New Conservative Party of Canada is official

Last Updated Mon, 08 Dec 2003 16:14:17

OTTAWA - The leaders of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive
Conservatives announced the official creation of the new Conservative Party
of Canada on Monday. Tory leader Peter MacKay and Alliance leader Stephen
Harper said the new party was registered with the chief electoral officer
on Sunday.
"The new Conservative Party of Canada exists. It lives, it breathes as
of today," MacKay said at a news conference.

Progressive Conservative Senator John Lynch-Staunton, Leader of the
Opposition in the Senate since 1993, will be interim leader until a new
Conservative Party leader is elected in March. Despite the formation of a
new political entity, created after members from both parties voted
overwhelmingly to merge over the weekend, the Alliance and the Tories will
continue to sit as separate caucuses in the House of Commons.

Former Conservative leader Joe Clark has said he will not sit as a member
of a merged caucus in the House. On Monday, Quebec Tory MP Andre Bachand
said he will sit as an Independent.

Harper said he and MacKay will continue to be the principal spokespeople
for the party. Senator Lynch-Staunton will have signing authority for the
party. "It's more to fill in a blank," Senator Lynch-Staunton
said. Harper said a leader for the new party in the House of Commons has
yet to be determined.
Harper said if the Liberals can have two leaders for two years the new
Conservative Party can have two leaders for two months.

Calgary lawyer Jim Prentice became the first candidate officially to
announce he will seek the leadership of the party. Harper and MacKay have
each suggested they will run for the leadership of the new party.

On Saturday, more than 90 per cent of the 2,486 Tory delegates voted in
favour of creating a new combined party to be called the Conservative Party
of Canada. The decision followed Friday's Alliance member vote of almost 96
per cent in favour of the merger.


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