A CHRONOLOGY OF CANADA’S CONSERVATIVES SINCE 1984
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.