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Great Coalition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Great Coalition refers to the grand coalition of political parties that formed in the Province of Canada in 1864. The previous collapse after only a few months of a coalition government formed by Étienne-Paschal Taché and Conservative John A. Macdonald (the sixth government in six years) had demonstrated that continued governance of Canada East and Canada West under the 1840 Act of Union had become untenable. In order to reform the political system, a coalition was formed between the Clear Grits under George Brown, the Parti bleu under George-Étienne Cartier, and the Conservatives under Macdonald. The formation of this coalition on 22 June 1864 under Étienne-Paschal Taché and John A. Macdonald as joint premiers led directly to Canadian Confederation in 1867, and the coalition persisted as the government of the Province of Canada until the moment of Confederation.
The Great Coalition was formed to stop the political deadlock between Upper and Lower Canada. The government at that time was unable to pass anything because they had to have a "double majority". With the "double majority" in order for a bill to pass in the Legislative Assembly, there had to be a vote in both Canada East and Canada West sections of the assembly, rather than just a simple majority. The main problem with this was that the French voted against the English on just about everything, which meant that nothing was accomplished.
The Great Coalition is the union of political parties dedicated to reforming the political system and which led to Confederation. Sir Alexander Campbell, right-hand man of Sir John A. Macdonald, was a member of the Great Coalition.
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