1988 Canadian federal election

The 1988 Canadian federal election was held on November 21, 1988, to elect members to the House of Commons of Canada of the 34th Parliament of Canada following the dissolution of the House on October 1. It was an election largely fought on a single issue, the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA); the Progressive Conservative Party campaigned in favour of it, whereas the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party (NDP) campaigned against it. The incumbent Progressive Conservative Party, led by Brian Mulroney, was reelected with a second majority government, although based on less than half the votes cast. Mulroney was the party's first leader since John A. Macdonald to win a second consecutive majority government. Additionally, this election was the last election in which the Progressive Conservatives would poll over 40 percent of the vote, as this would not recur until 2025, under the banner of the Conservative Party of Canada. The Liberal Party experienced a recovery after its 1984 wipeout, more than doubling its seat count. The New Democratic Party won its largest number of seats up to the time (they would beat the 1988 record in 2011). The election was the last won by the Progressive Conservatives, the last until 2011 in which a right-of-centre party formed a majority government, and the last where a right-of-centre party won the most seats in Quebec during a federal election. It was also the last election in Canadian history in which only three parties would be elected to Parliament. With Mulroney winning a majority, the agreement was passed into law, even though a majority of the voters had voted for parties opposing free trade.