▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁showed ▁no ▁sign ▁of ▁weak ness , ▁but ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression ▁swe pt ▁across ▁Canada ▁and ▁prov oked ▁mass ▁un emp loyment , ▁and ▁this ▁inc ited ▁the ▁L SR ▁into ▁action . ▁The ▁L SR ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁roots ▁of ▁the ▁De pression ▁were ▁la isse z - f aire ▁capital ism ▁and ▁govern ance , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁" free " ▁market ▁was ▁anything ▁but . ▁Polit icians ▁worked ▁closely ▁with ▁business , ▁se cur ing ▁interest - free ▁lo ans , ▁developing ▁tar iffs , ▁and ▁man aging ▁labour ▁disput es ; ▁in ▁short : ▁manip ulating ▁mark ets . ▁A ▁small ▁group ▁of ▁political ▁business men ▁controlled ▁public ▁policy ▁and ▁economic ▁development , ▁and ▁gu ided ▁the ▁central ization ▁of ▁fin ance ▁and ▁power ▁into ▁private ▁hands . ▁W ides p read ▁un emp loyment ▁marked ▁the ▁De pression , ▁and ▁served ▁to ▁unders core ▁financial ▁in equ ity . ▁In ▁the ▁eyes ▁of ▁the ▁L SR , ▁the ▁problem ▁facing ▁Canada ▁was ▁not ▁an ▁economic ▁de pression , ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁cor rupt ▁political ▁economy . ▁ ▁Fac ed ▁with ▁what ▁they ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁prof ite ering ▁polit icians , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁were ▁un ited ▁in ▁their ▁resolve ▁that ▁this ▁could ▁not ▁stand . ▁Three ▁key ▁influ ences ▁stood ▁out ▁among ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁this ▁group : ▁religious ▁affili ation , ▁m atur ation ▁in ▁an ▁environ