Lorne Reznowski

Lorne Reznowski (1929 – November 9, 2011) was a professor of English at the University of Manitoba and leader of the Social Credit Party of Canada.[1]

Background

A one-time national secretary of the Social Credit Party, Reznowski once worked for former Socred leader Robert N. Thompson[2] and was a "doctrinal purist"[2] when it came to social credit monetary theory. Reznowski ran for the party leadership at its 1978 convention and was elected leader. He resigned four months after losing an October 16, 1978 by-election in Saint Boniface, Manitoba, in which he finished in fourth place with only 1,204 votes out of 43,572 valid votes (2.76%).[3][4]

Reznowski cited the need for him to finish his doctoral thesis in medieval literature in order to retain his teaching position for his resignation. However, he also said that the party wanted a francophone leader and that it would have a better chance of retaining its nine seats in the Canadian House of Commons, all of which were in Quebec, with a leader from that province. It had been hoped that Reznowski's leadership would help revive the party in its former base of Western Canada.[3]

Policies

Reznowski was described as a "doctrinal purist" who advocated the original social credit monetary theory of C.H. Douglas.[3] He promised that a Social Credit government would cut retail sales tax by 25 per cent and argued for moral responsibility in society with the family as its basic union. He also expressed his opposition to homosexuality, abortion, birth control and working mothers and his support for capital punishment.[5] Reznowki also argued that Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was soft on communism and that there was an imminent threat of a takeover of Canada by the Soviet Union.[5] As national party leader Reznowski criticized Bill Bennett, leader of the British Columbia Social Credit Party and Premier of British Columbia for rejecting social credit doctrine quipping that Ogopogo would be a better name for Bennett's party.[6]

He had run for the House of Commons in the 1968 federal election where he placed last in the riding of Provencher, Manitoba.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Dr. Deacon Lorne A. Reznowski". ObitsforLife.com. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
  2. 1 2 "Socreds sow new ideas.... ", Globe and Mail, March 13, 1978
  3. 1 2 3 Trueman, Mary (February 23, 1979). "Reznowski resigns, says Social Credit needs Quebec chief".
  4. ↑ History of Federal Ridings since 1867: St. Boniface, October 16, 1978 by-election, Parliament of Canada website
  5. 1 2 Trueman, Mary (May 8, 1978). "Socreds pin party's hopes on new leader, old formula".
  6. ↑ Canadian Press (May 18, 1978). "A monstrous proposal".
  7. ↑ History of Federal Ridings since 1867: Provencher, 1968 election, Parliament of Canada website
Preceded by
Charles-Arthur Gauthier		 National Leaders of Social Credit
1978–1979 		Succeeded by
Charles-Arthur Gauthier
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