CANADA New Election

Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, 62, flew to Quebec City one snowy day last week to notify Governor General Vincent Massey of his intention to dissolve Parliament, call a new national election. In a dramatic scene in the House of Commons that evening, Diefenbaker set the election for March 31.

Only the exact timing of Diefenbaker's move came as a surprise. The 23rd Parliament was assured a short life when the voters last June failed to give any party a ruling majority; Diefenbaker's Tories were merely the largest bloc with 113 of the House of Commons' 265 seats. But Diefenbaker had skillfully steered the legislation to put into effect most of his campaign promises, e.g., expanded social security benefits, bigger cash payments to farmers, more revenues to the provinces.

Parliament Hill and the nation's headlines were gripped by jittery expectancy as artful Politician Diefenbaker parried all questions about election plans. Finally, with most of his key measures safely, on the statute books. Diefenbaker put an end to the suspense.

The Liberals, who governed Canada for 22 years until last June, prepared to blame the Tories for Canada's business slowdown and rising unemployment and to accuse them of mishandling relations with the U.S. Neither major party is remotely anti-U.S., but the Tories traditionally cherish stonger ties to Britain; soon after taking office, Diefenbaker called on. Canadians to transfer 15% of their U.S. purchases to British suppliers.

By year's end some such trend was actually becoming evident, though it seemed to stem more from the recession and a falling off in the import of heavy capital equipment from the U.S. than from any government action. The Tories, who succeeded in their 7 4-months in office in doing something for almost everybody, will ask the Canadian voters for a parliamentary majority solid enough to ensure them the usual four years in power. As the campaign opened, they seemed to have a better than even chance to win it.

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