NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
... towards having "full independence and complete national sovereignty. Vigorously and successfully he (Borden) asserted the equality of nations comprising the Commonwealth. " (Macquarrie, pg. 3, 1965) In December of 1942, the Conservative Party met at a leadership convention in Winnipeg, and after some prodding by one of the candidates, John Bracken, the name of the Conservative Party was changed to that of the Progressive Conservatives, in order to reflect the party's progressive goals and intentions. (Macquarrie, pg. 122, 1965) Under the name of Progressive Conservative party, John Diefenbaker led the party to the largest landslide victory in the history of Canadian politics in 1958, just one year after the Diefenbaker government had won a minority government. (Guy, pg. 393, 1995) In recent years, the Progressive Conservatives have been dealt severe blows at the polls. In 1993, the Progressive Conservatives went from having the majority government in the House of Commons to a mere two seats: current PC leader Jean Charles in Sherbrooke, and Elsie Wayne in Saint John. The PCs can attach their massive defeat in the 1993 election to nine years of rule by Brian Mulroney. Mulroney won two large majority governments in 1984 and 1988, but in the 1988 term, his fortunes turned south.
His government was responsible for the implementation of the hated Goods and Services tax, the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, and the Much Lake Accord. Several months before the 1993 federal election was called, Mulroney stepped down as party leader, which paved the way for the election of Kim Campbell, then Justice Minister, to the post of Prime Minister. Campbell was the first female Prime Minister of Canada, even though she was not elected by the general voting public. Her early days of campaigning were regarded as successful for herself and the party, but in the latter part of the election campaign, debates over whether or not Campbell was a competent leader were raised. Her trip-up in the late stages of the election campaign set the stage for the Custer-like wiping out of her party; she was even soundly defeated in her own riding of Vancouver Central. Even though the federal party was decimated, provincial PC parties seemed to hold their own during the federal dark times.
Currently, there are Progressive Conservative provincial governments in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Prince Edward Island. PEI Conservatives won the most recent election, going from only one seat in the PEI legislature to a majority. The Conservatives in Ontario were also recent winners. Under the leadership of Mike Harris, the Ontario Conservatives ousted the Ontario NDP in the 1994 provincial election in a landslide victory, perhaps bringing on a second wave of the Big Blue Machine in years to come. Even though the Conservatives were given a serious setback in the 1993 federal election, their commitment to policy-making has not been affected. They have drafted a Tory Top Ten list of policies that they will campaign with during the next federal election.
Their number one policy standpoint on the Top Ten is tax cuts for jobs: "Canadians today are overtaxed. The high tax burden is killing jobs and reducing Canada's competitiveness. We need to create lasting jobs and rekindle the entrepreneurial spirit. Tax cuts will inject life back into the Canadian economy by promoting investment, consumer consumption and job creation. " (library 4. html, 1997) On the income tax front, the PCs are also committed to giving Canadians a 10 - 20 per cent personal income tax cut, which would be phased in over their first term in office. They have also given the situation regarding the federal debt and deficit a fair amount of thought.
They intend to balance the federal budget within their first mandate in office, and that by the time the deficit is eliminated through spending cuts, "specific targets for reduction of the federal debt must be set with measurable milestones. " (Designing a Blueprint for Canadians, pp. 6 - 7, 1996) Finally, their overall economic policy states that "Canada should constitute an economic union within which goods, services, persons and capital may move freely. Any measures which unduly discriminate between individuals, goods, services and capital on the basis of their origin or their destination should be unconstitutional. The strengthening of the Canadian economic union is crucial to fostering economic growth, the flourishing of a common citizen hood, and helping Canadians reach their full potential. " (Designing a Blueprint for Canadians, pgs. 40 - 41, 1996) On the whole, it would appear to the unbiased reader that the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada knows exactly what it stands for. Even further to the right side of the political scale, the relatively new Reform Party of Canada can be found.
On the last weekend of October in 1987, 306 delegates from Western Canada converged on Alberta, in order to found the party. These people were fed up with the traditional Liberal/Conservative rule in Ottawa, and wanted a party that could effectively represent the concerns of Western Canadians. (Harrison, pgs. 110, 112, 114, 1995) "The delegates faced three tasks as they met that weekend: to decide upon a name for the party, to devise a constitution, and to pick a leader. The delegates chose the party's name - the Reform Party of Canada - the first day. " (Harrison, pg. 114, 1995) On the second day of the convention, the party started the process of selecting a leader. There were three potential candidates: Preston Manning (the current leader), Ted Byfield, and Stan Roberts. Byfield was not entirely comfortable with the idea of being the Reform Party's leader, however, and wanted to continue to run his own personal business.
A theory that came out of the convention was that this leadership race was a battle between "Roberts' old political style and money against Manning's grass-roots populism. " (Harrison, pg. 117, 1995) There was also some controversy over the amount of money Roberts spent on his hospitality suite at the convention, which was an estimated $ 25000. Manning was regarded as being quite frugal, spending around $ 2000. Even though the difference in the amount of money spent between the two main candidates was rather large, Manning was regarded as being the stronger of the two candidates, having the unquestionable allegiance of many of the delegates. (Harrison, pg. 117, 1995) Roberts knew of the immense support Manning had, and it was rumoured that he was going to bring in a significant amount of "instant delegates" (Harrison, pg. 117, 1995) to push him over the top. The Manning camp got word of this...
Free research essays on topics related to: party of canada, amount of money, election campaign, landslide victory, progressive conservative party
Research essay sample on Progressive Conservative Party Party Of Canada
