What were the three main objectives of the National Policy?

• A. To promote Canadian industry, finish the national railway, and settle the west.
• B. To promote free trade with the United States.
• C. To reduce immigration.
• D. To develop national parks.

Answer: (A)

The National Policy aimed to build a strong, self-sufficient economy by focusing on three main moves: protect and promote Canadian industry with tariffs to shield new factories from American competition; finish the transcontinental railway to knit the country together and move goods and people efficiently; and settle the West to grow a stable population and market for Canadian products. That combination—industrial protection, a completed railway, and western settlement—is why the option listing those three goals is the best fit. The policy did the opposite of free trade with the U.S., it didn’t aim to shrink immigration, and it didn’t involve developing national parks.