Montreal Gazette

A CHRONOLOGY OF CANADA’S CONSERVATI­VES SINCE 1984

- COMPILED BY KIRSTEN SMITH POSTMEDIA NEWS

1984: The Progressiv­e Conservati­ve Party, led by Brian Mulroney, wins a massive majority. The party was formed in 1942 by a coalition of the short-lived populist Progressiv­e Party and the Conservati­ve Party, with roots back to prime minister Sir John A. Macdonald. 1987: The Reform Party of Canada is formed by a coalition of westernbas­ed groups unhappy with the Progressiv­e Conservati­ves. Preston Manning is the first leader. 1989: Reform’s Deborah Grey wins byelection in Beaver River, Alta., becoming the party’s first MP. 1993: The Liberals sweep to victory. Reform gains 52 seats. The Progressiv­e Conservati­ves get two seats and lose official party status. 1997: The Liberals are re-elected with another majority. Reform wins 60 seats to become the official Opposition. The Progressiv­e Conservati­ves increase their seat count to 20. 1998: The Progressiv­e Conservati­ves select former prime minister Joe Clark as party leader. Clark opposes efforts to “unite the right” and merge with Reform.

1999: Reformers, some Tories and other anti-Liberal supporters approve the concept of the “United Alternativ­e,” an attempt to create a new right-of-centre national party. Reform leader Preston Manning champions this cause as the only way to defeat the Liberals.

2000: Reform morphs into the Canadian Reform Conservati­ve Alliance as part of the United Alternativ­e quest to unite the right. The party is commonly known as the Canadian Alliance. Manning runs for the leadership but loses to former Alberta provincial cabinet minister Stockwell Day. In the November federal election, the Canadian Alliance wins 66 seats and the Progressiv­e Conservati­ves elect just 12.

2001: Twelve Alliance MPs either resign or are booted out of caucus after calling for Stockwell Day’s resignatio­n. The dissidents sit as the Democratic Representa­tive Caucus and publicly mull a coalition with the Progressiv­e Conservati­ves. Day agrees to a leadership race.

2002: Former Reform MP Stephen Harper wins the leadership of the divided Canadian Alliance. Progressiv­e Conservati­ve leader Joe Clark announces he will step down.

2003: Peter MacKay, left, becomes leader of the Progressiv­e Conservati­ve Party in June. His party and Harper’s Canadian Alliance vow to work together in the House of Commons. In October, Harper and MacKay sign an agreement in principle to form a single party. The Conservati­ve Party of Canada is born in December.

2004: Stephen Harper wins the leadership of the recently merged Conservati­ve Party of Canada. In 2006, it wins its first minority government. In 2011, it wins a majority government.

 ??  ?? Former Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day is replaced by Stephen Harper in 2002.
Former Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day is replaced by Stephen Harper in 2002.
 ??  ?? The Conservati­ve Party of Canada is forged in an agreement between Peter MacKay and Stephen Harper.
The Conservati­ve Party of Canada is forged in an agreement between Peter MacKay and Stephen Harper.

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