Conservative Party of Canada

:Alternative meaning: Conservative Party of Canada (pre-1942)

Controversy

The merger process was controversial. David Orchard had a written agreement from Peter MacKay at the 2003 Progressive Conservative Leadership convention excluding any such merger and led an unsuccessful legal challenge to it. Orchard (under the PC party leadership election rules) is still owed at least $70,000 by the newly merged Conservative Party. This debt has been recognized as legitimate by the Conservative Party lawyers; however, its reimbursement is on hold pending the outcome of legal matters between the party and Orchard.

Related Topics:
David Orchard - Peter MacKay - 2003 Progressive Conservative Leadership convention

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At the time of the merger four sitting Progressive Conservative Members of Parliament -- André Bachand, John Herron, former Tory leadership candidate Scott Brison, and former Prime Minister Joe Clark -- decided not to join the new Conservative Party caucus. Brison crossed the floor to the Liberals. Soon afterward, he was made a parliamentary secretary in Paul Martin's government, and he became a full cabinet minister after the 2004 federal election. Herron also ran as a Liberal candidate in the election but did not join the Liberal caucus prior to the election, and he lost his seat to the new Conservative Party's candidate Rob Moore. Bachand and Clark both left Parliament at the end of the session. Considerable controversy erupted when during the 2004 election, Joe Clark gave a lukewarm endorsement to Paul Martin over Stephen Harper, saying that Canadians should "trust the devil we know". Clark also endorsed many candidates of different political stripes such as Ed Broadbent, Anne McLellan and Jim Prentice

Related Topics:
André Bachand - John Herron - Scott Brison - Joe Clark - Paul Martin - 2004 federal election - Rob Moore - Ed Broadbent - Anne McLellan - Jim Prentice

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One former Alliance MP, Keith Martin, also left the party on January 14. He ran as a Liberal in the election and retained his seat for the Liberals. Martin is now parliamentary secretary to Bill Graham, Canada's minister of defence.

Related Topics:
Keith Martin - January 14 - Parliamentary secretary

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Additionally, three Senators, William Doody, Norman Atkins, and Lowell Murray, declined to join the new party and continue to sit in the upper house as Progressive Conservatives.

Related Topics:
Senators - William Doody - Norman Atkins - Lowell Murray

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In the early months of the CPC's existence two Conservative MPs also became publicly disgruntled with the leadership, policy, and procedures of the new party. Former Progressive Conservative MP Rick Borotsik became openly critical of the new party's leadership during its initial months of existence and officially retired from politics at the end of the parliamentary session of spring 2004. Additionally, after the 2004 federal election, Tory Senator Jean-Claude Rivest left the CPC to sit as an independent member of Senate because he perceived that the new party was too right-wing and insensitive to Quebec needs and interests.

Related Topics:
Rick Borotsik - Jean-Claude Rivest

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Former Canadian Alliance MP Chuck Cadman rejected the new party's riding nomination procedures in March after losing his local riding's CPC nomination to an outside challenger. His membership in the Conservative party was revoked in late May. Cadman ran as a non-affiliated candidate in the federal election of June 2004. He was re-elected as the only independent in the current minority parliament, until Carolyn Parrish was ejected from the Liberal caucus in November 2004. He passed away in July of 2005.

Related Topics:
Chuck Cadman - Riding - Carolyn Parrish - 2004 - July - 2005

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