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The Conservative Party: First Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald

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The Conservative Party: First Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald
The Conservative Party originated before Confederation and gave Canada its first prime minister, John A. Macdonald. At that time, it favoured high tariffs, assistance to big business, and a strong British presence in Canada. In the late 19th century, the Conservative Party devised a National Policy that protected Canadian industry, supported railway construction, and increased Western settlement. It sought an east– west economic axis to defend Canada from the southern pull of American

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