King vs. Total Control: The King-Byng Affair William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada's longest-serving prime minister, is known both for the great contributions he has brought to Canada and the scandals he has been involved in. The one event that makes him more famous among Canadians is the King-Byng Affair of 1926. During this event, Mackenzie King asked Lord Byng to dissolve parliament to force a new election since he had lost with a minority. Since King's intentions were to regain a majority government, Byng refused out of distrust of King's plans, and King was replaced in power by conservatives. Although William Lyon Mackenzie King's actions were in accordance with all laws pertaining to his power as Prime Minister, he acted for selfish reasons thus putting him in the wrong. The stories of Mackenzie King and Lord Byng will be quickly analyzed to understand their actions in the story. Immediately afterwards, King's options and reasons for dissolving Parliament will be analyzed. Third, Byng's options and reasons for rejecting King's request will be explored. Once sufficient evidence has been gathered, the final results of this matter will be discussed and a conclusion will be reached as to whether or not King was right to go against a responsible government. William Lyon Mackenzie King was born in Kitchener, Ontario on December 17, 1874. His father was an unsuccessful lawyer who was not wealthy but who continually provided for his family by living beyond his means. Mackenzie King's mother was the daughter of William Lyon Mackenzie, leader of the 1837 rebellion who fought for responsible government. King's mother continually reminded her children of the trials his father had gone through and urged them to continue...... middle of paper ......disbanded after having a vote of no confidence passed by Head of State Meighen . This time Byng agreed to dissolve Parliament and elections were called. Because the Conservatives argued that the Liberals were corrupt and the Liberals campaigned on Canadian rights and how the English should not be able to interfere with the way Canada wanted to govern itself, King's Liberals won the next election and returned in power. Although these events are all true facts, King had several options to choose from before calling for dissolving the government. William Lyon Mackenzie King had three main options available to him after losing the 1925 election to the Conservatives, which he pondered deeply for several days. before making his final decision. The first of his options was to resign as Prime Minister and allow the Conservatives to govern.