PC - DRC Coalition Shattered
Printable Version
THE MAIN EVENT
The short-lived coalition between the dissident Canadian Alliance
MPs (known as the Democratic Representative Caucus) and the
Progressive Conservative Party was shattered on April 10, when all
but one of the seven dissidents returned to the Canadian Alliance
Party.
The dissident MPs returning to the Alliance were Chuck Strahl,
Deborah Grey, Jay Hill, Grant McNally, Val Meredith, and Jim Pankiw.
Inky Mark is the lone dissident to remain with the Conservative
caucus. He will sit as an
He Said, She Said
“What is clear now is that Mr. Harper does not favour co-operation
between our parties.”
Rt. Hon. Joe Clark
Leader of the PC Party |
Independent.
The returning MPs said they decided to return because of pressure
from their constituents and riding associations, and the stability
new leader Stephen Harper has brought to the Alliance party. Mr.
Harper defeated Stockwell Day in the recent Canadian Alliance
leadership race.
Negotiations had begun to form a right-wing Tory-Alliance
coalition to defeat the Liberals in the next election. However,
Alliance leader Stephen Harper and Tory leader Joe Clark failed to
strike a deal when they met on April 9. Both leaders blamed each
other for the failure of the talks. Clark accused the Alliance of
trying to relegate the Tories to a “junior partner.” Harper rejected
the Conservative proposals for co-operation because they “were not
adequate to achieve the objectives that my party would like to see.”
The Tory-Dissident coalition breakdown and the failure of the
talks between the Tories and Alliance have placed considerable
pressure on Joe Clark’s leadership. Many Tories were critical of the
coalition from the beginning. The extend of the damage to Mr.
Clark’s leadership will be seen when he faces an automatic
leadership review vote in Edmonton in August.
For the time being, the Alliance and Tories parties will
concentrate on running independently in the next election. However,
Mr. Harper promised to keep his offer to the Tories on the table for
a few months.
Check Out the
Latest at Major Media Outlets
Check Out Mapleleafweb’s Spotlight on the Canadian Alliance
Leadership Race
Learn More About the
Canadian Alliance at their Official Website
Learn More About the Democratic Representative Caucus
The PC Party Official Website
Next: What's What >> |
