Progressive Canadian Party
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Template:Infobox Canada Political Party
The Progressive Canadian Party (PC Party) is a minor federal political party in Canada. It is a centrist party that was officially registered with Elections Canada, the government's election agency, on March 29, 2004.
Under provisions of the Canada Elections Act that took effect on May 14, 2004, parties were only required to nominate one candidate in order to qualify for official party status in the June 28, 2004 federal election. This meant that Progressive Canadian Party candidates were listed on the ballot alongside the party's name, rather than being designated as independents.
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Founding
Following the dissolution of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and its merger with the Canadian Alliance into the new Conservative Party of Canada, the Progressive Canadian Party was formed by "Red Tories" who opposed the merger. One of the organizers, Joe Hueglin, is a former Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) from Niagara Falls, Ontario.
In announcing the new party, Hueglin stated that the party had about a dozen potential candidates and a mailing list of 330 names. The party nominated 16 candidates for the 2004 general election, mostly in southern Ontario and Nova Scotia. Although they did not receive a large number of votes, candidates such as Derrall Bellaire in London-Fanshawe and the Rev. Dorian Baxter in Newmarket-Aurora, did receive some attention from the media. (See also Progressive Canadian Party candidates, 2004 Canadian federal election.)
Founding party leader Ernie Schreiber resigned in 2005 because of a heart condition. The party appointed Tracy Parsons as his successor. The party nominated 25 candidates for the 2006 federal election. Former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister and leadership candidate Heward Grafftey stood as a candidate for the party during that election.
The party held a national convention in 2005 to select a leader and to develop policies. It has also established the "Macdonald-Cartier PC Fund" to raise money for the party, under the direction of the Hon. Sinclair Stevens, who was a cabinet minister in the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney before he was forced to resign on allegations of conflict of interest, for which he was subsequently cleared.
On November 17, 2005, Stevens' lawsuit to force Chief Electoral Officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley to rescind recognition of the merger of the Progressive Conservative Party with the Canadian Alliance was rejected by the Federal Court of Appeal. [1] The court did rule, however, that Kingsley erred in not waiting 30 days to register the merger. Stevens is considering appealing the ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Platform and goals
The new PC Party aims to be the successor to the former Progressive Conservative Party. No sitting MPs or Senators have joined, and few prominent figures are associated with this new party (while Stevens and Heward Grafftey are, Joe Clark, for example, is not). It is unknown what former Progressive Conservative leadership candidate David Orchard's view on the new party is. Orchard was a fervent opponent of the merger of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the Canadian Alliance. During the 2006 election, Orchard endorsed and later joined the Liberal Party.
The party adopted the last policy platform of the Progressive Conservative party until it is able to develop its own platform. The new party's official logo and initials are similar to that of the old party, apparently in an effort to capitalize on the well known PC name.
Election results
| Election | # of candidates | # of votes | % of popular vote | % of popular vote in ridings with PC candidates | # of seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 16 | 10 733 | 0.08% | 1.40% | 0 |
| 2006 | 25 | 14 151 | 0.1% | 1.1% | 0 |
- Eligibility: March 26, 2004
- Short-form name: PC Party
- Party leader: Tracy Parsons
- President: Jim Love
- National co-ordinator: Joe Hueglin
- Chief agent: Macdonald Cartier PC Fund
- Auditor: Ben Seto, C.A.
See also
External links
- Progressive Canadian Party website
- Elections Canada On-Line Political Parties Candidates and Third Parties
- CBC News.ca: New 'PC party' registers with Elections Canada
- News release on 2005 activities
