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Another Tory Name Change

© David Newman

I was going to reserve this month's column for the results of the Ontario election and perhaps the Newfoundland election as well, but something came up and basically the Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will go to the polls on the 21st and in Ontario the Liberals won big with a 72-seat majority, the PC were decimated and the NDP lost its official party status.

The big news is that there is a new attempt at uniting the right after the first few attempts failed. Its all up to 50% of Alliance and 67% of Tory membership to decide.

So there will be a new party with the name Conservative Party of Canada. The parties of Canada have all gone through numerous name changes, such as the Liberal Party being the merger of pre-confederation parties like the Grits and the Rouges, and the Commonwealth Cooperation Federation became the New Democratic Party when it merged with the Canadian Labour Congress, but the changes occur the most on the right.

The changes of names in the Progressive Conservative Party:

Conservative Party, 1830s-1854: Before confederation, then name of the party was the Conservative Party, who then opposed the Reform Party (present-day Liberal Party; a more pro-US, free-trade party) in traditionalist titles: Conservatives wanted to maintain the status quo while the Reform Party wanted reforms. John A. MacDonald after becoming leader of the Conservatives brought a few Liberals in to form a coalition in support of confereation.

Liberal-Conservative Party, 1854-1873: The coalition party formed the fisrt government in the new Dominion of Canada. Prime Ministers: John A. MacDonald (1867-1873)

Conservative Party 1873-1878: After the Macdonald scandal the party chagned its name, while serving as her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.

Liberal-Conservative Party 1878-1894: Before forming the governement anew, the party rechanged its name. Prime Ministers: John A. Macdonald (1879-1891), John J.C. Abbott (1891-1892); John S.D. Thompson (1892-1894)

Conservative Party 1894-1917: The party reverted to its traditional name to distinguish itself from the Laurier Liberals. Prime Ministers: Mackenize Bowell (1894-1896).Charles Tupper (1896), Robert L. Borden (1911-1917)

Unionist Party, 1917-1920: The name was changed and the members changed depending on their stance on the war and mostly conscription. The Conservatives and pro-conscription liberals became the Unionist Party and formed the government under Robert L. Borden (1917-1920)

National Liberal and Conservative Party, 1920-1922 The after war period continued with the coalition. Prime MInister: Arthur Meighan (1920-1921)

Conservative Party, 1922-1942: After the war the Unionist coalition ended and the party returned to its traditional name. Prime Ministers: Arthur Meighan (1926), Richard B. Bennett (1930-1935).

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