List of Canadian conservative leaders explained

This is a list of federal leaders after Confederation who were members of federal conservative parties.

Tory leaders since Confederation

This is a list of leaders of the Conservative Party of Canada (historical) (1867–1942), Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–2003), and Conservative Party of Canada (2003–present) ("the Tory parties"), and of prime ministers of Canada after Confederation who were members of those parties.

Conservative (1867–1942)

See also: Liberal-Conservative Party, Conservative Party of Canada (historical), Unionist Party (Canada) and National Liberal and Conservative Party.

NameFromToRiding as leaderwidth=20%Notes
Sir John A. MacdonaldJuly 1, 1867June 6, 1891Kingston, ON (1867–18, 1887–91);
Victoria, BC (1878–82);
Carleton, ON (1882–88)
1st Prime Minister
Sir John AbbottJune 16, 1891November 24, 1892Senator for Inkerman, QC3rd Prime Minister
Sir John Sparrow David ThompsonDecember 5, 1892December 12, 1894Antigonish, NS4th Prime Minister
Sir Mackenzie BowellDecember 21, 1894April 27, 1896Senator for Hastings, ON5th Prime Minister
Sir Charles TupperMay 1, 1896February 6, 1901Cape Breton, NS6th Prime Minister
Sir Robert Laird BordenFebruary 6, 1901July 10, 1920Halifax, NS (1900–04, 1908–17);
Carleton, ON (1905–08);
Kings, NS (1917–21)
8th Prime Minister
Arthur MeighenJuly 10, 1920September 24, 1926Portage la Prairie, MB (1908–21, 1925–26);
Grenville, ON (1922–25)
9th Prime Minister
Hugh Guthrie (interim leader)October 11, 1926October 12, 1927Wellington South
R. B. BennettOctober 12, 1927July 7, 1938Calgary West, AB11th Prime Minister
Robert ManionJuly 7, 1938May 14, 1940London, ONResigned after lost seat in 1940 election
Richard Hanson (interim leader)May 14, 1940November 12, 1941York—Sunbury, NB
Arthur MeighenNovember 12, 1941December 9, 1942Senator for St. Marys, OntarioResigned after defeat in attempt to enter House of Commons via York South by-election

Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–2003)

See main article: Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.

PictureNameTerm startTerm endRiding as leaderNotes
December 11, 1942 July 20, 1948 Former Premier of Manitoba
October 2, 1948 November 29, 1956Former Premier of Ontario
November 29, 1956 (Interim) December 14, 1956 Dufferin—SimcoeInterim leader until 1956 leadership convention
December 14, 1956 September 9, 1967 13th Prime Minister of Canada
September 9, 1967 February 22, 1976 HalifaxFormer Premier of Nova Scotia
February 22, 1976 February 19, 1983 16th Prime Minister of Canada
February 19, 1983 (Interim) June 11, 1983 YukonInterim leader until 1983 leadership convention
June 11, 1983 June 13, 1993 Central Nova, Manicouagan, Charlevoix18th Prime Minister of Canada
June 13, 1993 December 14, 1993 Vancouver Centre19th Prime Minister of Canada
December 14, 1993 April 2, 1998 SherbrookeFormer Premier of Quebec
April 2, 1998 (Interim) November 14, 1998 Saint JohnInterim until 1998 leadership election
November 14, 1998 May 31, 2003 Kings—Hants, Calgary CentreHis second tenure as leader
May 31, 2003 December 7, 2003 Central NovaFinal leader of the Progressive Conservative Party; merged the PC Party with Stephen Harper's Canadian Alliance in 2003, cofounding the new Conservative Party of Canada.

Conservative Party of Canada (2003–present)

LeaderTerm startTerm endConstituencyNotes
20 March 2004 Interim leader, served concurrently as Senate Opposition Leader.
1st 20 March 2004
Acting: 19 October 2015 – 4 November 2015
Calgary Southwest, Alberta First official leader of the modern Conservative Party of Canada;Served as Leader of the Official Opposition from 2004–2006, and Prime Minister from 2006–2015.
5 November 2015 27 May 2017 Sturgeon River—Parkland, Alberta Interim leader, served concurrently as Leader of the Official Opposition.
2nd 27 May 2017 24 August 2020 Regina—Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan Served concurrently as Leader of the Official Opposition 2017–2020; (resigned 12 December 2019, remained leader until his successor was chosen on 24 August 2020).[1]
3rd24 August 2020 2 February 2022 Durham, Ontario Served concurrently as Leader of the Official Opposition 2020–2022; (removed 2 February 2022 by the Conservative caucus).
2 February 2022 10 September 2022 Portage—Lisgar, Manitoba Interim leader, served concurrently as Leader of the Official Opposition 2022.
4thPierre Poilievre10 September 2022IncumbentCarleton, OntarioServes concurrently as Leader of the Official Opposition.

Conservative prime ministers of Canada

This is a list of prime ministers of Canada after Confederation who were members of the Conservative Party of Canada (historical) (1867–1942), Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–2003), and Conservative Party of Canada (2003–present).

Conservative (1867–1942)

See also: Liberal-Conservative Party, Conservative Party of Canada (historical), Unionist Party (Canada) and National Liberal and Conservative Party.

Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–2003)

See also: Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.

Conservative Party of Canada (2003–present)

Electoral performance of Tory leaders

Conservative (historical; 1867–1942)

ElectionLeaderParty name
  1. of candidates nominated
  1. of seats won
+/–Election Outcome
  1. of total votes
% of popular votePosition
1867John A. MacdonaldConservatives, Liberal-Conservatives1121001st92,65634.53%
1872John A. MacdonaldConservatives, Liberal-Conservatives, one Conservative Labour140 1st123,10038.66%
1874John A. MacdonaldConservatives, Liberal-Conservatives, one Conservative Labour104 35 2nd99,44030.58%
1878John A. MacdonaldConservatives, Liberal-Conservatives161 64 1st229,19142.06%
1882John A. MacdonaldConservatives, Liberal-Conservatives168 7 1st208,54440.39%
1887John A. MacdonaldConservatives, Liberal-Conservatives203 25 1st343,80547.41%
1891John A. MacdonaldConservatives, Liberal-Conservatives212 6 1st376,51848.58%
1896Charles TupperConservatives, Liberal-Conservatives207 19 2nd467,41548.17%
1900Charles TupperConservatives, Liberal-Conservatives204 9 2nd438,33046.1%
1904Robert BordenConservatives, Liberal-Conservatives205 4 2nd470,43045.94%
1908Robert BordenConservatives, Liberal-Conservatives211 10 2nd539,37446.21%
1911Robert BordenConservatives, Liberal-Conservatives and Nationalist Conservatives212 48 1st636,93848.90%
1917Robert BordenUnionist Party211 20 1st1,070,69456.93%
1921Arthur MeighenNational Liberal and Conservative Party204 103 3rd935,65129.95%
1925Arthur MeighenConservatives232 65 1st1,454,25346.13%
1926Arthur MeighenConservatives232 23 2nd1,476,83445.34%
1930R. B. BennettConservatives229 44 1st1,836,115 47.79%
1935R. B. BennettConservatives228 94 2nd1,290,67129.84%
1940Robert James ManionNational Government207 2nd1,402,05930.41%

Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–2003)

ElectionLeaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionRoleGovernment
1945John Bracken1,448,74427.62% 27 2ndLiberal minority
1949George A. Drew1,734,26129.62% 23 2ndLiberal majority
1953George A. Drew1,749,57931.01% 9 2ndLiberal majority
1957John Diefenbaker2,564,73238.81% 59 1stPC minority
1958John Diefenbaker3,908,63353.56% 99 1stPC majority
1962John Diefenbaker2,865,54237.22% 94 1stPC minority
1963John Diefenbaker2,591,61332.80% 21 2ndLiberal minority
1965John Diefenbaker2,500,11332.41% 2 2ndLiberal minority
1968Robert Stanfield2,554,39731.43% 23 2ndLiberal majority
1972Robert Stanfield3,388,98035.02% 35 2ndLiberal minority
1974Robert Stanfield3,371,31935.46% 22 2ndLiberal majority
1979Joe Clark4,111,60635.89% 51 1stPC minority
1980Joe Clark3,552,99432.49% 33 2nd Liberal majority
1984Brian Mulroney6,278,81850.03% 108 1stPC majority
1988Brian Mulroney5,667,54343.02% 42 1stPC majority
1993Kim Campbell2,178,30316.04% 167 5thLiberal majority
1997Jean Charest2,446,70518.84% 18 5thLiberal majority
2000Joe Clark1,566,99412.19% 8 5thLiberal majority

Conservative Party of Canada (2003–present)

ElectionLeaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionGovernment
2004Stephen Harper4,019,49829.63% 21 2nd
20065,374,07136.37% 25 1st
20085,209,06937.65% 19 1st
20115,832,40139.62% 23 1st
20155,613,63331.91% 67 2nd
2019Andrew Scheer6,239,22734.34% 22 2nd
2021Erin O'Toole5,747,41033.74% 2 2nd

Other conservative parties' leaders

Parties that have had representation in the House of Commons

"Reform-Alliance"

Parties that have had no representation in the House of Commons

Leader of the People's Party of Canada

Notes

Notes and References

  1. News: Conservative caucus backs Scheer as interim leader amid private school backlash. Tunney. Catharine. 12 Dec 2019. CBC News. 1 Feb 2019. Harris. Kathleen.
  2. http://www.libertarian.ca/english/news/LPC_convention_agenda.html Agenda