidence motion shortly after being appointed, the Governor-General granted his request for a dissolution and called the 1926 general election. These events triggered a constitutional crisis, the King–Byng Affair.
Canadian federal election, 1925 – Parties, leaders, seats won and popular vote
1 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after the election. 2 Prime Minister when election was called; Prime Minister after the election. 3 Rounding error.
For information about the constitutional crisis which triggered this election, see King-Byng Affair.
This general election was called on the advice of Meighen, appointed prime minister by the Governor-General, Viscount Byng, after King resigned as prime minister. King's resignation triggered a constitutional crisis, the King-Byng Affair. King and the Liberals won the greatest number of seats in the election, but were short of a majority. King formed a minority government with support from some Progressives, particularly the Liberal-Progressives. Meighen failed to win his seat and resigned immediately as Leader of the Opposition.
Canadian federal election, 1926 – Parties, leaders, seats won and popular vote
1 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Prime Minister after election. 2 Prime Minister when election was called; defeated in his constituency and did not become Leader of the Opposition. 3 Less than 0.05% of the popular vote. 4 Table does not include parties which received votes but did not elect any members.
Federal constituency elections, 1908 to 1942
Meighen stood for election to the House of Commons nine times, in two different provinces (Manitoba and Ontario), in three different ridings. He was elected six times and defeated three times.
At this time, Members of Parliament who took a position with the Government had to stand for re-election, but it was customary for the other political party not to oppose the election.
