The Great Depression starting in the decades of 1930 – 1939, highlighted Canada’s struggle to rebuild their economy. The Great Depression would alert a “reorganization of capitalism which will take a variety of political forms from the New Deal to Fascism" (Klee). The “depression left the majority of Canadians unemployed” and allowed Mackenzie King’s Liberal government to bring Canada out of the depression. (Bennett and King Attempt to Solve the Problems of the Great Depression, 1930-1939). Unfortunately, his government was unable to respond to the crisis and Richard Bennett's Conservative Party would win the Canadian Federal Election of 1930. After Bennett was inaugurated, he would have a rough road ahead of him as he he would be unaware of the disasters, “nor were his Conservative policies capable of dealing with them” …show more content…
Compared to King, Bennett “was an excellent parliamentarian and debater who strengthened his party leading up to the election of 1930” (The Albert County Museum & RB Bennett Commemorative Centre). As promised during his campaign, “Bennett quickly enacted tariff increases on U.S. goods and took steps to make Canada independent of the United States and to strengthen its ties to the United Kingdom”, but would later reformulate his polices where it would be driven by forces beyond his control which will restrict his policy choices (O'Brien and McDonald). By 1935, Bennett would finally take some radical action and realize “that only radical political and social reform would have any effect in alleviating Canada's economic misfortunes” after having done little to nothing his first year as Prime Minister. “Bennett proposed a new platform of government policy in 1935, announcing to the nation in a series of radio broadcasts” where Canadians were shocked to hear Bennett outlining a new deal for Canada (Richard Bedford Bennett Canada's Eleventh President). "In the last five years great changes have taken place in the world," he told his