Page "Harry Nixon" Paragraph 4

Nixon resumed his former Cabinet position of Provincial Secretary and Registrar in the Hepburn cabinet and was the senior minister in the government.

During World War II, Hepburn clashed with William Lyon Mackenzie King, the Liberal Prime Minister of Canada, arguing that King was not sufficiently prosecuting the war effort, in particular by not introducing conscription ( see Conscription Crisis of 1944 ).

Hepburn openly supported King's rival, Conservative leader Arthur Meighen in a 1942 York South by-election, and seemed to be calling for the defeat of King.

This was too much for many Ontario Liberals, who were either King loyalists or feared a rift between the federal and provincial parties.

Hepburn was forced to resign on October 21, 1942.