The 23rd Canadian Parliament was in session from October 14, 1957, until February 1, 1958. The membership was set by the 1957 federal election on June 10, 1957, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved prior to the 1958 election.
There was only one session of the 23rd Parliament: SessionStartEnd1stOctober 14, 1957February 1, 1958
Overview It was controlled by a Progressive Conservative Party minority under Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and the 18th Canadian Ministry. The Official Opposition was the Liberal Party, led first by Louis St. Laurent, and then by Lester B. Pearson.
It was the second shortest parliament in Canadian history.
Party standings Number of members per partyParty leaderGeneral ElectionJune 10, 1957Progressive ConservativeJohn Diefenbaker112LiberalLouis St. Laurent105Co-operative CommonwealthM.J. Coldwell25Social CreditSolon Low19Other4Total Seats265
Major events
Parliament opened by the queen It was the first parliament opened by the Monarch of Canada, and the only parliament formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II herself, rather than her formal representative, the governor general. In 2025, King Charles III opened the 45th Canadian Parliament, marking the second time any monarch has opened parliament.
First woman appointed to cabinet Diefenbaker appointed Ellen Fairclough, MP for Hamilton West, as Secretary of State in 1957, marking the first time a woman had been appointed to a cabinet position. Ministry
The 18th Canadian Ministry began at the beginning of the 23rd Canadian Parliament and lasted until near the end of the 25th Canadian Parliament.
Office holders
Head of State positionImageNameFromToSovereignElizabeth IIFebruary 6, 1952September 8, 2022Governor GeneralVincent MasseyFebruary 28, 1952September 15, 1959
Party leadership PartyNameFromToProgressive ConservativeJohn DiefenbakerDecember 14, 1956September 8, 1967LiberalLouis St. LaurentAugust 7, 1948January 16, 1958Lester B. PearsonJanuary 16, 1958April 6, 1968Social CreditSolon Earl LowApril 6, 1944March 9, 1967CCFM.J. ColdwellJuly 29, 1942August 10, 1960
House of Commons
Presiding officer OfficeOfficerRidingFromToPartySpeaker of the House of CommonsRoland MichenerSt. Paul'sOctober 14, 1957September 27, 1962Progressive Conservative
Government leadership (Progressive Conservative) OfficeOfficerRidingFromToPrime MinisterJohn DiefenbakerPrince AlbertJune 21, 1957April 22, 1963House LeaderHoward Charles GreenVancouver SouthOctober 14, 1957July 18, 1959
Changes to party standings
By-elections
Parliamentarians
House of Commons Following is a full list of members of the twenty-third Parliament listed first by province or territory, then by electoral district.
Key: Party leaders are italicized. Parliamentary assistants is indicated by "". Cabinet ministers are in boldface. The Prime Minister is both. The Speaker is indicated by "()".
Electoral districts denoted by an asterisk (*) indicates that district was represented by two members.
Alberta Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of termsAcadiaVictor QuelchSocial Credit19356th termAthabaskaJoseph Miville DecheneLiberal19405th termBattle River—CamroseJames Alexander SmithSocial Credit19552nd termBow RiverCharles Edward JohnstonSocial Credit19356th termCalgary NorthDouglas HarknessProgressive Conservative19454th termCalgary SouthArthur Ryan SmithProgressive Conservative19571st termEdmonton EastAmbrose HolowachSocial Credit19532nd termEdmonton—StrathconaSydney Herbert ThompsonSocial Credit19571st termEdmonton WestMarcel Lambert Progressive Conservative19571st termJasper—EdsonCharles YuillSocial Credit19532nd termLethbridgeJohn Horne BlackmoreSocial Credit19356th termMacleodErnest George HansellSocial Credit19356th termMedicine HatBud OlsonSocial Credit19571st termPeace RiverSolon Earl LowSocial Credit19454th termRed DeerFrederick Davis ShawSocial Credit19405th termVegrevillePeter StefuraSocial Credit19571st termWetaskiwinRay ThomasSocial Credit19493rd term
British Columbia Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of termsBurnaby—CoquitlamErhart RegierC.C.F.19532nd termBurnaby—RichmondThomas IrwinSocial Credit19571st termCaribooBert LeboeSocial Credit19532nd termCoast—CapilanoJames SinclairLiberal19405th termComox—AlberniThomas Speakman BarnettC.C.F.19532nd termEsquimalt—SaanichGeorge PearkesProgressive Conservative19454th termFraser ValleyAlexander Bell PattersonSocial Credit19532nd termKamloopsDavie FultonProgressive Conservative19454th termKootenay EastJim ByrneLiberal19493rd termKootenay WestHerbert Wilfred HerridgeC.C.F.19454th termNanaimoColin CameronC.C.F.19532nd termNew WestminsterGeorge HahnSocial Credit19532nd termOkanagan BoundaryFrank ChristianSocial Credit19571st termOkanagan—RevelstokeGeorge McLeodSocial Credit19532nd termSkeenaFrank HowardC.C.F.19571st termVancouver—BurrardJohn Russell TaylorProgressive Conservative19571st termVancouver CentreDouglas JungProgressive Conservative19571st termVancouver EastHarold WinchC.C.F.19532nd termVancouver KingswayAlexander MacdonaldC.C.F.19571st termVancouver QuadraHoward Charles GreenProgressive Conservative19356th termVancouver SouthErnest James BroomeProgressive Conservative19571st termVictoriaAlbert McPhillipsProgressive Conservative19571st term
Manitoba Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of termsBrandon—SourisWalter Dinsdale Progressive Conservative19513rd termChurchillRobert SimpsonProgressive Conservative19571st termDauphinFred ZaplitnyC.C.F.1945, 19533rd term*LisgarGeorge MuirProgressive Conservative19571st termMarquetteNick MandziukProgressive Conservative19571st termPortage—NeepawaGeorge FairfieldProgressive Conservative19571st termProvencherWarner JorgensonProgressive Conservative19571st termSelkirkWilliam BryceC.C.F.19542nd termSpringfieldJacob SchulzC.C.F.19571st termSt. BonifaceLouis DenisetLiberal19571st termWinnipeg NorthAlistair StewartC.C.F.19405th termWinnipeg North CentreStanley KnowlesC.C.F.19425th termWinnipeg SouthGordon ChownProgressive Conservative19571st termWinnipeg South CentreGordon ChurchillProgressive Conservative19513rd term
New Brunswick Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of termsCharlotteA. Wesley StuartLiberal19454th termGloucesterHédard RobichaudLiberal19532nd termKentHervé MichaudLiberal19532nd termNorthumberland—MiramichiGeorge Roy McWilliamLiberal19493rd termRestigouche—MadawaskaCharles Van HorneProgressive Conservative19552nd termRoyalAlfred Johnson BrooksProgressive Conservative19356th termSt. John—AlbertThomas Miller Bell Progressive Conservative19532nd termVictoria—CarletonGage MontgomeryProgressive Conservative19523rd termWestmorlandHenry MurphyLiberal19493rd termYork—SunburyJohn Chester MacRaeProgressive Conservative19571st term
Newfoundland Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of termsBonavista—TwillingateJack PickersgillLiberal19532nd termBurin—BurgeoChesley William CarterLiberal19493rd termGrand Falls—White Bay—LabradorThomas G. W. AshbourneLiberal19493rd termHumber—St. George'sHerman Maxwell BattenLiberal19532nd termSt. John's EastJames McGrathProgressive Conservative19571st termSt. John's WestWilliam Joseph BrowneProgressive Conservative1949, 19572nd term*Trinity—ConceptionLeonard StickLiberal19493rd term
Northwest Territories Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of termsMackenzie RiverMerv HardieLiberal19532nd term
Nova Scotia Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of termsAntigonish—GuysboroughAngus Ronald Macdonald Progressive Conservative19571st termCape Breton North and VictoriaRobert MuirProgressive Conservative19571st termCape Breton SouthDonald MacInnisProgressive Conservative19571st termColchester—HantsCyril KennedyProgressive Conservative19571st termCumberlandRobert CoatesProgressive Conservative19571st termDigby—Annapolis—KingsGeorge NowlanProgressive Conservative1948, 19504th term*Halifax*Robert McCleaveProgressive Conservative19571st termEdmund L. MorrisProgressive Conservative19571st termInverness—RichmondAllan MacEachenLiberal19532nd termPictouRussell MacEwanProgressive Conservative19571st termQueens—LunenburgLloyd CrouseProgressive Conservative19571st termShelburne—Yarmouth—ClareThomas KirkLiberal19493rd term
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