1998 Progressive Conservative leadership election

1998 Progressive Conservative leadership election
Date	First ballot:; October 24, 1998; Second ballot:; November 14, 1998
Convention	Ottawa
Resigning leader	Jean Charest
Won by	Joe Clark
Ballots	2
Candidates	5
Entrance Fee	C$30,000
Spending limit	None
	Progressive Conservative leadership conventions ; 1927 · 1938 · 1942 · 1948 · 1956 · 1967 · 1976 · 1983 · 1993 · 1995 · 1998 · 2003

Last updated October 31, 2024

The 1998 Progressive Conservative leadership election was held on October 24 and November 14, 1998 to choose a successor to Jean Charest. This was the first time the Progressive Conservatives used a one member, one vote system to choose a leader rather than a delegated leadership convention, which has been the norm since 1927. The 1998 election used a point system that allocated 100 points to each riding, regardless of the number of votes cast in the riding. The candidate who won a majority of points (not necessarily a majority of voters) would win the leadership. All party members were eligible to cast a vote. If no candidate received a majority of points on the first ballot, the lowest ranking candidate would be automatically eliminated and a second ballot was to be held using a preferential ballot if more than two candidates remained.^[2] The 100-point-per-riding system was again used by the Conservative Party of Canada in their leadership elections.

Background

The Progressive Conservatives had formed two back-to-back majority governments under Brian Mulroney from 1984 to 1993 but in the 1993 federal election under leader Kim Campbell, the party had almost been completely wiped out. The rise of the Bloc Québécois in Quebec, led by former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Lucien Bouchard, and the conservative Reform Party in Western Canada caused the PCs to lose their electoral base. Charest, the runner up to Campbell in the 1993 leadership convention was one of only two PC MPs elected in 1993 and became party leader. Under his leadership, the party won 20 seats in the 1997 federal election but still placed fifth. By 1998, Bouchard had become leader of the provincial Parti Québécois and had promised a further Quebec referendum on independence should there be "winning conditions". With the opposition Quebec Liberal Party seeking a new leader, Charest was under considerable public and political pressure,^[3] especially among business circles, to leave federal politics and become leader of the Quebec Liberal Party as he was considered the best hope among federalists to defeat the PQ. Charest announced on March 28, 1998 that he was resigning as federal Progressive Conservative leader in order to seek the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party.^[4]

The Progressive Conservatives, meanwhile, after two successive electoral defeats were under pressure from a Unite the Right movement for the Progressive Conservatives to co-operate with the Reform Party of Canada; Manitoba Tory cabinet minister Brian Pallister, Major-General Lewis MacKenzie, former Reform MP Stephen Harper, former Manitoba premier Gary Filmon, Alberta premier Ralph Klein, and former Alberta treasurer Jim Dinning were all encouraged to run as Unite the Right candidates for leader - with Pallister proceeding to do so.^[5]^[6] Conversely, the movement was resisted by Red Tories who sought a standard-bearer who would keep the party independent.

Timeline

March 2, 1998 - Quebec Liberal leader Daniel Johnson, Jr. announces his resignation as party leader.^[4]
March 26, 1998 - Jean Charest announces he is resigning as federal Progressive Conservative leader in order to seek the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party.^[7]
April 2, 1998 - Charest resigns as party leader, and as an MP. Elsie Wayne, the party's longest-serving MP after Charest, is appointed as interim leader, and announces that she will not seek the permanent leadership of the party.^[8]
April 29, 1998 - The party executive announces that the next leader will not be chosen by a delegated convention but by a point system with ballots cast by all party members.^[9]
June 9, 1998 - Tory strategist Hugh Segal announces his candidacy.^[10]
June 10, 1998 - Former Manitoba cabinet minister Brian Pallister announces his candidacy.^[11]
June 25, 1998 - Former prime minister Joe Clark announces his candidacy; he receives the endorsement of 11 out of 19 PC MPs.^[12]
July 22, 1998 - Anti-free trade campaigner David Orchard announces his candidacy.^[13]
July 27, 1998 - Montreal lawyer Michael Fortier announces his candidacy.^[14]
July 31, 1998 - deadline for candidates to file their nomination papers and pay their entry fees.^[15]
October 23, 1998 - all candidates debate.^[1]
October 24, 1998 - first ballot.^[15]
November 14, 1998- second ballot.^[1]

Candidates

Joe Clark , 59, had been party leader from 1976 to 1983 and Prime Minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980. Clark served as Secretary of State for External Affairs (1984-1991) and then as Minister of Constitutional Affairs (1991-1993) negotiated the Charlottetown Accord.^[16]
Hugh Segal , 48, was a prominent Red Tory strategist, policy analyst, and commentator, who served as a senior aide to Ontario Premier Bill Davis in the 1970s and 1980s and as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Mulroney from 1992 to 1993.
Brian Pallister , 44, was a provincial politician who had served as Minister of Government Services in the Manitoba government of Gary Filmon from 1995 to 1997 before resigning to unsuccessfully run as a federal Progressive Conservative in 1998. He ran on a platform of trying to attract Reform Party supporters and conservative economic strategies.^[14]^[16]
Michael Fortier , 36, was a prominent Quebec lawyer and investment broker who advocated a dialogue with Reform Party supporters but said he did not favour a merger. He supported tax cuts, a Triple-E Senate, term limits for Members of Parliament and a voucher system for university students.^[14]
David Orchard , 48, was a Saskatchewan farmer and a prominent opponent of globalization and both the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement as well as any co-operation with the Reform Party. Considered an outsider who had no previous affiliation with the party, Orchard had a large following among free trade opponents and hoped to sign up enough new members to the party in order to win election under the new One Member One Vote system.^[1]^[13]^[17]

Results

Points by ballot
Candidate		First Ballot October 24		Second Ballot November 14
Candidate		Points	%	Points	%
	CLARK, Charles Joseph (Joe)	14,592	48.5%	23,321	77.5%
	ORCHARD, David	4,916	16.3%	6,779	22.5%
	SEGAL, Hugh	5,689	18.9%	Endorsed Clark
	PALLISTER, Brian William	3,676	12.2%	Endorsed Clark
	FORTIER, Michael M.	1,227	4.1%	Endorsed Clark
Total		30,100	100.0%	30,100	100.0%

First round

Clark			48.48%
Segal			18.90%
Orchard			16.33%
Pallister			12.21%
Fortier			4.08%

Final round

Clark			77.48%
Orchard			22.52%

Fortier was automatically eliminated; as Clark had only narrowly fallen short of a majority and had a wide lead over his closest opponent, Pallister and Segal withdrew and endorsed Clark for the sake of party unity and to forestall running up campaign debts needlessly.^[18] Orchard refused to do so and went on to the second ballot.^[1]

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1 2 3 4 5 "CPAC - for the Record".
↑ "Tories forced back on campaign trail". Toronto Star. October 25, 1998.
↑ The Canadian Press, "Charest takes Liberal reins: New leader heaps scorn on Quebec separatists," Calgary Herald May 1, 1998, pg. A.4.
1 2 "Thursday's the day for J ean Charest". Globe and Mail. March 24, 1998.
↑ "Harper rejects run at Tory leadership: Won't burn bridges with Reformers". Globe and Mail. April 10, 1998.
↑ "Tory group seeks Segal alternatives: Harper, Dinning said to be considering taking a run at federal Conservative leadership". Globe and Mail. April 9, 1998.
↑ "Charest calls for solidarity: Federal Tory Leader steps into Quebec Liberal ring and takes immediate aim at Bouchard". Globe and Mail. March 27, 1998.
↑ "New Brunswick MP Elsie Wayne didn't shy away from controversy". Globe and Mail. August 24, 2016.
↑ "'Tory leadership conventions go way of dinosaur: New chief to be chosen Oct. 24 using system that gives each party member one vote". Globe and Mail. April 30, 1998.
↑ "'Ultimate insider' Segal officially enters Tory leadership race: Strategist says it's time to stop apologizing for Mulroney-era mistakes and time to start talking about 'things we did that were right'". Globe and Mail. June 10, 1998.
↑ "Manitoban joins Tory leadership race: Former provincial minister Brian Pallister. 43, savs he offers bridge between East. West". Globe and Mail. June 11, 1998.
↑ "Clark launches bid for a comeback: Former PM stresses experience, goal of bringing Canadians together in joining Tory leadership race". Globe and Mail. June 26, 1998.
1 2 "Antifree-trade crusader joins Tory leadership race: Candidate vows to continue fight against NAFTA, globalization". Globe and Mail. July 23, 1998.
1 2 3 "Federal Tory leadership race heating up: Montreal lawyer, former Manitoba cabinet minister throw hats into ring as nomination deadline looms". Globe and Mail. July 28, 1998.
1 2 "Segal gets his money down as first official entrant: Move gives Conservative leadership candidate head start through access to party's membership lists". Globe and Mail. July 19, 1998.
1 2 "Clark expected to hint tonight about Tory race: Final touches on former PM's campaign being made before June 25 announcement". Globe and Mail. June 17, 1998.
↑ "Federal Tories take aim at Chretien: Leadership candidates make final pitches for party support in Toronto speeches". Globe and Mail. October 24, 1998.
↑ "Segal urged to end internal strife by yielding Tory crown to Clark: But former prime minister could face second-ballot battle against free-trade opponent Orchard, who is unlikely to abandon race". Globe and Mail. October 27, 1998.