The United Newfoundland Party was the name of two conservative parties in Newfoundland.

Pre-Confederation

The first UNP was a conservative party in the

Dominion of Newfoundland Newfoundland was a British dominion in eastern North America, today the modern Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was established on 26 September 1907, and confirmed by the Balfour Declaration of 1926 and the Statute of Westmi ...

led by Frederick C. Alderdice from 1928 to 1934. It was organized by Alderdice when disaffected Liberals joined his

Liberal-Conservative Progressive Party The Conservative Party of Newfoundland was a political party in the Dominion of Newfoundland prior to confederation with Canada in 1949. The party was formed by members and supporters of the establishment around 1832. In the 1840s they opposed ...

sitting in opposition and won the 1932 general election. His government was replaced by an appointed

Commission of Government The Commission of Government was a non-elected body that governed the Dominion of Newfoundland from 1934 to 1949. Established following the collapse of Newfoundland's economy during the Great Depression, it was dissolved when the dominion became ...

in 1934 (a change his party promised in its 1932 platform as a means of getting the Dominion out of fiscal trouble), resulting in the termination of

responsible government Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive bran ...

in the Dominion. (See also

Conservative parties in Newfoundland (pre-Confederation) The Conservative Party of Newfoundland was a political party in the Dominion of Newfoundland prior to confederation with Canada in 1949. The party was formed by members and supporters of the establishment around 1832. In the 1840s they opposed ...

Post-Confederation

The second United Newfoundland Party was formed prior to the 1959 provincial election, made up of some

Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador The Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a provincial political party in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The party was founded in 1949 and most recently formed the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador from the 20 ...

caucus members and supporters. The party was formed immediately prior to the election when two Tory MHAs, led by James D. Higgins, supported Premier

Joey Smallwood Joseph Roberts Smallwood (December 24, 1900 – December 17, 1991) was a Newfoundlander and Canadian politician. He was the main force who brought the Dominion of Newfoundland into Canadian Confederation in 1949, becoming the first premier of ...

's stance in favour of Newfoundland receiving financial assistance from the federal government indefinitely. Provincial Conservative leader

Malcolm Mercer Hollett Malcolm Mercer Hollett (December 9, 1891 – September 23, 1985) was a Newfoundland magistrate, politician and Canadian Senator. The son of Henry and Mary Hollett, he was born in Great Burin and received his early education there and at the Met ...

supported the position of Conservative Prime Minister

John Diefenbaker John George Diefenbaker ( ; September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979) was the 13th prime minister of Canada, serving from 1957 to 1963. He was the only Progressive Conservative party leader between 1930 and 1979 to lead the party to an electio ...

, who maintained that the funding agreement between the two orders of government had run its course. While two UNP MHAs were elected in 1959, Higgins was defeated. Gus Duffy succeeded Higgins as UNP leader and sitting with fellow UNP MHA John R. O'Dea who stepped down after one term. In the 1962 provincial election, Duffy was defeated in his St. John's Centre riding. The party became defunct soon after.

Pre-Confederation

Post-Confederation

References

See also