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Home > Features > The Conservative
Party of Canada: Uniting the Right |
Timeline of Efforts to Unite the Right
Historical overview, and what happens now
The following provides a brief summary of the timeline of events leading up and following
the merger of the Progressive Conservatives and Canadian Alliance, as well as an outline
of things the new party needs to accomplish before the next federal election. Events
Leading to the Merger
1997
- Reform party leader Preston Manning initiates talks with conservatives, looking
for informal ways to unite the right-wing vote.
1999
- Manning holds a convention to discuss forming a United Alternative
2000
- March – Reformers hold a second United Alternative convention.
On March 25th, delegates vote to disband the Reform Party, and re-form as the Canadian
Conservative Reform Alliance Party. Due to a problematic acronym (CCRAP), the name
is changed to the Canadian Alliance Party (CA).
2000
- July – Stockwell Day is elected to lead the CA
- November – The CA fails to improve significantly upon Reform’s
past electoral performance, winning only sixty-six seats in the federal election
2001
- April – Several CA MPs, including Deborah Grey, leave the party
to sit together as independents
- September – The Progressive Conservative Party and the former
Canadian Alliance members form a working coalition called the Progressive Conservative-Democratic-Representative
Coalition.
2002
- March – Stephen Harper replaces Stockwell Day as CA leader. Most
of the dissident CA MPs return to the party. Harper initiates merger talks with Clark.
The talks fail and Clark complains that Harper suggested the PC party would be a “junior
partner” in a coalition. Harper denies making the comment.
- August – At a national convention, PC delegates reject a motion
to join with the CA
2003
- May – Peter MacKay wins the PC party leadership
- June – PC and CA party officials meet to discuss ways the two
parties can work together in Parliament.
- August – The talks turn from a working coalition to merger. Harper
presents a 14-point proposal for forming a new party.
- September – After heated debate among caucus members, the PCs
present counterproposals
- October 10 – Talks break off. A letter by Stephen Harper to his
caucus is leaked to the media. The letter criticizes MacKay for being unwilling to
reach an agreement, despite significant compromises by the CA. Harper releases his
14-point proposal to the media.
- October 14 – The two leaders reach a tentative agreement in a
one-hour telephone call, followed by a face-to-face meeting. Harper compromises on
leadership selection, while MacKay compromises on policy selection and the founding
convention
- October 16 – Harper and MacKay hold a joint press conference.
The two leaders announce an agreement in principle to dissolve the CA and PC parties,
and create a new entity called the Conservative Party of Canada.
- November – David Orchard and a group of Conservative party members
are asking the Ontario Superior Court to rule that leader Peter MacKay violated the
party's constitution with the merger plan.
- December 5 – Canadian Alliance members overwhelmingly vote to
ratify the merger agreement.
- December 5 – The Ontario Superior Court dismisses David Orchard’s
lawsuit.
- December 6 – The Progressive Conservative Party votes in favour
of the merger agreement.
- December 8 - The merger of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive
Conservative Parties becomes official as the new political party, the Conservative
Party of Canada, is registered with Elections Canada.
- December 8 – Former PC leader Joe Clark, New Brunswick MP John
Herron and Quebec MP Andre Bachand announce they will leave the Conservative Party
and sit as independents.
- December 10 – Nova Scotia MP Scott Brison leaves the Conservative
Party to join the Liberal Party.
2004
- January 10 – Alberta MP Grant Hill is chosen interim leader of
the Conservative Party of Canada and the Official Opposition.
- January 13 - Stephen Harper officially launches his bid to become
leader of the new Conservative Party of Canada.
- January 14 – British Columbia MP Keith Martin leaves the Conservative
Party to sit as an independent, and will seek the Liberal nomination for the riding
in the next federal election.
- January 15 – Tony Clement announces that he will seek the leadership
of the new Conservative Party.
- January 20 – Belinda Stronach officially launches her bid to become
leader of the new Conservative Party of Canada.
What Happens Now?
While the merger of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party has taken
place, several more tasks must be accomplished before the new Conservative Party is
ready for the next federal election. These include:
- Forming New Local Constituency Associations: Local constituency associations for
the new party must be formed. These associations must then hold candidate nomination
meetings to select a Conservative candidate to run in the next federal election.
- Electing a New Leader for the Party: A leader must be selected for the new party.
The leadership election vote has been set for March 19-21, 2004. The method used to
select the leader will be similar to that of the former Progressive Conservative Party.
- Developing a New Party Platform: A new party platform and constitution must be
developed. Due to the short time until the next federal election, the new party’s
platform will initially be based on common policies between the former Canadian Alliance
and Progressive Conservative Party. A final review of policies will take place following
the federal election at the new party’s first national convention.
To avoid the appearance that either party is controlling the process, an interim joint
council – made up of equal representation from both parties – is handling the details
of forming a new party and selecting a new leader.
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