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({{steady}})| opinion_polls = Opinion polling for the 1988 Canadian federal election| previous_election = 1984 Canadian federal election| previous_year = 1984| previous_mps = 33rd Canadian Parliament| next_election = 1993 Canadian federal election| next_year = 1993| elected_mps = 34th Canadian ParliamentHouse of Commons of Canada>House of Commons | majority_seats = 148 | election_date = November 21, 1988| image_size = x160pxImage =Brian Mulroney (cropped).jpgcWidth = 120oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}} CAnohash}}| leader1 = Brian Mulroney1983 Progressive Conservative leadership election>June 11, 1983CAname}}Charlevoix (federal electoral district)>Charlevoix| last_election1 = 211 seats, 50.03%| seats_before1 = 203Includes Beaver River MP John Dahmer, who died five days after the election, before being sworn in, with the seat being lost in the subsequent by-election.}}| seat_change1 = {{decrease}}34| popular_vote1 = 5,667,543| percentage1 = 43.02%Percentage Point>ppImage =Ronald Reagan and John Turner 1987 crop (cropped).jpgcWidth = 120oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}CAnohash}}| leader2 = John Turner1984 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election>June 16, 1984CAname}}| leaders_seat2 = Vancouver Quadra| last_election2 = 40 seats, 28.02%| seats_before2 = 38| seats2 = 83| seat_change2 = {{increase}}45| popular_vote2 = 4,205,072| percentage2 = 31.92%Percentage Point>ppImage =Ed Broadbent Le Prince Kibego Njangamwita Nabuvira (cropped).jpgcWidth = 120oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}CAnohash}}| leader3 = Ed Broadbent1975 New Democratic Party leadership election>July 7, 1975CAname}}Oshawa (federal electoral district)>Oshawa| last_election3 = 30 seats, 18.81%| seats_before3 = 32| seats3 = 43| seat_change3 = {{increase}}11| popular_vote3 = 2,685,263| percentage3 = 20.38%Percentage Point>pp| map = {{Switcher350px)| Results by electoral district350px)| Results by province and territory}}| title = Prime Minister| posttitle = Prime Minister after election| before_election = Brian MulroneyCAname}}| after_election = Brian MulroneyCAname}}|map2_image = Cdn1988.PNG|map2_size =|map2_caption =The Canadian parliament after the 1988 election}}The 1988 Canadian federal election was held on November 21, 1988, to elect members to the House of Commons of Canada of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA); the Progressive Conservative Party campaigned in favour of it, whereas the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party (NDP) campaigned against it. Mulroney won a governing majority and the agreement was passed into law, even though a majority of the voters had voted for parties opposing free trade.JOURNAL, “The New Life of Brian Mulroney”. The Walrus, Ira Wells, Apr. 19, 2018, The Mulroney government instituted the Goods and Services Tax during this term as well.weblinkThe incumbent prime minister, Brian Mulroney, then lead his Progressive Conservative Party in a second majority government. Mulroney was the party’s first leader since John A. Macdonald to win a second majority government, although in 1988 with less than half the votes cast.{{efn|Conservative Prime Minister Robert Borden won two majority governments, but the second majority he won in 1917 was when he was leader of the Unionist Party, a party composed of pro-conscription Conservatives and Liberals.}}The Liberal Party experienced a recovery after its 1984 wipeout- receiving a greater vote share and votes and doubling its seat count. The New Democratic Party won its largest number of seats up to the time (they would beat the 1988 record in 2011).The election was the last won by the Progressive Conservatives, the last until 2011 in which a right-of-centre party formed a majority government, and the last where a right-of-centre party won the most seats in Quebec. It was also the last election in Canadian history in which only three parties would be elected to Parliament.

Background

Brian Mulroney led the Progressive Conservative Party to a landslide majority government victory in the 1984 federal election. Despite this achievement, scandals including patronage damaged his polling numbers. However, in his fourth year in office in 1988, his popularity began to recover; a poll a few days before the election call showed the Progressive Conservatives ahead of the Liberal Party and New Democratic Party.WEB, Azzi, Stephen, Election of 1988,www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/election-1988-feature, Canadian Encyclopedia, 27 February 2022, 28 September 2008, The Liberal Party led by John Turner suffered a heavy defeat in the 1984 election. Despite this, Turner stayed on as leader and was preparing to campaign for the second election. However, the Liberal Party was in financial and political disarray; by 1986 the party was heavily in debt and the expenses of the national organization continued to rise. Turner’s office experienced significant staff turnover, and leaving members were willing to recount stories of the office’s disfunction to the press, resulting in Turner’s leadership being nicknamed a “reign of error”.{{sfn|Clarkson|1989|p=31}} Some pundits believed the Liberals would permanently drop to third place.In 1988, Mulroney reached an agreement on free trade with the United States. Turner’s Liberal Party and Ed Broadbent’s New Democratic Party opposed the agreement; Turner believed that the agreement would “Americanize” Canada. Mulroney used his large majority to pass the bill through the House of Commons, however, the Liberal-dominated Senate demanded an election before they would pass it. The election was called on October 1.WEB, Farnsworth, Clyde, Canadian Pact Voted By Senate,www.nytimes.com/1988/09/20/business/canadian-pact-voted-by-senate.html, New York Times, 27 February 2022, 20 September 1988,

Campaign

The Liberals had some early struggles, notably during one day in Montreal where three different costs were given for the proposed Liberal daycare program.{{sfn|Clarkson|1989|p=30}} When asked by reporters about the incident, Turner’s chief of staff responded using vulgar language. The campaign was also hampered by a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) report that stated there was a movement in the backroom to replace Turner with Jean Chrétien, even though Turner had passed a leadership review in 1986 with 76.3 percent of delegates rejecting a leadership convention.{{sfn|Clarkson|1989|p=30}}Turner strongly campaigned against free trade, arguing that it would cost many Canadian jobs. His October 25 debate performance helped polls suggest a Liberal government; a week after the debate, the Liberals were six points ahead of the PCs. The Liberal surge prompted the PCs to stop the relatively calm campaign they had been running and instead run a more negative campaign, capitalizing on the perceived lack of public confidence in Turner, his perceived inability to lead the Liberal Party, and arguing that he only opposed free trade because of political opportunism. The PCs’ poll numbers started to rebound.

National results

The Progressive Conservatives won a reduced but strong majority government with 169 seats, and the free trade agreement would go into effect on January 1, 1989. Mulroney was the first Conservative prime minister since John A. Macdonald to win more than one majority.Despite the Liberals more than doubling their seat count from 38 to 83, the results were considered a disappointment for Turner, after polls in mid-campaign predicted a Liberal government. In an ironic reversal of most prior federal elections, the Liberals were kept out of power by their inability to make any headway into the overwhelming Tory majority in Quebec. Indeed, the Liberals actually lost five seats in Quebec. This second election loss sealed Turner’s fate; he would eventually resign in 1990, and was succeeded by Jean Chrétien, who proved to be a more effective leader and when in government, accepted free trade with the United States and did not overturn CUSFTA.Despite the New Democratic Party enjoying their best result at the time (winning 43 seats), Ed Broadbent resigned as leader in 1989. Some NDP members were disappointed by the fact that they didn’t become the Official Opposition. (File:1988 Canadian parliament.svg300px) style="background:#CCC“!rowspan=2 colspan=2|Party!rowspan=2|Party leader!rowspan=2|# ofcandidates!colspan=4|Seats!colspan=3|Popular vote style="background:#CCC”1984Dissol.Elected% Change#%Change{{Canadian party colour|CA|PC|row}}Progressive Conservative Party of Canada>Progressive Conservative| Brian Mulroney295211203169-19.9% 5,667,543 43.02%-7.02pp{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|row}}Liberal Party of Canada>Liberal| John Turner294403883+107.5% 4,205,072 31.92%+3.89pp{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP|row}}New Democratic Party (Canada)>New Democratic Party| Ed Broadbent295303243+34.4% 2,685,26320.38%+1.57pp{{Canadian party colour|CA|Reform|row-name}}| Preston Manning72*--*275,7672.09%*{{Canadian party colour|CA|Christian Heritage|row-name}}| Ed Vanwoudenberg63*--* 102,533 0.78%*{{Canadian party colour|CA|Rhinoceros (historical)|row-name}}| Cornelius the First74---- 52,1730.40%-0.39pp{{Canadian party colour|CA|Green|row-name}}| Seymour Trieger68---- 47,228 0.36% +0.14pp{{Canadian party colour|CA|CoR|row-name}}| Elmer Knutson51---- 41,342 0.31%-0.68pp{{Canadian party colour|CA|Libertarian|row-name}}| Dennis Corrigan88---- 33,135 0.25% +0.06pp{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}}No affiliation100--- 24,5160.19%-0.12pp{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}}Independent5514--22,9820.17%-0.01pp{{Canadian party colour|CA|PCC|row-name}}| Gilles Gervais58---- 7,467 0.06%-0.21pp{{Canadian party colour|CA|Communist|row-name}}| George Hewison51--- - 7,066 0.05%-0.01pp{{Canadian party colour|CA|Social Credit|row-name}}| Harvey Lainson9----3,4070.03%-0.10pp    Vacant5 Total1,573282282295+4.6%13,175,494100%  Note: “% change” refers to change from previous election

Vote and seat summaries

{{Bar box|title=Popular vote|titlebar=#ddd|width=600px|barwidth=410px|bars={{Bar percent|PC|#9999ff|43.02}}{{Bar percent|Liberal|#F08080|31.92}}{{Bar percent|NDP|#F4A460|20.38}}{{Bar percent|Reform|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Reform}}|2.09}}{{Bar percent|Others|#DCDCDC|2.59}}}} {{Bar box|title=Seat totals|titlebar=#ddd|width=600px|barwidth=410px|bars={{Bar percent|PC|#9999ff|57.29}}{{Bar percent|Liberal|#F08080|28.14}}{{Bar percent|NDP|#F4A460|14.58}}}} A number of unregistered parties also contested the election. The Western Canada Concept party, led by Doug Christie, fielded three candidates in British Columbia. The Western Independence Party ran one candidate in British Columbia, seven in Alberta, and three in Manitoba (although one of the Manitoba candidates appears to have withdrawn before election day). The Liberal candidate in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, Emmanuel Feuerwerker, withdrew from the race after suffering a heart attack, resulting in the Liberals not running a candidate in all 295 ridings during this election. The Marxist–Leninist Party fielded candidates in several ridings. Blair T. Longley campaigned in British Columbia as a representative of the “Student Party”. Newspaper reports indicate that this was simply a tax-avoidance scheme. The moribund Social Credit Party fielded nine candidates, far short of the 50 required for official recognition. However, the Chief Electoral Officer allowed the party’s name to appear on the ballot by virtue of its half-century history as a recognized party. It would be the last time that the party, which had been the third-largest or fourth-largest party in Canada at its height, would fight an election under its own name. The party was deregistered before the 1993 election after it failed to nominate enough candidates to keep its registration.

Seats which changed hands

Defeated MPs

{{Collapse top}}{| class=“wikitable“!Party!Riding!MP!First elected!Defeated by!PartyCAcolour&name}}|Burin—St. George’sJoe Price (politician)>Joe Price1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Roger SimmonsCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Cardigan (electoral district)>Cardigan|Pat Binns1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Lawrence MacAulayCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Charlottetown (electoral district)>CharlottetownThomas McMillan (Canadian politician)>Thomas McMillan1979 Canadian federal election>1979|George ProudCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Cape Breton Highlands—Canso|Lawrence O’Neil1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Francis LeBlancCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Dartmouth (electoral district)>Dartmouth|Michael Forrestall1965 Canadian federal election>1965Ron MacDonald (politician)>Ron MacDonaldCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Halifax (federal electoral district)>Halifax|Stewart McInnes1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Mary ClancyCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}West Nova>South West Nova|Gerald Comeau1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Coline CampbellCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Miramichi (electoral district)>Miramichi|Bud Jardine1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Maurice DionneCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Moncton (electoral district)>Moncton|Dennis Cochrane1984 Canadian federal election>1984|George RideoutCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Restigouche (federal electoral district)>Restigouche—ChaleurAlbert Girard (politician)>Al Girard1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Guy ArseneaultCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Gatineau—La Lièvre|Claudy Mailly1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Mark AssadCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Lasalle (electoral district)>Lasalle (contested LaSalle—Émard)|Claude Lanthier1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Paul MartinCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Charlevoix (federal electoral district)>Charlevoix (contested Laurier—Sainte-Marie)Charles-André Hamelin>Charles Hamelin1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Jean-Claude MalepartCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Essex-Kent|James Eber Caldwell1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Jerry PickardCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Etobicoke North (federal electoral district)>Etobicoke NorthRobert Pennock (politician)>Bob Pennock1984 Canadian federal election>1984Roy MacLaren (politician)>Roy MacLarenCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Haldimand—Norfolk|Bud Bradley1979 Canadian federal election>1979|Bob SpellerCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Hamilton West (federal electoral district)>Hamilton WestPeter Peterson (Canadian politician)>Peter Peterson1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Stan KeyesCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Kent (Ontario federal electoral district)>Kent|Elliott Hardey1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Rex CrawfordCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Kingston and the Islands (federal electoral district)>Kingston and the IslandsFlora MacDonald (politician)>Flora MacDonald1972 Canadian federal election>1972|Peter MillikenCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Lambton—Middlesex|Sidney Fraleigh1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Ralph FergusonCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Leeds—Grenville|Jennifer Cossitt|1982 by-electionJim Jordan (Canadian politician)>Jim JordanCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|London EastJim Jepson1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Joe FontanaCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Nepean—Carleton (federal electoral district)>Nepean—Carleton (contested Nepean)|William Tupper1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Beryl GaffneyCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Nipissing (electoral district)>Nipissing|Moe Mantha Sr.1984 Canadian federal election>1984Bob Wood (MP)>Bob WoodCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Ottawa—Carleton (federal electoral district)>Ottawa—Carleton (contested Ottawa South)Barry Turner (politician)>Barry Turner1984 Canadian federal election>1984John Manley (politician)>John ManleyCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Ottawa West|David Daubney1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Marlene CatterallCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Parkdale—High Park|Andrew Witer1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Jesse FlisCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Sault Ste. Marie (federal electoral district)>Sault Ste. MarieJames Kelleher>Jim Kelleher1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Steve ButlandCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Scarborough West|Reg Stackhouse1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Tom WappelCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}York—Scarborough (federal electoral district)>York—Scarborough (contested Scarborough—Agincourt)|Paul McCrossan1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Jim KarygiannisCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Timmins—Chapleau|Aurèle Gervais1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Cid SamsonCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Welland (electoral district)>Welland (contested Welland—St. Catharines—Thorold)|Allan Pietz1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Gilbert ParentCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Willowdale (federal electoral district)>Willowdale|John Oostrom1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Jim PetersonCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Saint Boniface (electoral district)>Saint Boniface|Léo Duguay1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Ron DuhamelCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Mackenzie (federal electoral district)>Mackenzie|Jack Scowen1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Vic AlthouseCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Saskatoon West (contested Saskatoon—Clark’s Crossing)|Ray Hnatyshyn1974 Canadian federal election>1974|Chris AxworthyCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|The Battlefords—Meadow Lake|John Kenneth Gormley1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Len TaylorCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Edmonton East|William Lesick1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Ross HarveyCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Kootenay East|Stan Graham1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Sid ParkerCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Kootenay West (contested Kootenay West—Revelstoke)|Robert Brisco1984 Canadian federal election>1984 (1974)|Lyle KristiansenCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Mission—Port Moody (contested Mission—Coquitlam)|Gerry St. Germain|1983 by-election|Joy LanganCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Nanaimo—Alberni (contested Nanaimo—Cowichan)|Ted Schellenberg1984 Canadian federal election>1984|David StupichCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Okanagan—Similkameen (contested Okanagan—Similkameen—Merritt)Frederick King (politician)>Fred King1979 Canadian federal election>1979Jack WhittakerCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Esquimalt—Saanich (contested Saanich—Gulf Islands)|Patrick Crofton1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Lynn HunterCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Western Arctic|Dave Nickerson1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Ethel BlondinCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}St. John’s East (federal electoral district)>St. John’s EastJack Harris (Newfoundland and Labrador politician)>Jack Harris|1987 by-electionRoss Reid (politician)>Ross ReidCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Broadview—Greenwood|Lynn McDonald|1982 by-election|Dennis MillsCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Hamilton Mountain (federal electoral district)>Hamilton Mountain|Marion Dewar|1987 by-election|Beth PhinneyCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Kenora—Rainy River (federal electoral district)>Kenora—Rainy River|John Edmund Parry1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Bob NaultCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Ottawa Centre (federal electoral district)>Ottawa CentreMichael Cassidy (Canadian politician)>Mike Cassidy1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Mac HarbCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Thunder Bay—Nipigon|Ernie Epp1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Joe ComuzziCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Winnipeg North Centre|Cyril Keeper1984 Canadian federal election>1984David Walker (Canadian politician)>David WalkerCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Winnipeg North|David Orlikow1962 Canadian federal election>1962|Rey PagtakhanCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}Outremont (electoral district)>Outremont|Lucie Pépin1984 Canadian federal election>1984|Jean-Pierre HogueCAcolour&name}}{{Collapse bottom}}

Open seats that changed hands

{{Collapse top}}{| class=“wikitable“!Party!Candidate!Incumbent retiring from the House!Riding!Won by!PartyCAcolour&name}}|Morrissey Johnson|Morrissey Johnson|Bonavista—Trinity—Conception|Fred MifflinCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Gordon Lank|Melbourne GassMalpeque (electoral district)>Malpeque|Catherine CallbeckCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Jean Gauvin|Roger ClinchGloucester (federal electoral district)>GloucesterDoug Young (politician)>Doug YoungCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Reg Jewell|George HeesNorthumberland (Ontario electoral district)>Northumberland|Christine StewartCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Jack ArthurJack Ellis (politician)>Jack EllisPrince Edward—Hastings (federal electoral district)>Prince Edward—Hastings|Lyle VancliefCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Eric J. Cameron|Norman Warner|Stormont—Dundas|Bob KilgerCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Sedluk Bryan Pearson|Thomas SulukNunatsiaq (electoral district)>NunatsiaqJack Anawak>Jack Iyerak AnawakCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Valerie KordybanRobert McCuish>Lorne McCuish|Prince George—Bulkley ValleyBrian L. Gardiner>Brian GardinerCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|Geoff Young|Allan McKinnonVictoria (British Columbia federal electoral district)>VictoriaJohn Brewin>John F. BrewinCAcolour&name}}CAcolour&name}}|N/A|Tony Roman|York North|Maurizio BevilacquaCAcolour&name}}{{Collapse bottom}}

New seats {| class“wikitable”

!Old Riding!New Riding!New seat won by!Party|Mississauga North|Mississauga East|Albina GuarnieriCAcolour&name}}|Mississauga North|Mississauga West|Robert HornerCAcolour&name}} style@background:#e9e9e9;“”>

Results by province{| class“wikitable” style@font-size:90%; width:690px; background:#f9f9f9;” style@background:#e9e9e9;”

! style="text-align:center;” colspan=3|Party name! align=“center“|BC! align=“center“|AB! align=“center“|SK! align=“center“|MB! align=“center“|ON! align=“center“|QC! align=“center“|NB! align=“center“|NS! align=“center“|PE! align=“center“|NL! align=“center“|NT! align=“center“|YK! align=“center“|TotalCAbackground}}|    Progressive Conservative| Seats:12 25 4 7 46 63 5 5 -2 - - 169 | Popular Vote:35.3 51.8 36.4 36.9 38.2 52.7 40.4 40.9 41.5 42.2 26.4 35.3 43.0 CAbackground}}|    Liberal| Seats:1 -- 5 43 12 5 6 4 5 2 -83 | Vote:20.4 13.7 18.2 36.5 38.9 30.3 45.4 46.5 49.9 45.0 41.4 11.3 31.9 CAbackground}}|    New Democratic Party| Seats:19 1 10 2 10 - - - - - - 1 43 | Vote:37.0 17.4 44.2 21.3 20.1 14.4 9.3 11.4 7.5 12.4 28.3 51.4 20.38 Total seats! align=“right“|32 ! align=“right“|26 ! align=“right“|14 ! align=“right“|14 ! align=“right“|99 ! align=“right“|75 ! align=“right“|10 ! align=“right“|11 ! align=“right“|4 ! align=“right“|7 ! align=“right“|2 ! align=“right“|1 ! align=“right“|295 Parties that won no seats:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Reform|row-name}}| Vote:4.8 15.4   3.3                 2.1 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Christian Heritage|row-name}}| Vote:  1.1     1.4             2.0 0.8 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Rhinoceros (historical)|row-name}}| Vote:          1.2             0.4 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Green|row-name}}| Vote:                        0.4 {{Canadian party colour|CA|CoR|row-name}}| Vote:            4.3           0.3 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Libertarian|row-name}}| Vote:                        0.3 {{Canadian party colour|CA|PCC|row-name}}| Vote:          0.2             0.1 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Communist|row-name}}| Vote:                        0.1 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Social Credit|row-name}}| Vote:                        xx {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}}| Other| Vote:                        0.4 xx - less than 0.05% of the popular vote. Note: Parties that captured less than 1% of the vote in a province are not recorded.

Election milestones

Until the 2011 federal election, the 1988 election was the most successful in the New Democratic Party’s history. The party dominated in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, won significant support in Ontario and elected its first (and, until the 2008 election, only) member from Alberta.This was the second election contested by the Green Party, and it saw a more than 50 percent increase in its vote, but it remained a minor party.The election was the last for Canada’s Social Credit Party. The party won no seats, and won an insignificant portion of the popular vote.This was the first election for the newly founded Reform Party which for this vote only contested seats in Western Canada. The party at this stage was filled to a large extent with former Socreds along with some former PC supporters disaffected at the perceived lack of support from the Mulroney government for western interests. It was led by Preston Manning, who was himself a one time Socred candidate and the son of longtime Alberta Social Credit premier Ernest Manning.Reform won no seats and was not yet considered a major party at the national level. However, Deborah Grey would win the first seat for Reform, Beaver River in Alberta, in a by-election held four months later. Grey, who had finished a distant fourth running in the same riding in the general election, succeeded rookie Progressive Conservative MP John Dahmer. Dahmer died of pancreatic cancer before taking office.For the Progressive Conservatives, this was the last federal election they would ever win.

Notes

• Number of parties: 11
  • First appearance: Christian Heritage Party, Reform Party
  • Final appearance: Confederation of Regions Party, Social Credit Party
  • Final appearance before hiatus: Communist Party (returned in 2000), Rhinoceros Party (returned in 2006)

10 closest ridings

1. London-Middlesex, ON: Terry Clifford (PC) def. Garnet Bloomfield (Lib) by 8 votes
2. Northumberland, ON: Christine Stewart (Lib) def. Reg Jewell (PC) by 28 votes
3. Hamilton Mountain, ON: Beth Phinney (Lib) def. Marion Dewar (NDP) by 73 votes
4. York North, ON: Maurizio Bevilacqua (Lib) def. Micheal O’Brien (PC) by 77 votes
5. Rosedale, ON: David MacDonald (PC) def. Bill Graham (Lib) by 80 votes
6. London East, ON: Joe Fontana (Lib) def. Jim Jepson (PC) by 102 votes
7. Haldimand-Norfolk, ON: Bob Speller (Lib) def. Bud Bradley (PC) by 209 votes
8. Hillsborough, PE: George Proud (Lib) def. Thomas McMillan (PC) by 259 votes
9. Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC: Dave Worthy (PC) def. Jack Langford (NDP) by 269 votes
10. Vancouver Centre, BC: future Prime Minister Kim Campbell (PC) def. Johanna Den Hertog (NDP) by 269 votes

See also

• 1911 Canadian federal election, an election similarly contested over free trade with the United States.
• List of Canadian federal general elections
• List of political parties in Canada

Articles on parties’ candidates in this election:{{div col|colwidth=15em}}

• Independents
• Confederation of Regions
• Commonwealth
• Communist
• Green
• Libertarian
• Liberal
• New Democrats
• Progressive Conservative
• Rhinoceros

{{div col end}}

References

{{reflist}}

Notes

{{Notelist}}

Party platforms

• BOOK, New Democratic Party of Canada, Meeting the Challenge: Ed Broadbent and the New Democrats speak up for average Canadians, 1988, New Democratic Party of Canada, 66068520,www.poltext.org/sites/poltext.org/files/plateformesV2/Canada/CAN_PL_1988_NDP_en.pdf,
• BOOK, Liberal Party of Canada, This is more than an Election, it’s your Future, 1988, Liberal Party of Canada,www.poltext.org/sites/poltext.org/files/plateformesV2/Canada/CAN_PL_1988_LIB_en.pdf, 51242562,

Further reading

• BOOK, Leyton-Brown, David, Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs, 1988, 1995, University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 978-0-8020-5849-2,
• BOOK, LeDuc, Lawrence, Pammett, Jon H., McKenzie, Judith L., Turcotte, André, Dynasties and Interludes: Past and Present in Canadian Electoral Politics, 2010, Dundurn Press, Toronto, 978-1-55488-886-3,archive.org/details/dynastiesinterlu0000unse, registration,
• BOOK, Johnston, Richard, Blais, André, Brady, Henry E., Crête, Jean, André Blais, Henry E. Brady, Letting the People Decide: Dynamics of a Canadian Election, 1992, Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif., 978-0-8047-2078-6,archive.org/details/lettingpeopledec0000unse, registration,
• BOOK, Fraser, Graham, Graham Fraser, Playing for Keeps: the Making of the Prime Minister, 1988, 1989, McClelland & Stewart, Toronto, 978-0-7710-3208-0,archive.org/details/playingforkeepsm0000fras,
• BOOK, Argyle, Ray, Turning Points: The Campaigns that Changed Canada 2004 and Before, 2004, White Knight Publications, Toronto, 978-0-9734186-6-8,archive.org/details/turningpointscam0000argy, registration,
• BOOK, Frizzell, Alan, Pammett, Jon H., Westell, Anthony, The Canadian General Election of 1988, 1989, Dundurn Press, Toronto, 978-0-88629-089-4,archive.org/details/canadiangenerale0000friz, registration,
  • BOOK, Frizzell, Alan, Pammett, Jon H., Westell, Anthony, The Canadian General Election of 1988, 1989, Dundurn Press, Toronto, 978-0-88629-089-4,archive.org/details/canadiangenerale0000friz, registration, The Liberals: Disoriented in Defeat, Clarkson, Stephen,

External links

• atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/archives/5thedition/peopleandsociety/politicalgeography/mcr4167?w=4&h=4&l=2&r=0&c=0" title="archive.today/20130115170810atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/archives/5thedition/peopleandsociety/politicalgeography/mcr4167?w=4&h=4&l=2&r=0&c=0">Riding map
• Election 1988, by Stephen Azzi
• Debate ‘88

{{Canadian federal election, 1988A}}{{election canada}}