Tories vote to unite the right

0By LUMA MUHTADIE
Globe and Mail Update

The Progressive Conservative party sealed a historic political union with
the Canadian Alliance Saturday, when they voted overwhelmingly in favour of
the merger that was endorsed almost unanimously a day earlier by Canadian
Alliance members.

A total of 2,234 Tories  or 90.4 per cent of the 2,481 who took part in the
vote  said 'yes' to ratifying the agreement reached between Tory Leader
Peter MacKay and Alliance Leader Stephen Harper last October to unify the
two parties. Only 247 Tories voted against the new political entity, called
the Conservative Party of Canada.

One of the closest votes took place in Saskatoon, where 29 Tories voted in
favour and 23 voted against the merger. Saskatchewan is the home province
of Tory activist David Orchard, who has fiercely opposed the merger
throughout the two parties' courtship. The only other close votes were seen
in Victoria, with 37 in favour and 20 opposed and Trois-Rivires, with 20 in
favour and 13 opposed.

"What an overwhelming victory for Canada," Mr. Mackay said to a
cheering crowd after the vote. "With this overwhelming vote we have
just become Paul Martin's worst nightmare. Finally after 10 years, the
Liberal Party of Canada will be facing a united, strong conservative family
in the next federal general election. And today has been an incredible
exercise in Tory participatory democracy," he said.

The vote was convened from Ottawa and commenced simultaneously in 26 other
cities across Canada, by way of a video link-up. Delegates who were elected
between November 29 to December 2 voted on a resolution to ratify the
agreement.

Before the vote, two opponents of the merger  former Tory cabinet ministers
Flora MacDonald and Sinclair Stevens  were given a chance to convince
members to oppose unification. Ms. MacDonald told them the merger would
serve "no higher purpose but opportunism. "The people of Canada
will not be fooled," she said. "The people of Canada deserve
better."

After the vote, Mr. Mackay addressed those who voted against ratifying the
union, as well as those who chose to abstain. "I respect your
concerns, but as we move forward today, I ask you, I implore you, to not
only think about the accomplishments of the past, but think of the
challenges ahead in the future.
"Play a part. Stay involved. Stay active in the New Conservative Party
of Canada. We not only want you, we need you with us to build this national
alternative," he said.

On Friday, more than 50,000 Alliance members from across the country  or 96
per cent  voted in favour of joining forces in the new party. Sweeping
majorities of Alliance members in every province supported the deal, but
most of these votes came from Western provinces.

Fewer than 1,700 of the more than 53,000 voters were from east of the
Ontario-Quebec border, which speaks to the inroads the party is going to
have to make in Eastern Canada if they hope to pose a serious challenge to
the ruling Liberals in the next federal election.

About one-third of the Alliance votes came from Alberta, and less than 1
per cent came from Quebec, while a mere 44 votes came from Newfoundland. A
yes vote from both parties - which required a 50 per cent plus one vote
among Alliance members and at least a two-thirds majority among Tories  was
established as a mandate for the creation of the new party.

Members of the unified party can now discuss sitting together in the House
of Commons in the new year, setting up a new headquarters and probably
appointing an interim leader while the new party conducts a leadership race
to select its first chief. Both Mr. Harper and Mr. MacKay are expected to
run for the leadership, as is Calgary lawyer Jim Prentice. Others
considering taking the plunge include MPs Scott Brison, Brian Pallister and
Chuck Strahl. Mr. Harper is seen as the front-runner and has already
assembled a campaign team.

The two parties have also appointed individuals to cobble together other
sections of the deal, including drafting a constitution, establishing new
riding associations and filing the appropriate papers with Elections Canada
to have the new party incorporated. They have also agreed to set up a
Conservative Fund Trust, which will be asked to raise money and retire the
debt of either party.



--- GoldED/W32 3.0.1