Statement by the Hon. Maurice Sauve Concerning Alleged Irregularities during the Elections Held on November 8, 1965, in the Federal County of the Magdalen Islands

were emerging, both of them violently hostile to the West, both of them furiously building their power by borrowing the military technology developed while the Western states were indulging their last two suicidal orgies, both wanting nothing more than the chance to descend on the accumulated treasure of the West as the Goths and Vandals descended on Rome or the Western crusaders on Byzantium so many ages ago. For the whole Western world it is now, as for the American colonies in 1776, a case of unite or die. If it is now plain how absolutely the West cannot afford the luxury of another civil war, how much more obvious it is that a country like Canada cannot afford to maintain the old nationalistic antagonisms. Beside the immense differ~ ences in the structure of society, in the value placed on human life, in the concept of the ultimate destiny of man that separates any and all of the states of the West from the hostile societies on their borders, the differences between French and English, between Protestant and Catholic, between British and American, melt into total insignificance. That continuing unity of all the West which is manifested in twentieth-century architecture should be the inspiration for all Canadian culture. Forget the differences; emphasize the common values all Western peoples hold. Create a great Western architecture and you will create a great Canadian architecture. Cultivate and maintain the great traditional values of the West and this historically improbable country will become a great nation. Document: STATEMENT BY THE HON. MAURICE SAUVE CONCERNING ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES DURING THE ELECTIONS HELD ON NOVEMBER 8, 1965, IN THE FEDERAL COUNTY OF THE MAGDALEN ISLANDS. Iournal of Canadian Studies PRELIMINARY NOTE Allegations of irregularities, each of which I shall deal with in turn, were made while I was away from Ottawa between November 17 and December 12, to chair the 13th Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and to act as official representative of the Canadian Government at the closing ceremonies of the Ecumenical Council in Rome. Had I been present in any other capacity than Chairman, nothing would have prevented me from returning immediately to deal with these allegations. INTRODUCTION Some word of explanation concerning the political climate of an election in the Magdalen Islands will, I feel, be useful in order that the alleged irregularities may be viewed in their proper context. Since the federal elections were first held in the County of the Magdalen Islands in 1949, the percentage of ballots cast has been one of the highest in all of Canada. It is a fact that the total population of the Magdalen Islands at the 1961 census was 12,479, and that there are only 5,782 eligible voters registered on the lists. It is the smallest county in Canada. The percentage of ballots cast at the various elections is as follows: 1949-94% 1953-88 1957 -91 1958-92 1962-91 1963-85 1965-94 Is it not clear from these high percentages that the people feel completely free to do as they wish and that they can support the Opposition or the party in power without fear of reprisals? Furthermore, anyone who has attended political meetings in the Magdalen Islands knows that, though there may be only 5,782 eligible voters, no meeting in even the smallest community draws less than 200 voters. On the Saturday prior to the election, practically the whole elec35 torate attends the meetings of the two principal contestants. The absolute majorities of the winning candidates may seem small, but as a percentage they are relatively high and they are stable. Absolute majorities and percentages of the total vote for each of the winning candidates since 1949 are as follows: Winners% of Majority total votes 1949 58 Liberal 51% 1953 400 Liberal 55% 1957 327 Liberal 53% 1958 356 Conservative 52% 1962 535 Liberal 55% 1963 1485 Liberal 63% 1965 392 Liberal 53% With the exception of the 1963 election, when there was no active PC candidate and the candidate put up by the Social Credit Party was under 21 and when I obtained a majority of 1485 ballots, the...