King-Byng Affair
Quick Summary
The King-Byng Affair was a constitutional crisis in Canada in 1926. It involved a dispute between the elected House of Commons, led by Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King, and the appointed Governor General, Viscount Byng of Vimy.
The crisis began when King's government, facing a potential loss of confidence, requested that Governor General Byng dissolve Parliament and call an election. Byng refused this request, instead inviting the leader of the opposition, Arthur Meighen, to form a government. This action was seen by many as an overreach of the Governor General's powers, as it was generally understood that the Crown should act on the advice of its elected ministers.
The affair highlighted the evolving relationship between Canada and Great Britain, and the growing autonomy of Canada within the British Commonwealth. Ultimately, King's Liberal Party won the subsequent election, solidifying the principle that the Governor General should follow the advice of the Prime Minister.1234
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