CANADA: CANADA New Election

Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, 62, flew to Quebec City one snowy day last week to notify Governor General Vincent Massey of his intention to dissolve Parliament, call a new national election. In a dramatic scene in the House of Commons that evening, Diefenbaker set the election for March 31.

Only the exact timing of Diefenbaker's move came as a surprise. The 23rd Parliament was assured a short life when the voters last June failed to give any party a ruling majority; Diefenbaker's Tories were merely the largest bloc with 113 of the House of Commons' 265 seats. But Diefenbaker...

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