Editing Liberal Party of Canada (section)

====Social safety net====
In the period just before and after the [[Second World War]], the party became a champion of 'progressive social policy'.<ref>{{cite book |author = David Johnson |title = Thinking Government: Public Sector Management in Canada |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=TcL80sSautgC&q=progressive+social+policy+mackenzie+king&pg=PA100 |year = 2006 |publisher = University of Toronto Press |isbn = 978-1-5511-1779-9 |pages = 99–103 |access-date = October 5, 2020 |archive-date = September 13, 2024 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240913225355/https://books.google.com/books?id=TcL80sSautgC&q=progressive+social+policy+mackenzie+king&pg=PA100#v=snippet&q=progressive%20social%20policy%20mackenzie%20king&f=false |url-status = live }}</ref> As prime minister for most of the time between 1921 and 1948, King introduced several measures that led to the creation of Canada's [[social safety net]]. Bowing to popular pressure, he introduced the mother's allowance, a [[Baby bonus|monthly payment]] to all mothers with young children. He also reluctantly introduced [[old age pension]]s when [[J. S. Woodsworth]] required it in exchange for his [[Co-operative Commonwealth Federation]] party's support of King's [[minority government]].

[[Louis St. Laurent]] succeeded King as Liberal leader on August 7, 1948 and as prime minister on November 15, 1948. In the [[1949 Canadian federal election|1949]] and [[1953 Canadian federal election|1953]] federal elections, St. Laurent led the Liberal Party to two large majority governments. As prime minister he oversaw the joining of [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]] in Confederation as Canada's tenth province, he established [[Equalization payments in Canada|equalization payments]] to the provinces, and continued with social reform with improvements in pensions and health insurance. In 1956, Canada played an important role in resolving the [[Suez Crisis]], and contributed to the United Nations force in the [[Korean War]]. Canada enjoyed economic prosperity during St. Laurent's premiership and wartime debts were paid off. The [[Pipeline Debate]] proved the Liberal Party's undoing. Their attempt to pass legislation to build a [[natural gas pipeline]] from [[Alberta]] to central Canada was met with fierce disagreement in the House of Commons. In 1957, [[John Diefenbaker]]'s [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservatives]] won a minority government and St. Laurent resigned as prime minister and Liberal leader.<ref>{{cite web |title = Louis St. Laurent Biography |url = http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/2/4/h4-3306-e.html |publisher = Library and Archives Canada |access-date = November 23, 2011 }}</ref>

[[File:Lester B. Pearson (1963 ABC press photo).jpg|right|165px|thumb|[[Lester B. Pearson]], the 14th prime minister of Canada (1963–1968)]]
[[Lester B. Pearson]] was easily elected Liberal leader at the party's [[1958 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election|1958 leadership convention]]. However, only months after becoming Liberal leader, Pearson led the party into the [[1958 Canadian federal election|1958 federal election]] that saw Diefenbaker's Progressive Conservatives win the largest majority government, by percentage of seats, in Canadian history.<ref>{{cite web |title = John Diefenbaker Biography |url = http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/2/4/h4-3331-e.html |publisher = Library and Archives Canada |access-date = November 23, 2011 |archive-date = November 7, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111107231549/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/2/4/h4-3331-e.html |url-status = live }}</ref> The Progressive Conservatives won 208 of the 265 seats in the House of Commons, while the Liberals were reduced to just 48 seats. Pearson remained Liberal leader during this time and in the [[1962 Canadian federal election|1962 election]] managed to reduce Diefenbaker to a minority government. In the [[1963 Canadian federal election|1963 election]] Pearson led the Liberal Party back to victory, forming a minority government. Pearson served as prime minister for five years, winning a second election in [[1965 Canadian federal election|1965]]. While Pearson's leadership was considered poor and the Liberal Party never held a majority of the seats in parliament during his premiership, he left office in 1968 with an impressive legacy.<ref>{{cite web |title = Lester Pearson Biography |url = http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/2/4/h4-3356-e.html |publisher = Library and Archives Canada |access-date = November 23, 2011 |archive-date = January 24, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120124114042/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/2/4/h4-3356-e.html |url-status = live }}</ref> Pearson's government introduced [[Medicare (Canada)|Medicare]], a new immigration act, the Canada Pension Plan, Canada Student Loans, the [[Canada Assistance Plan]], and adopted the [[Flag of Canada|Maple Leaf]] as Canada's national flag.<ref>{{cite book |author = Andrew Cohen |title = Extraordinary Canadians: Lester B. Pearson |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=JyBrNgMJELIC&q=for+this%2C+little+credit |year = 2008 |publisher = Penguin Canada |isbn = 978-0-1431-7269-7 }}</ref>