Harper wins Conservative leadership

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

  Harper wins Conservative leadership

Last Updated Sat, 20 Mar 2004 19:07:16

 

TORONTO - Stephen Harper won a first-ballot victory Sunday to become the first leader of the Conservative Party of Canada – a win he said marks "the beginning of the end" for Paul Martin's Liberal government.

 

 

With 291 ridings reporting, Harper won 56 per cent of the points. Each of the 308 ridings was worth 100 points.

 

 

Stephen Harper and his wife Laureen wave to supporters after winning the leadership race at the Conservative party leadership convention in Toronto (CP Photo)

 

Former Magna International CEO Belinda Stronach was second with 35 per cent and former Ontario cabinet minister Tony Clement was last with 9 per cent.

 

In his acceptance speech, Harper said "the unprecedented unification of conservatives" in the new party are ready to take on the Liberals in an election that's expected in the spring.

 

"Paul Martin came to power by dividing his own party against its leader and against itself, and he is reaping his reward," the former leader of the Canadian Alliance said, referring to the political feud between the former finance minister and then-prime minister Jean Chrétien.

 

Harper had a strong showing in British Columbia, the Prairies and Ontario, while Stronach was ahead of her two rivals in several ridings in Atlantic Canada and Quebec.

 

Harper called Clement "tough, competitive, compassionate and a tireless fighter." He said Stronach "played a significant and crucial role" in establishing the party. "Her presence in this race came at great personal sacrifice."

 

Earlier, in a keynote speech at the Toronto convention, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein said the party, formed when the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservatives merged, would run a fiscally responsible government.

 

He also said the united conservative party would mend the Liberals' "broken relationship" with the United States. But he saved his harshest criticism for the sponsorship scandal.

 

"[The Liberals] actually think they own the country, that it is a commodity that can be bought and sold," he said. "You can't buy and sell Canada with our own money."

 

Written by CBC News Online staff

 

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/03/20/canad...rvatives_040320

 

The support shown in Ontario for Harper is bad news for the Liberals. At this point in time, it looks like the Liberals will get no better than a minority government. The conservatives really had to choose Harper on the electability issue alone.

[Highland 0]

The big question is will the Conservatives be seen a real maintstream alternative to the Liberals, or are they just the Alliance (and all the baggage that goes with it) under a different banner?

[Vern Gagne 0]

Two questions

 

Would Harper be PM if the Conservative party wins the elections?

 

If so, how much would relations with the U.S. change?

[Highland 0]

Two questions

 

Would Harper be PM if the Conservative party wins the elections?

 

If so, how much would relations with the U.S. change?

Yes, the leader of the party that wins the election becomes Prime Minister.

 

The Conservatives want to improve relations with the US, hell they can't get any worse than they are right now. It's hard to tell exactly when an election will be called, it'll be sometime this year though.

 

 

Here's the site: the Interim Policy document shows their platform.

Edited March 21, 2004 by Naibus

[Red Baron 0]

I don't see how a conservative party can help with US/Canada relations. All they will do, if elected PM, will make Ontario stronger, and ignore the rest of Canada, like all PM have lately.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

I don't see how a conservative party can help with US/Canada relations. All they will do, if elected PM, will make Ontario stronger, and ignore the rest of Canada, like all PM have lately.

Huh? Wasn't that the point of electing Harper? Because his power base is out west (Stronach & Clement were both from Ontario).

 

And there hasn't been a PM that supported Ontario since as long as I can remember. Borden maybe. Every PM in my life time, most notably Jean Chretien, gave Ontario the shaft in favour of Quebec. Quebec is the one that always gets all the attention, not Ontario.

 

As far as Canadian/US relations are concerned, losing Chretien for Martin greatly improved relations immediately. Chretien's cabinet and strongest supporters were openly hostile to the United States (Americans=Nazis and the like). Martin is a lot better, but he has a big hole to dig his way out of because he is a part of the same party of Chretien.

[Guest MikeSC]

Canadian politics is just so darned cute.

 

Kind of like a really official sounding high school election.

-=Mike

...Yes, I'm kidding.

[Guest cosbywasmurdered]

ALL PM's supported Ontario and Quebec over the rest of Canada.

 

 

And The Tories aren't going to win. I see them forcing the Liberals into a minority government at the best.