Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party website | Party platform
The Conservative Party of Canada was formed by the merger of the historic Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the Canadian Alliance party (formerly the Reform party). Its leader is Stephen Harper.
The joining of the two parties was an attempt to "unite the right" and stop splitting the conservative vote at the federal level.
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Stephen Harper (CP Photo)
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See Unite the Right.
The Conservative party was only a few months old when the last election was called, and its leader had only been in place for two months. At the time, the party was working from a single “interim policy statement” and trying to find a common voice. With all that going against them, the Conservatives still managed 99 seats, and a position as official Opposition in the House of Commons.
The party held a convention in March 2005 and came up with policies that both “sides” of the party could agree on.
The party's policies are based on the belief that the primary responsibility for a person rests with the individual and his or her family. Its policies emphasize individual rights, including the right to own property and run businesses with little interference from government.
On health care, the party has said it is willing to look at other options, including private delivery of some health-care needs. It says the provinces need to be given the money to tackle problems with health care.
On aboriginal affairs, the Conservatives are adamant that self-government should fit within the structure of the Canadian Constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The party doesn't want aboriginal government to be another level of government outside of existing government structures.
Its fiscal policy is, not surprisingly, conservative. It plans what it calls "broad-based" tax cuts, and says it will introduce legislation that would require the government to bring in a balanced budget each year, barring exceptional circumstances. It also plans legislation to require a certain annual payment on the national debt
The Conservatives are also pledging to get tougher on criminals. They would try violent or repeat young offenders as adults if they are over 14. They plan a national sex offender registry, and tougher sentencing legislation for violent crime.
At the same time, the party would replace the current firearms legislation, including the much-criticized gun registry, with an unspecified replacement – what it calls a "practical firearms control system."
Despite the sponsorship scandal, and time to get its act together, the Conservative party hasn't been able to sustain huge gains in the polls during its time as official Opposition.
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