In the 1990’s, the Conservative coalition tore itself apart
In a broad sense, Canada has always had a “Conservative Party”. It was formed even before Canada became a country, and has existed under different titles fairly continuously until today.
In a very real sense, however, the current Conservative Party of Canada was formed under Stephen Harper in 2003. It has only existed for 15 years, with Harper as its very first leader. The Progressive Conservative Party which existed before it went out in a fiery schism, involving most especially the Reform Party and the Bloc Quebecois, leading to a dark night of the soul for the PCs. The 1993 election was arguably the worst defeat any party ever faced in Canadian history. For a decade, the Conservative Party was not Canada’s most powerful conservative party.
How did one of Canada’s strongest and oldest factions go from leading the government to barely existing? And what happened to the splinter groups which rose up against it?
Why should I care?
Besides representing a story of betrayal, defeat, and existential crisis people rarely think about when they imagine Canadian politics, today’s Conservative Party of Canada is still finding its feet without Harper’s leadership. The future unity (or disunity) of the CPC may be built upon the grounds of these…