▁the ▁av owed ly ▁social ist ▁Co - oper ative ▁Commonwealth ▁Federation ▁( CC F ). ▁ ▁Political ▁economy ▁and ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression ▁ ▁The ▁Great ▁De pression ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁prot ract ed ▁period ▁of ▁mass ▁un emp loyment , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁impact ▁un emp loyment ▁had ▁on ▁Canad ians ▁that ▁motiv ated ▁the ▁L SR ▁into ▁action . ▁National ▁un emp loyment ▁pe aked ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁at ▁ 3 2 ▁per ▁cent ; ▁but ▁ 3 2 ▁per ▁cent ▁was ▁only ▁the ▁average , ▁in ▁some ▁towns ▁un emp loyment ▁reached ▁nearly ▁ 5 0 ▁per ▁cent . ▁The ▁L SR ▁were ▁r oused , ▁as ▁they ▁faced ▁the ▁rav ages ▁of ▁un emp loyment ▁in ▁their ▁class rooms , ▁churches , ▁and ▁offices ; ▁" Every where ▁hop eless ness . ▁A ▁country ▁without ▁a ▁purpose   ... ▁An ▁industri ous ▁and ▁intellig ent ▁people ▁going ▁to ▁waste ▁in ▁id len ess ▁and ▁desp air ." ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁L SR , ▁the ▁De pression ▁was ▁the ▁in ex or able ▁result ▁of ▁la isse z - f aire ▁philosophy . ▁This ▁philosophy ▁had ▁spread ▁since ▁the ▁Act ▁of ▁Union ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 0 , ▁which ▁began ▁a ▁transition ▁from ▁power ▁structures ▁that ▁fav oured ▁arist ocracy ▁to ▁structures ▁that ▁fav oured ▁business . ▁Res p ons ible ▁government ▁arrived ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁union , ▁and ▁shift ed ▁influence ▁from ▁the ▁governor ▁to ▁minister s . ▁Pow