WI: Diefenbaker survives vote of no-confidence 1963

[LuckyLuciano]

What if Diefenbaker and the progressive conservatives succeeded in negotiating with the Social Credit party and prevented the vote of no-confidence from passing in 1963?

How much longer could the Diefenbaker government survive?

What would this mean for the Socreds? Would they start to fill the role of the OTL NDP as kingmaker?

What, if any, leadership changes would there be?

Any and all thoughts are welcome. Being American, I'm unfamiliar with Canadian politics and want to learn as much as possible

 

[RogueBeaver]

The Socred price was Diefenbaker's resignation. IOTL a cabinet revolt nearly succeeded - Dief shouted he was going to Rideau Hall to resign - before George Hees rallied the backbenchers and convinced Dief to hang on. But by that point the government was a scrapheap and a later election would still result in a Liberal victory. When they go into opposition later in 1963 or in early 1964 the usual names like Davie Fulton, Hees, Gordon Churchill, Mike Starr etc are all plausible. Diefenbaker is probably still a backbencher (rebels offered him Chief Justice since the incumbent died when this was all happening in February 1963 but he adamantly refused) so the lower grade PC internal fights under Stanfield IOTL still happen. Stanfield and Roblin had to be begged to run IOTL since for a while it was possible the lack of a capable challenger would re-elect Dief. Without the civil war, they stay out. Robarts isn't interested.