From Macdonald to Trudeau: A look back at Citizen commentary

Citizen editorialists have shared their views on 44 federal elections since 1867.

Published Apr 28, 2025

Last updated Apr 28, 2025

10 minute read

Canadian flags wave on Parliament Hill in June, 2011. The nation’s first federal campaign ended Sept. 20, 1867. Photo by Chris Roussakis /QMI AGENCYArticle content

The Ottawa Citizen dates back to 1845, 22 years before Confederation — which means Citizen editorialists have commented on 44 federal elections since 1867. Here are a few excerpts from some of those published in the aftermath of past campaigns — dating back to Sept. 20, 1867, the first time voters in the new Dominion went to the polls.

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Expanding the new nation

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The accession of Rupert’s Land, the Northwestern Territory and British Columbia would seem to be an absolute necessity to secure our expansion as a nation … It is important that Parliament should not dally with this matter, but show itself fully alive to the grand opportunities which are placed within our reach of becoming a great and powerful nation.

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Rupert’s Land, the Northwestern Territory and British Columbia are already knocking at the Union door for admission.

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They know that Yankee craft is surrounding them with a network of plots and cunning designs to entrap them into the (USA), but preferring the British connection and British institutions, they ask to be taken into the new Northern Confederation.

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It will evidently be the duty of the (new) Parliament to adopt such a policy as shall afford the separated colonies every facility and encouragement to join (Canada) without delay.

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— Ottawa Daily Citizen editorial, Sept. 20, 1867, the last day of Canada’s first-ever federal election

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The first free-trade election

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There is no doubt that the result of Thursday’s elections will impart a feeling of certainty and security to business enterprises which cannot fail to have a beneficial effect in restoring that confidence in the stability of the tariff which has been somewhat shaken during the past few months by the Unrestricted Reciprocity cry of (Canada’s Liberals).

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There is no question that business has been affected by the unpatriotic conduct of the Grit party, and business operations have been greatly cramped by the feeling of uncertainty and expectation of change, caused by the possibility of the Grit party succeeding at the polls, and utterly upsetting all the business arrangements of the country.

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In nothing more than this has Sir John Macdonald shown his astuteness, that he saw that if the Unrestricted Reciprocity agitation was allowed to continue unchecked for another year, it would seriously interfere with the regular business of the country, and bring on a period of depression, possibly of panic and commercial disaster. Now there is no such danger. Confidence is restored.

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— Citizen editorial after Sir John A. Macdonald won his final election, fought on the issue of free trade with the United States, March 10, 1891

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Sir John A. Macdonald Photo by Historica /SNSArticle content

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Laurier loses on conscription

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Probably thousands of voters in this city of Ottawa last Monday passed over Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s name with profound regret. No one who knows anything of Sir Wilfrid Laurier personally, even while they differed with him on the political issue, could forget Sir Wilfrid’s sterling character as a citizen, as a Canadian, and as a lifelong believer in British traditions and ideals of liberty.

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It is not the British spirit of fair play to snarl at an opponent after having settled the issue with him. But rather to shake hands manfully, and with due appreciation of the straight fight put up by the other side.

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— Citizen editorial, Dec. 20, 1917, after Sir Wilfrid Laurier and his Liberals are defeated on the issue of conscription, which the paper supported.

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Sir Wilfrid Laurier Photo by British Library /SunMediaArticle content

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R.B. Bennett wins a majority

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Credit must be conceded ungrudgingly to Mr. (R.B.) Bennett for this notably Conservative victory. Ever since becoming leader of the opposition, he has made steady progress in winning public confidence. He has led the Conservative forces with dignity and ability in Parliament. He has received a handsome vote of confidence on the first appeal to the electorate.

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— Citizen editorial, July 29, 1930, the day after R. B. Bennett and his Tories defeated Mackenzie King and his Liberals

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Mackenzie King’s wartime election

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Prime Minister Mackenzie King decided last January to appeal directly to the electorate rather than to sit through another session of parliament. The nation has given the government a clear answer in the democratic way of the ballot box. It may be taken as a vote of confidence in the Liberal party, but nobody will be more conscious today than the prime minister that there is a deeper significance in the overwhelming vote.

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A national democratic government has been elected to press on with every necessary measure, to mobilize the whole power of the nation for the years of war effort ahead.

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— Citizen editorial after Mackenzie King and the Liberals were re-elected on March 26, 1940

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LONDON, ENGLAND, AUGUST 21, 1941 — Prime Minister Winston Winston Churchill welcomes Prime Minister Mackenzie King to London. Photo by Library and Archives CanadaArticle content

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Diefenbaker’s surprise win

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Twenty-two years in office was the chief handicap faced by (the Liberal party) that few objective critics could say had abused the authority given it by the electorate. This same electorate has no respect for persons once its collective mind is made up. Down to defeat have gone some of the ablest men in Canadian public life.

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Those of them who relish life will likely return to it, by and by, for good men are not a surplus commodity. In the meantime, the responsibility lies with Mr. (John) Diefenbaker and his colleagues to form an administration. They will hardly be able to do so without the aid of other groups that have been as much opposed to themselves as to the Liberal government.

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In that event, another appeal to the country would seem probable after a few skirmishes in the Commons, and the path would then be cleared for a clear-cut mandate for the Conservatives or else a return to the party which, over the years, has given Canada a stable and imaginative government.

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— Citizen editorial, June 11, 1957, after John Diefenbaker’s minority victory over Louis St-Laurent and the Liberals

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Prime Minister John Diefenbaker ALLArticle content

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Pearson unseats the Tories

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Tactically speaking, Mr. Diefenbaker mounted an effective campaign … Yet it is impossible to express admiration for the methods he used or for the words he spoke during that campaign.

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He sought to arouse Canadian enmity for our closest friends and allies. He sought to arouse the enmity of rural Canada against the big cities, of west against east, of people remote from government against the people who serve them in government. These divisive tactics deserve no sort of justification, and perhaps Mr. Diefenbaker’s defeat will serve as a warning to future politicians against the use of such methods.

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— Citizen editorial, April 9, 1963, after Liberal Lester Pearson defeated John Diefenbaker

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Prime Minister Lester Pearson photographed at the United Nations. Photo by Bettmann /Bettmann ArchiveArticle content

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‘Trudeaumania’ takes hold

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Although the general outline of Mr. (Pierre) Trudeau’s victory had been widely forecast, many of its details were surprising. The breakup of traditional voting patterns in Newfoundland, in Ontario and in the West is perhaps a healthy signal to the politicians that no part of an aware and responsible electorate can be relied on to choose blindly.

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And now the prime minister has what so many Canadians have been saying their government needed — a secure but not excessive majority. The Citizen, which supported Mr. Trudeau both in the Liberal leadership campaign and in the election, believes that he can and will make the most of his splendid opportunity. We wish him well in his important mission. Our future, as Canadians, rides with him.

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— Citizen editorial, June 26, 1968 after Pierre Trudeau won the so-called “Trudeaumania” election

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Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau speaks at a press conference in Ottawa on June 19, 1972. Beside him is a future prime minister, Jean Chrétien, who was then a member of his cabinet. Photo by Peter Bregg /THE CANADIAN PRESSArticle content

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Stanfield praised, even while losing

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The Citizen has not supported the Conservative program or the (Robert) Stanfield team. But orderly change is one of democracy’s chief benefits … A fundamental weakness of the Trudeau government has been an insensitivity to the needs of the people. Now it is up to the prime minister to respond … We hope he will advise the Governor-General to send for Mr. Stanfield. Mr. Trudeau need not draw the conclusion that the election result requires his retirement from political life.

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(Stanfield) has made a tremendous contribution to Canada, particularly in his work on our most serious problem — the tensions between French and English-speaking Canada. At his age, he can expect to make many important contributions in the future. We urge him to stay on as a vigorous and lively leader of the opposition.

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— Citizen editorial Oct. 31, 1972, the day after Pierre Trudeau nearly lost power to Robert Stanfield’s Conservatives

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Joe Clark takes the reins

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The universe unfolded as it should, and Pierre Trudeau fell out. His personal defeat was unequivocal, while the victory of Joe Clark was equivocal in the extreme. The cliché that dogged this campaign proved to be the truth: voters did not vote for the Tories, they voted against the Liberals … The short-lived Parliament that lies ahead will help to crystallize public opinion … The campaign hasn’t ended. It has really just begun.

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— Citizen editorial, May 23, 1979, after Joe Clark and the Progressive Conservatives earned a minority mandate against Pierre Trudeau’s Liberals

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May 23, 1979:Joe Clark gives a victory wave while his wife, Maureen McTeer, looks on. Photo by John Colville /Calgarty HeraldArticle content

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PET returns, triumphant

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Pierre Trudeau has been resurrected but not yet rehabilitated. His majority victory last night places on him a greater moral obligation than he has ever borne after any previous election to prove that the voters’ faith has not been misplaced.

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— Citizen editorial, Feb. 19, 1980, after Pierre Trudeau is returned to power with a solid majority only nine months after his defeat by Joe Clark

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Mulroney sweeps the nation

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The good part of the election result is that for the first time in years Canada now has a national government, one that genuinely represents all the regions … That should reduce tensions. The not-so-good part is the scale of the Tory party’s victory.

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With a majority of this size, the incoming government will have to remember constantly Lord Acton’s warning about the danger of absolute power. And absolute power is just what the voters have given Brian Mulroney for at least the next four years.

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— Citizen editorial, Sept. 5, 1984, in the aftermath of Brian Mulroney and his Progressive Conservatives winning the largest majority in Canadian history

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Prime Minister Brian Mulroney responds to questions in the House of Commons on Nov. 27, 1984. Photo by RON POLING /Canadian PressArticle content

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Mulroney wins a second majority

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After a few weeks of exquisite suspense, Canadians have chosen self-interest over sentiment, the future over the past. For Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, this election is a remarkable personal achievement: it is the first time since 1953 that Canadians have given a prime minister two majorities in a row.

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The election was scarcely an exercise in Mulroneymania. Despite many accomplishments, the PM still inspires more ambivalence than enthusiasm in some parts of the country. The vote is mainly an emphatic vote of support for Tory management and the Tory agenda.

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— Citizen editorial, Nov. 22, 1988 after the free trade election

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Chrétien scores his first win

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Jean Chrétien can be allowed a moment to reflect on his historic triumph — but only a moment … During the campaign, Chrétien said repeatedly that he had no appetite for reopening constitutional negotiations. He was right; constitutional arguments now would be futile. The strongest answer to Quebec nationalism is to give proof that federalism works to the shared benefit of Canadians everywhere. That will be the test of the new Liberal government — and the measure of its eventual success.

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— Citizen editorial, Oct. 26, 1993, after Jean Chrétien won the first of three-straight majority mandates

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Chrétien wins a second time

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On the whole? A little lighter on small-c conservatives than we would have liked. Too many from the Bloc. Too many NDPers for a fundamental re-thinking of that party. But the party that deserved to win did. Good job, Canada.

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— Citizen editorial on Jean Chrétien’s reduced majority, June 3, 1997

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Harper starts a new Conservative era

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This is an exciting time for the Conservative party. It is a new entity, and an unproven one. This government could set the tone of Canadian conservatism for a generation.

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It is also an exciting time for the Liberal party, although Liberals may not appreciate this the morning after their defeat. The party has a chance to start fresh, to distance itself from the Chrétien era, from sponsorship, from complacency, from scandal. Conservatives had to sojourn in the wilderness a decade ago, and they came back renewed — different, yes, but renewed. It is time for Liberals to do the same.

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— Citizen editorial, Jan. 24, 2006 after Stephen Harper and the Conservatives received a minority mandate, defeating Paul Martin and the Liberals

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper waves to supporters during a speech in support of Canadian troops, in Ottawa on Friday Sept. 22, 2006. SunMediaArticle content

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The second coming of Trudeau

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Now, ready or not, here comes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau … After a lot of people, including some in his own party, had dismissed him, he proved to be a formidable opponent during the various debates and a credible candidate for the country’s top job.

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Now we’ll find out what kind of Liberal he is. Will he model Kathleen Wynne’s Ontario crew, running up massive deficits to support questionable, big government pet projects, or will he return to the competent fiscal stewardship of the federal Liberals under Jean Chrétien (before rot and corruption set in)? He has a strong mandate to post modest deficits for the next little while, and he could do worse than spend it on infrastructure. We’d strongly urge him to keep a close eye on the purse strings, however.

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— Citizen editorial on Oct. 20, 2015, after Justin Trudeau and the Liberals defeated Stephen Harper and his Conservatives, earning a majority mandate

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These editorial excerpts were compiled by Kingston’s Arthur Milnes, a public historian whose books include studies of Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Arthur Meighen, R.B. Bennett, John N. Turner and Brian Mulroney.

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