2017 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election
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The 2017 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election was held on May 27, 2017. Party members chose
Andrew Scheer Andrew James Scheer (born May 20, 1979) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Regina—Qu'Appelle since 2004. Scheer served as the 35th speaker of the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015, and was the lead ...
as leader, replacing Stephen Harper, who led the Conservative Party of Canada as its leader from 2004 following the merger of the
Canadian Alliance The Canadian Alliance (french: Alliance canadienne), formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance (french: Alliance réformiste-conservatrice canadienne), was a centre-right to right-wing federal political party in Canada that existed ...
and Progressive Conservative parties. Harper led the party through five federal elections: the party increased its seat count in the House of Commons in 2004, formed two minority governments in 2006, and
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, and then a majority government in 2011. Following the defeat of the party in the 2015 federal election on October 19, Harper tendered his resignation as party leader. In a statement, Conservative Party President John Walsh said he had spoken to Harper, "and he has instructed me to reach out to the newly elected parliamentary caucus to appoint an interim Leader and to implement the leadership selection process." 259,010 party members were eligible to vote in the leadership contest. 141,000 members cast a vote. According to raw voting figures, Scheer received 62,593 votes on the final ballot compared to 55,544 votes for Bernier with 23,000 voters who had voted in the first round ranking neither Scheer or Bernier in their ranked ballot. Votes were apportioned among ridings so that each riding was allocated 100 points, regardless of the number of voters, resulting in 17,222.20 points (50.95%) for Scheer and 16,577.80 points (49.05%) for Bernier. Subsequent to the election, fourth placed candidate
Brad Trost Bradley Ryan Trost (born May 15, 1974) is a former Canadian politician who served as a Conservative Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada, representing the ridings of Saskatoon—Humboldt from 2004 to 2015 and Saskatoon—Univ ...
and his campaign were fined $50,000 by the Conservative Party of Canada for allegedly leaking the party's membership list to the
National Firearms Association The National Firearms Association (NFA; french: Association Nationale des Armes à Feu) is a Canadian non-profit association based in Edmonton. Its main goals are the repeal and replacement of the Firearms Act (Bill C-68), which was introduced i ...
. Trost denied that he or any of his staff leaked the list. On February 11, 2019, the Conservative Party released a statement from its Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC) which concluded: "In short, LEOC does not believe there is evidence that the Trost Campaign was responsible for leaking of the membership list...." The fine was therefore removed from the Brad Trost Campaign. Trost went on to lose renomination as the party candidate for his riding during the 43rd Federal election on March 10, 2018, to
Corey Tochor Corey James Tochor (born 1976 or 1977) is a Canadian politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Saskatoon—University since the 2019 federal election. Tochor was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 2011 ...
, former speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature. Criticism has been raised about how the party memberships were handled, with some prominent members saying they never received a ballot, even after contacting the party about it. In addition, the result of the leadership race and party handling was questioned by some supporters of such as runner-up
Maxime Bernier Maxime Bernier (born January 18, 1963) is a Canadian politician who is the founder and leader of the People's Party of Canada (PPC). Formerly a member of the Conservative Party, Bernier left the caucus in 2018 to form the PPC. He was the membe ...
and fifth place candidate
Kellie Leitch Khristinn Kellie Leitch (born July 30, 1970) is a Canadian surgeon and former politician who served as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Simcoe—Grey from 2011 to 2019 as a member of the Conservative Party. She was first elected in t ...
due to discrepancies in the final ballot count, specifically a gap between the number of ballots cast and the announced result - a 7,466 vote discrepancy, which is greater than Andrew Scheer's 7,049 votes margin of victory in the final round. There was criticism over the exact role of the accounting firm
Deloitte Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of professio ...
during the voting process - a deal revealed that Deloitte was not specifically tasked with auditing the vote but "observe" the counting process. It was also reported that some of
Brad Trost Bradley Ryan Trost (born May 15, 1974) is a former Canadian politician who served as a Conservative Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada, representing the ridings of Saskatoon—Humboldt from 2004 to 2015 and Saskatoon—Univ ...
's supporters contravened the Elections Act and party membership rules by offering incentives to vote.
Dimitri Soudas Dimitri Soudas (born July 10, 1979) is the former Director of Communications to the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, former Executive Director of the Canadian Olympic Committee and former Executive Director of the Conservative Party of Ca ...
, a former Stephen Harper aide, pointed out that it violated election rules and it benefited Scheer's campaign but the ballots have been destroyed so the results stood. Many considered Scheer's victory as an upset, given Bernier's consistent frontrunner status in the polls.


Interim leadership

Conservative Party president John Walsh's letter to caucus stated that only Members of Parliament (MPs) would vote for the interim leader, but Conservative Senators pointed out that the party constitution states that the entire parliamentary caucus votes. The caucus allowed senators to vote, declining to adopt the provisions of the Reform Act that would have only allowed MPs to vote. The caucus chose
Rona Ambrose Ronalee Ambrose Veitch ( , Name at birth, née Chapchuk; born March 15, 1969) is a Canadian former politician who was Interim leader (Canada), interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Conservative Party and the Leader of the Official ...
, MP for Sturgeon River—Parkland, Alberta and former
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...
, as interim leader at its first meeting on November 5, 2015, in a vote by
preferential ballot The term ranked voting (also known as preferential voting or ranked choice voting) refers to any voting system in which voters rank their candidates (or options) in a sequence of first or second (or third, etc.) on their respective ballots. Ran ...
. Ambrose, as the interim leader, also served as Leader of the Official Opposition in the Parliament of Canada until a permanent leader was chosen. She defeated
Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also kno ...
,
Diane Finley Diane Finley (born October 3, 1957) is a former Canadian politician. From 2006 through 2015, she served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Her ministerial portfolios included Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, M ...
, Mike Lake,
Rob Nicholson Robert Douglas "Rob" Nicholson (born April 29, 1952) is a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Niagara Falls in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2019 as a member of the Conservative Party. Under Prime Minister Stephen Ha ...
,
Erin O'Toole Erin Michael O'Toole (born January 22, 1973) is a Canadian politician who has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Durham since 2012. A member of the Conservative Party, O'Toole served as the party's leader and the leader of the Official ...
, and the joint ticket of
Denis Lebel Denis Lebel (born May 26, 1954) is a Canadian politician and who served as mayor of Roberval, Quebec and deputy leader of the Official Opposition. Lebel was born in Roberval, Quebec. Political career Lebel was elected to the House of Commo ...
and
Michelle Rempel Michelle Rempel Garner (''née'' Godin; born February 14, 1980) is a Canadian politician who sits in the House of Commons as the member of Parliament (MP) for the Alberta riding of Calgary Nose Hill. A member of the Conservative Party, she was ...
in the caucus vote. Under the party's constitution, Ambrose, as the interim leader, could not run for the permanent position.


Leadership election timing

Following Harper's resignation, debate emerged within the Conservative Party regarding the timing of the leadership election. Some members of the party's national council called for a leadership convention as early as May 2016 according to ''
Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian persp ...
'' magazine. However, interim leader Rona Ambrose has said there is a consensus among the party's caucus that the leadership election shouldn't be rushed and should be held sometime in 2017. In a December 2015 interview, Ambrose said the party would take its time allowing all members, including those not already involved in politics, to build a strong candidacy. "If we take a little extra time, that will mean we'll have a better leadership race." The Conservative Party's Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC) met at Toronto's Albany Club January 15–17, 2016 to discuss the process for the Party to elect its next leader. Among its decisions, LEOC selected May 27, 2017, for Conservative Party members to elect their next leader.


Rules and voting system

Only party members in good standing at 5pm Eastern Time on March 28, 2017, were allowed to vote. The fee for a party membership was raised from $15 to $25, an increase that was reversed on April 23, 2016, after criticisms that the move was "elitist". Membership fees could only be paid via personal cheque or credit card. Cash payments were not permitted. This new requirement was intended to prevent the election being dominated by new members, and to prevent anyone other than the individual member, such as a candidate's campaign, from signing up scores of members and paying the membership fees in cash out of campaign funds. Despite this, the Conservative Party confirmed irregularities with 1,351 memberships connected to prepaid credit cards that it subsequently struck from its membership roll. Voting was on a
one member one vote In the parliamentary politics of the United Kingdom and Canada, one member, one vote (OMOV) is a method of selecting party leaders, and determining party policy, by a direct vote of the members of a political party. Traditionally, these objectives ...
basis using a
ranked ballot A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either "ranked higher than", "ranked lower than" or "ranked equal to" the second. In mathematics, this is known as a weak order or total preorder of ...
; however votes were calculated so that each electoral district had equal weight with each electoral district allocated 100 points. Candidates were assigned a point total based on his or her percentage of the vote in each electoral district. To win, a candidate must receive at least 16,901 points which would be a majority. To register, candidates must: * be members of the party for at least six months (can be waived), * submit nomination forms signed by 300 party members from at least 30 electoral districts in at least seven different provinces and territories, * pay a $50,000 non-refundable entrance fee, half of which must be paid when filing nomination with the other half due by the close of nominations on February 24, 2017. * pay an additional $50,000 compliance deposit, by December 31, 2016, or when filing nomination for those who register in 2017, which is refundable provided the candidate complies with campaign rules. * and fill out a 40-page questionnaire that asks for: ** references, ** criminal background and credit checks, ** agreement with basic party principles, ** a list of social media accounts, ** questions about possible controversial positions the candidate has taken in the past, and ** questions about affiliations and personal associations and behaviour that may be problematic. A party committee reviewed the candidate's nomination form and may disqualify a potential candidate. Candidates are allowed to spend a maximum of $5 million on their campaigns.


Timeline

*October 19, 2015 – Federal election results in defeat of Conservative government. As Harper spoke to supporters in Calgary, making no reference to his future, a statement was released by the party announcing Harper's resignation as party leader and his request that an interim leader be chosen to lead the party in parliament until a leadership election can be held. *November 4, 2015 – Harper resigns as prime minister; Liberal government led by
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
sworn in. *November 5, 2015 – Conservative caucus held its first meeting since the 2015 federal election and chose former health minister
Rona Ambrose Ronalee Ambrose Veitch ( , Name at birth, née Chapchuk; born March 15, 1969) is a Canadian former politician who was Interim leader (Canada), interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Conservative Party and the Leader of the Official ...
interim leader of the party. *December 4–5, 2015 – National Council meets, 20-member Leadership Election Organization Committee appointed, including seven members of the National Council and MP
Diane Finley Diane Finley (born October 3, 1957) is a former Canadian politician. From 2006 through 2015, she served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Her ministerial portfolios included Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, M ...
, all of whom have pledged to be neutral during the leadership campaign; Dan Nowlan is appointed the committee's chair. *January 15–17, 2016 – The Leadership Election Organization Committee meets at the Albany Club in Toronto to decide on the date of the leadership vote, the deadline for candidates to be nominated, campaign spending limits, the entrance fee for candidates and the appeals process for any disputes. *May 26–28, 2016 – Conservative Party national policy convention, held at the
Vancouver Convention Centre The Vancouver Convention Centre (formerly known as the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, or VCEC) is a convention centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; it is one of Canada's largest convention centres. With the opening of the ne ...
, voted on policy resolutions and elected the party president and other officials. An attempt to change the party constitution to allow the party's interim leader, Rona Ambrose, to seek the permanent leadership is defeated. *September 12, 2016 – Former Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, who had been leading public opinion polls as the most popular potential leader, announces that he will not be a candidate for the party's leadership. *November 2, 2016 – Only those who have registered as candidates by this date, including having paid at least $25,000 of the candidate deposit, are permitted to participate in the first leadership debate, to be held the following week. 12 candidates meet this deadline. *November 9, 2016 – First of five official leadership debates organized by the LEOC, held in Saskatoon. *November 13, 2016 – Leadership debate organized by the Carleton Conservative Association, held in
Greely, Ontario Greely is a suburban-rural community in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Located south of the city in Osgoode Ward, it was part of the Township of Osgoode prior to amalgamation in 2001. Greely is currently the largest rural village in terms of land area ...
*December 6, 2016 – Second official debate held in Moncton in English and French. *December 31, 2016 – Deadline for candidates who filed their nomination papers in 2016 to have paid $50,000 compliance fee. *January 17, 2017, 6:30 pm – Third official debate held in Quebec City in French at the Quebec Convention Centre. The themes covered will be government and taxes. *February 4, 2017 – Leadership debate organized by the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia was held in
Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...
. The first debate involving well-known businessman
Kevin O'Leary Terence Thomas Kevin O'Leary (born 9 July 1954), also known as Mr. Wonderful, is a Canadian businessman, entrepreneur, and television personality. From 2004 to 2014, he appeared on various Canadian television shows. These include the business n ...
. *February 24, 2017, 5pm ET ( UTC-5) – Nomination period closes; deadline for candidates to pay any remaining balance of entrance fee. *February 24, 2017 – Leadership debate organized by the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, held in Ottawa,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
*February 28, 2017 – Fourth official debate, held in Edmonton at the Maclab Theatre in English and French. *March 28, 2017, 5pm ET ( UTC-4) – Members who have joined by this date are eligible to vote. *April 26, 2017 – Presumed frontrunner
Kevin O'Leary Terence Thomas Kevin O'Leary (born 9 July 1954), also known as Mr. Wonderful, is a Canadian businessman, entrepreneur, and television personality. From 2004 to 2014, he appeared on various Canadian television shows. These include the business n ...
withdraws from the election and endorses
Maxime Bernier Maxime Bernier (born January 18, 1963) is a Canadian politician who is the founder and leader of the People's Party of Canada (PPC). Formerly a member of the Conservative Party, Bernier left the caucus in 2018 to form the PPC. He was the membe ...
; as O'Leary has withdrawn after the deadline, his name remains on the ballot. Final leadership debate is held. *April 28, 2017 – Voting by mail-in
ranked ballot A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either "ranked higher than", "ranked lower than" or "ranked equal to" the second. In mathematics, this is known as a weak order or total preorder of ...
begins. *May 26, 2017, 5pm ET ( UTC-5) – Deadline for mail-in ballots to be received. *May 27, 2017 – In-person voting at Toronto Congress Centre and 14 polling stations across the country until 4 pm ET ( UTC-5). Advance and in-person ballots counted; results announced.


Full results


Provincial summary


Debates


Registered candidates

Candidates who have paid their entrance fee and compliance deposit and filed their nomination papers:


Chris Alexander

;Background Chris Alexander, , is the former
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration The minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship (french: Ministre de l'immigration, des réfugiés et de la citoyenneté) is a minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet. The minister is responsible for Immigration, Refugees and Citi ...
(2013–2015), Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of National Defence (2011– 2013) and the former MP for
Ajax—Pickering Ajax—Pickering was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that had been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2011 by Conservative MP Chris Alexander. Its population in 2001 was 100,215. The district included the Town ...
, Ontario (2011–2015). Prior to entering politics, he served as a member of Canada's foreign diplomatic service, most notably in the Canadian Embassy in Moscow and as the Canadian Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005. From 2005 to 2009 he held the post of Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Afghanistan. In addition to English, he is fluent in both French and Russian languages. :Date campaign announced: October 12, 2016 ;Endorsements *Former MPs: (1)
Yuri Shymko Yuri Shymko (Cyrillic: Юрій Шимко, born September 6, 1940) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative Party member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1978 to 1979 representing the downtown Toronto ...
( Parkdale, 1978–1979) ;Policies Chris Alexander has 40 detailed published policies that fall into three main categories: New Economy, New Country and New Role. These policies include how Canada should approach: employment, taxation, innovation, families, education, competitiveness, energy self-reliance, cities, agriculture, poverty, homelessness, First Nations peoples, the Métis, refugees, the Monarchy, justice, health care, protecting wilderness, forestry, mining, international diplomacy, terrorism, democratic reform, cyber-security, Canadian culture, northern development, and national defence. He believes that immigration is the key to "economic growth." Is proposing to increase immigration to 400,000 a year including 40,000 refugees and calling for doubling defence spending and "for an accelerated push to settle all outstanding land claims and to sign treaties with First Nations communities that would empower them to govern themselves". Was prominent in the Conservative government's handling of the Syrian refugee crisis and in the government's promise during the 2015 election to create a telephone tip line to report so-called "barbaric cultural practices." As minister, he was criticized over delays in meeting the government's commitment to resettle Syrian refugees.


Maxime Bernier Maxime Bernier (born January 18, 1963) is a Canadian politician who is the founder and leader of the People's Party of Canada (PPC). Formerly a member of the Conservative Party, Bernier left the caucus in 2018 to form the PPC. He was the membe ...

;Background Maxime Bernier, , was the MP for
Beauce Beauce may refer to: * Beauce, France, a natural region in northern France * Beaucé, a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, Brittany, France * Beauce, Quebec, an historical and cultural region of Canada ** Beauce (electoral district), a fed ...
, Quebec (2006–2019) and was the Shadow Minister of Innovation (2015—2016). He served in the Harper government as Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism (2011–2015),
Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...
(2007–2008), and
Minister of Industry The industry minister is a cabinet position in a government. The title may refer to the head of the governmental department that specializes in industry. This position may also be responsible for trade and employment, areas that fall under the mi ...
(2006–2007), Bernier is considered an advocate of
limited government In political philosophy, limited government is the concept of a government limited in power. It is a key concept in the history of liberalism.Amy Gutmann, "How Limited Is Liberal Government" in Liberalism Without Illusions: Essays on Liberal Th ...
and has been compared to a Libertarian. He has been nicknamed "
Mad Max ''Mad Max'' is an Australian post-apocalyptic action film series and media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It began in 1979 with '' Mad Max'', and was followed by three sequels: ''Mad Max 2'' (1981, released in the Unite ...
", the "Bloc-buster", or the " Albertan from
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
" by his Ottawa colleagues. Prior to entering federal politics in 2006, Bernier, a lawyer by training, was vice-president of the Standard Life of Canada Insurance company, MEI, and manager of corporate and international relations at the Commission des valeurs mobilières du Québec. :Date candidacy announced: April 7, 2016 ;Policies: *Running a campaign based on individual freedom, personal responsibility, respect and fairness. Expects support around the ideas/policies he is placing in the campaigns. *Calls for smaller government, lower taxes everywhere, paying down the national debt, increasing investments, increase pipeline developments, and opening up markets. Opposes bailout to any corporation, and use of "
corporate welfare Corporate welfare is a phrase used to describe a government's bestowal of money grants, tax breaks, or other special favorable treatment for corporations. The definition of corporate welfare is sometimes restricted to direct government subsidie ...
" (business subsidies). Supports the decriminalization/legalization of marijuana Wants to allow MPs to vote their conscience and get rid of
omnibus bill An omnibus bill is a proposed law that covers a number of diverse or unrelated topics. ''Omnibus'' is derived from Latin and means "to, for, by, with or from everything". An omnibus bill is a single document that is accepted in a single vote by a ...
s. *Phasing control of
Canada Health Transfer The Canada Health Transfer (CHT) (french: Transfert canadien en matière de santé) is the Canadian government's transfer payment program in support of the health systems of the provinces and territories of Canada. The program was originally com ...
to the provinces for health care by replacing it with a health transfer point systems, encourage provinces to move away from a
single-payer healthcare Single-payer healthcare is a type of universal healthcare in which the costs of essential healthcare for all residents are covered by a single public system (hence "single-payer"). Single-payer systems may contract for healthcare services from ...
system to a
two-tier healthcare Two-tier healthcare is a situation in which a basic government-provided healthcare system provides basic care, and a secondary tier of care exists for those who can pay for additional, better quality or faster access. Most countries have both p ...
system, balance the budget within two years then reduce the number of
tax bracket Tax brackets are the divisions at which tax rates change in a progressive tax system (or an explicitly regressive tax system, though that is rarer). Essentially, tax brackets are the cutoff values for taxable income—income past a certain poin ...
s from five to three, increase basic exemption from $11,474 to $15,000 being paid by "boutique" tax credits. Supports abolishing capital gains taxes, and lowering corporate taxes to 10% by getting rid of corporate welfare. *Opposes a "
Canadian values Canadian values are the commonly shared ethical and human values of Canadians.Douglas Baer, Edward Grabb, and William Johnston, "National character, regional culture, and the values of Canadians and Americans." ''Canadian Review of Sociology/Revu ...
" test on the basis that it is logistically ineffective to fight
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
. Abolish the
Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; french: Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes, links=) is a public organization in Canada with mandate as a regulatory agency for broadcasti ...
, privatizing Canada Post Corporation, phasing out supply management on dairy and poultry, and expanding
free trade Free trade is a trade policy that does not restrict imports or exports. It can also be understood as the free market idea applied to international trade. In government, free trade is predominantly advocated by political parties that hold econ ...
. Ending inter-provincial barriers as a priority. *He also wants to "break" Quebec's maple syrup cartel and wants to allow foreign ownership for the airline industry. He wants to "streamline the process for hiring specialized workers abroad". He wants to put more emphasis on economic immigration and "slightly reduce" family reunification class immigration. More privately sponsored refugee and fewer government sponsored. Reform temporary foreign worker programs. Bernier believes first nation communities need to be consulted before the Indian Act needs to be "abolished, or changed." Opposes federal control overreaching into other jurisdictions. Create stricter foreign aid standards and phase out development aid.


Steven Blaney Steven Blaney (born April 8, 1965) is a Canadian businessman and Conservative politician. He served as the Minister of Public Safety Canada (July 15, 2013 – November 4, 2015) and previously as the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister o ...

;Background Steven Blaney, , was the Shadow Minister of Public Works and Government Services (2015–2016) for the Conservative Opposition, and is the former Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (2013–2015), Minister of Veterans Affairs (2011–2013). He is the MP for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, Quebec (2015–present) and Lévis—Bellechasse, Quebec (2006–2015). :Date campaign announced: October 23, 2016 ;Endorsements ;MPs: ;Senators: (2) * Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu (
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
), *
Jean-Guy Dagenais Jean-Guy Dagenais (born February 2, 1950) is a Canadian politician from Quebec. He was appointed to the Senate of Canada on January 17, 2012, by Stephen Harper after losing in the 2011 Canadian federal election running as a Conservative candida ...
(
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
) ;Provincial politicians: ;Municipal politicians: ;Former MPs: ;Former Senators: ;Former provincial politicians: ;Former municipal politicians: ;Other prominent individuals: ;Organizations: ;Media: ;Policies: Supports banning the wearing of the niqab while voting, taking the citizenship oath, or by federal public servants, even if such a ban would require invoking the notwithstanding clause of the Constitution in order to override the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms The ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' (french: Charte canadienne des droits et libertés), often simply referred to as the ''Charter'' in Canada, is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, forming the first part o ...
. Also advocates testing of would be citizens on "their understanding and appreciation of Canada's core principles." He wants to "beef up" screening. The number of immigrants he wants to bring in will be based upon labour-market studies.


Michael Chong Michael David Chong (born November 22, 1971) is a Canadian politician who has represented the Ontario riding of Wellington—Halton Hills in the House of Commons since 2004. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the cabinet of Prim ...

;Background Michael Chong, , is the MP for
Wellington—Halton Hills Wellington—Halton Hills is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2004. The Member of Parliament for Wellington—Halton Hills is Michael Chong of the Conservative ...
, Ontario (2004–present) and was the Deputy Shadow Minister of the Environment (2015–2016). He was Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth (2006) and
Minister of Sport A Ministry of Sports or Ministry of Youth and Sports is a kind of government ministry found in certain countries with responsibility for the regulation of sports, particularly those participated in by young people. The Ministry of Youth and Spo ...
(2006). Chong resigned from the Harper cabinet in 2006 to protest the government's recognition of the Québécois as a nation within Canada. As a backbench MP he advocated democratic reforms in Parliament to limit the power of the Prime Minister's Office and party leaders over their caucuses and individual MPs and introduced the Reform Act to give caucuses the option of the power to remove party leaders, elect caucus chairs, and expel or readmit MPs, and elect interim leaders. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party at the time of the merger. :Date campaign announced: May 16, 2016 ;Policies: *Advocates modernizing democratic institutions and strengthening the independence of MPs and parliamentary committees. *Calls for the privatization of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) mortgage insurance and securitization business, a measure he says will make housing more affordable in Canada. *Supports introducing a revenue neutral
carbon tax A carbon tax is a tax levied on the carbon emissions required to produce goods and services. Carbon taxes are intended to make visible the "hidden" social costs of carbon emissions, which are otherwise felt only in indirect ways like more sev ...
. Chong's plan would phase in a carbon tax over a decade, while immediately cutting taxes by $18 billion and getting rid of green regulations and subsidies. *Believes that Canada needs an evidence-based immigration policy that would put economic interests at the forefront. He has criticized face-to-face values screening as a divisive tactic.


Kellie Leitch Khristinn Kellie Leitch (born July 30, 1970) is a Canadian surgeon and former politician who served as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Simcoe—Grey from 2011 to 2019 as a member of the Conservative Party. She was first elected in t ...

;Background Kellie Leitch, , was the MP for
Simcoe—Grey Simcoe—Grey is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1997. It was created in 1996 from parts of Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, Bruce—Grey, Simcoe Centre, Simcoe Nor ...
, Ontario (2011–2019) and Shadow Minister of Health (2015–2016). In the Harper cabinet, she was Minister of Labour and the Status of Women (2013–2015). She is an orthopaedic pediatric surgeon at SickKids Hospital and an associate professor at the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
. :Date campaign announced: April 6, 2016 ;Policies: *Supports the decriminalization, but not legalization, of
marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
. Opposes a national tax on carbon emissions. Has suggested screening prospective immigrants using a "
Canadian values Canadian values are the commonly shared ethical and human values of Canadians.Douglas Baer, Edward Grabb, and William Johnston, "National character, regional culture, and the values of Canadians and Americans." ''Canadian Review of Sociology/Revu ...
" test. Described
Donald J. Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
's win of the American presidency as an "exciting message and one that we need delivered in Canada as well." Urged by hundreds of health professionals to honour her medical oath and work against Canada's controversial asbestos industry, remained silent on the issue. Calls for the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
to be defunded and dismantled with the exception of the provision of emergency services to rural and remote parts of Canada.


Pierre Lemieux Pierre Lemieux (born April 9, 1963) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell from 2006 to 2015, first elected in Canada's 39th general election and defeated in the ...

;Background Pierre Lemieux, , is the former MP for
Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Glengarry—Prescott—Russell (formerly known as Glengarry—Prescott) is a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1953. Geography The dist ...
, Ontario (2006–2015). In the Harper government he was the Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages (2007–2008), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture (2008–2015), and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs (2015). :Date campaign announced: August 22, 2016 ;Endorsements ;MPs: ;Senators: ;Provincial politicians: ;Municipal politicians: ;Former MPs: ;Former Senators: ;Former provincial politicians: ;Former municipal politicians: ;Other prominent individuals: ;Organizations: (3) *
Campaign Life Coalition The Campaign Life Coalition (sometimes shortened to Campaign Life) is a Canadian political lobbyist organization founded in 1978. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, the organization advocates for socially conservative values. Campaign Life Coalition opp ...
*
Canadian Taxpayers Federation The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF; french: Fédération canadienne des contribuables, link=no) is a federally incorporated, non-profit organization in Canada. It claimed 30,517 donors and 215,009 supporters in 2018–19. Voting membership, ...
Generation Screwed project, *Right Now ;Policies: *Running as a social conservative, highlighting his opposition to abortion and
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
. Lemieux does not believe that screening potential immigration candidates to Canada would make Canada any safer. In March 2017, Pierre Lemieux received a rating of C− from the
Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR) is a Canadian gun rights organization. History The organization was founded by lawyer Tracey Wilson in the autumn of 2015 shortly after the Liberal Party of Canada won the 2015 Canadian feder ...
for his policies on firearms ownership in Canada.


Deepak Obhrai Deepak Obhrai (July 5, 1950 – August 2, 2019) was a Tanzania-born Canadian politician, representing the riding of Calgary East (until 2015) and Forest Lawn (from 2015) for the Reform Party of Canada and then the Conservative Party of Canada ...

;Background Deepak Obhrai, , was the MP for
Calgary Forest Lawn Calgary Forest Lawn is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2015. Calgary Forest Lawn was created by the 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution and was de ...
, Alberta (2015–2019), and represented
Calgary East Calgary East was a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1917 to 1953, 1979 to 1988, from 1997 to 2015. It was a lower income urban riding in Calgary, with a sizable visible min ...
, Alberta (1997–2015), was Shadow Minister of International Development (2015–2016), and was the Dean of the Conservative Caucus. In the Harper government he was the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs (2006–2015). Obhrai was a member of the
Canadian Alliance The Canadian Alliance (french: Alliance canadienne), formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance (french: Alliance réformiste-conservatrice canadienne), was a centre-right to right-wing federal political party in Canada that existed ...
at the time of the merger. :Date campaign announced: July 14, 2016 ;Endorsements ;MPs: ;Senators: ;Provincial politicians: ;Municipal politicians: ;Former MPs: (2) *
Corneliu Chisu Corneliu Emil Eugen Chișu (born February 13, 1949) is a Romanian-born Canadian politician, who was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2011 election. He represented the riding of Pickering—Scarborough East as a member of t ...
(
Pickering—Scarborough East Pickering—Scarborough East was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that had been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2015. The district was created in 2003 from 44.1% of Pickering—Ajax—Uxbridge, 39.7% ...
, 2011–2015) *
Joe Daniel Joe Daniel (born December 5, 1954) is a former Canadian politician. He was a Conservative member of the House of Commons of Canada from 2011 to 2015 who represented the Toronto riding of Don Valley East. He was the first Canadian MP of Malayali ...
(
Don Valley East Don Valley East (french: Don Valley-Est) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada that covers the northeast section of the North York part of Toronto. The federal riding was created in 1976 from parts of Willowdale, York East, ...
, 2011–2015) ;Former Senators: ;Former provincial politicians: ;Former municipal politicians: ;Other prominent individuals: ;Organizations: (1) *
Canadian Taxpayers Federation The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF; french: Fédération canadienne des contribuables, link=no) is a federally incorporated, non-profit organization in Canada. It claimed 30,517 donors and 215,009 supporters in 2018–19. Voting membership, ...
Generation Screwed project ;Media: ;Withdrawn Endorsements: (2) *
Julian Fantino Julian Fantino, , ( it, Giuliano Fantino; born August 13, 1942) is a Canadian retired police official and former politician. He was the Conservative Party of Canada Member of the Parliament of Canada for the riding of Vaughan following a Nov ...
(Former MP for
Vaughan Vaughan () (2021 population 323,103) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Regional Municipality of York, just north of Toronto. Vaughan was the fastest-growing municipality in Canada between 1996 and 2006 with its population increas ...
, 2010–2015) *
Martin Shields Martin Shields (born April 28, 1948) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the riding of Bow River in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 Canadian federal election. Prior to his election, he served as the mayor of Bro ...
(MP for
Bow River The Bow River is a river in Alberta, Canada. It begins within the Canadian Rocky Mountains and winds through the Alberta foothills onto the prairies, where it meets the Oldman River, the two then forming the South Saskatchewan River. These w ...
) ;Policies: *Advocates a more inclusive party. Had promised to withdraw in favour of
Peter MacKay Peter Gordon MacKay (born September 27, 1965) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2015 and has served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General (2013–2015), Minister of National Defence (2007â ...
if he were to run. He wants to increase the number of privately sponsored refugees and cut the number of government-sponsored refugees.


Erin O'Toole Erin Michael O'Toole (born January 22, 1973) is a Canadian politician who has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Durham since 2012. A member of the Conservative Party, O'Toole served as the party's leader and the leader of the Official ...

;Background Erin O'Toole, , is the MP for
Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
, Ontario (2012–present) and was Shadow Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (2015–2016) for the Conservative Party in Opposition. Previously, he served as Minister of Veterans Affairs (2015). :Date campaign announced: October 14, 2016 ;Policies: O'Toole policies wants to give tax credits for youth underemployment and student debt. He wants to restructure temporary foreign worker and provincial nominee programs.


Rick Peterson

;Background Rick Peterson, 61, is a venture capitalist, party fundraiser, the principal of Peterson Capital, and a former candidate for leadership of the
British Columbia Conservative Party The Conservative Party of British Columbia is a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. In the early half of the 20th century, the Conservatives competed with the British Columbia Liberal Party for power in the province. Since th ...
. He was a member of the Progressive Conservatives at the time of the merger. :Date campaign announced: October 18, 2016 ;Endorsements ;MPs: ;Senators: ;Provincial politicians: ;Municipal politicians: ;Former MPs: (1) * Bill Clarke (
Vancouver Quadra Vancouver Quadra is a federal electoral district in the Metro Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada. It has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1949. The constituency bears the name of the Spanish explorer who surveye ...
, 1973–1984) ;Former Senators: ;Former provincial politicians: ;Former municipal politicians: ;Other prominent individuals: (3) * Brian Day ( Canadian Medical Association President, 2006–2008) *Karen Mortfield (Press Secretary to the Ontario PC Leader, 1990–1993) * Mark Mullins (Former
Fraser Institute The Fraser Institute is a libertarian-conservative Canadian public policy think tank and registered charity. The institute describes itself as independent and non-partisan. It is headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Calgary, T ...
President) ;Organizations: (1) *
Canadian Taxpayers Federation The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF; french: Fédération canadienne des contribuables, link=no) is a federally incorporated, non-profit organization in Canada. It claimed 30,517 donors and 215,009 supporters in 2018–19. Voting membership, ...
Generation Screwed project ;Policies: *Advocates a flat federal income tax rate of 15% and eliminating corporate income taxes and raising the
GST GST may refer to: Taxes * General sales tax * Goods and Services Tax, the name for the value-added tax in several jurisdictions: ** Goods and services tax (Australia) ** Goods and Services Tax (Canada) ** Goods and Services Tax (Hong Kong) **G ...
to 9%. Supports boosting terrorist surveillance and enhance security screening for immigrants. *Advocates offering citizenship to almost 250,000 skilled workers a year by 2022, triple today's levels, and to 35,000 business people, more than five times today's level while freezing refugee integration to the levels of Harper Era. *Would reform health care provincial transfer payments and equalization payments. *Calls for
Canada Revenue Agency The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA; ; ) is the revenue service of the Canadian federal government, and most provincial and territorial governments. The CRA collects taxes, administers tax law and policy, and delivers benefit programs and tax credit ...
to withdraw from Quebec and to transfer the administration and collection of the income tax in the province to Revenue Quebec. *Would take Canada out of the UN firearms marking scheme and to allow
open carry In the United States, open carry refers to the practice of visibly carrying a firearm in public places, as distinguished from concealed carry, where firearms cannot be seen by the casual observer. To "carry" in this context indicates that the fi ...
of restricted firearms in the bush. Received a rating of C− from the
Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR) is a Canadian gun rights organization. History The organization was founded by lawyer Tracey Wilson in the autumn of 2015 shortly after the Liberal Party of Canada won the 2015 Canadian feder ...
for his policies and a rating of C from the National Firearms Association.


Lisa Raitt Lisa Sarah MacCormack Raitt (born May 7, 1968) is a former Canadian politician who served as a Cabinet of Canada, federal Cabinet minister and Member of Parliament (Canada), member of Parliament (MP) from 2008 to 2019. A member of the Conservativ ...

;Background Lisa Raitt, , was the MP for
Milton Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free t ...
, Ontario (2015–2019), previously Halton, Ontario (2008–2015) and the former Shadow Minister of Finance (2015–2016),
Minister of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...
(2013–2015),
Minister of Labour Minister of Labour (in British English) or Labor (in American English) is typically a cabinet-level position with portfolio responsibility for setting national labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, traini ...
(2010–2013),
Minister of Natural Resources The minister of natural resources () is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). In addition to NRCan, the minister oversees the federal government's natural resources portfolio ...
(2008–2010), President and CEO of the
Toronto Port Authority The Toronto Port Authority (TPA), doing business as PortsToronto (PT), is a port authority that is responsible for the management of the Port of Toronto, including the International Marine Passenger Terminal, and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport ...
(2002–2008). Stepped down from shadow cabinet on October 14, 2016, to prepare for leadership bid. :Date campaign announced: November 2, 2016 ;Policies: Opposes Leitch's proposal to screen immigrants for "anti-Canadian values". She will "introduce balanced budgets, repeal carbon pricing legislation and prioritize the development of Canada's natural resources." *Firearms policy. In March 2017, Raitt received a rating of C+ from the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights for her policies on firearms ownership in Canada. In April, she received a rating of D from the National Firearms Association.


Andrew Saxton Andrew Saxton (born March 11, 1964) is a Canadian politician and businessman, who was elected Member of Parliament to represent the electoral district of North Vancouver in the 2008 Canadian federal election and re-elected in 2011; he was defe ...

;Background Andrew Saxton, , is the former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance (Canada), Minister of Finance (2013–2015), Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board (Canada), President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification (2011–2013), MP for North Vancouver (electoral district), North Vancouver (2008–2015), former chief executive officer of King George Financial Corporation. :Date campaign announced: October 18, 2016 ;Endorsements ;MPs: ;Senators: ;Provincial politicians: ;Municipal politicians: ;Former MPs: (3) *Joyce Bateman (Winnipeg South Centre, 2011–2015) *John Duncan (Canadian politician), John Duncan (Vancouver Island North, 1993–2006, 2008–2015) *John Allen Fraser, John Fraser (Vancouver South, 1972–1993; Speaker of the House of Commons, 1986–1993) ;Former Senators: (1) *Noël Kinsella (New Brunswick, 1990–2014; Speaker of the Senate, 2006–2014) ;Former provincial politicians: ;Former municipal politicians: ;Other prominent individuals: ;Organizations: (1) *
Canadian Taxpayers Federation The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF; french: Fédération canadienne des contribuables, link=no) is a federally incorporated, non-profit organization in Canada. It claimed 30,517 donors and 215,009 supporters in 2018–19. Voting membership, ...
Generation Screwed project ;Media: (1) *David Holmes Black (''Black Press'' Owner) ;Policies: Saxton's campaign is an economic platform. He plans on lowering taxes and balancing the budget.


Andrew Scheer Andrew James Scheer (born May 20, 1979) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Regina—Qu'Appelle since 2004. Scheer served as the 35th speaker of the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015, and was the lead ...

;Background Andrew Scheer, , Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons (Canada), Opposition House Leader (2015–2016), MP for Regina—Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan (2004–present), Speaker of the House of Commons (Canada), Speaker of the House of Commons (2011–2015). Scheer was a member of the
Canadian Alliance The Canadian Alliance (french: Alliance canadienne), formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance (french: Alliance réformiste-conservatrice canadienne), was a centre-right to right-wing federal political party in Canada that existed ...
at the time of the merger. :Date campaign announced: September 28, 2016 ;Policies: Running as an "unapologetic" Conservative who can unite all wings of the party. He is "committed" to lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, and "compassion". Scheer believes that there should be a "more robust screening process." Scheer is pro-life, but doesn't intend to bring any legislation on the topic. Scheer advocates for immigration based process, economic indicators, and "what our society needs."


Brad Trost Bradley Ryan Trost (born May 15, 1974) is a former Canadian politician who served as a Conservative Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada, representing the ridings of Saskatoon—Humboldt from 2004 to 2015 and Saskatoon—Univ ...

;Background Brad Trost, , was the MP for Saskatoon—University, (2015–2019) and Saskatoon—Humboldt (2004–2015) previously. He was appointed Official Opposition Critic for Canada-U.S. Relations (2015–2016) following the 2015 election. Prior to election, Trost worked as an exploration geophysicist (prospector) in natural resources extraction in the north. He was also an active participant in his family's mixed grain, oilseeds and beef cattle farm operation. In his first Parliament, he founded the Conservative Party Energy Caucus and pushed for the re-creation of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources. He has served on the Standing Committees on International Trade and on Industry, and was elected vice-chair of the Canada-U.S. Parliamentary Association. :Date campaign announced: August 16, 2016 ;Endorsements ;MPs: ;Senators: ;Provincial politicians: ;Municipal politicians: ;Former MPs: (2) *Leon Benoit (Vegreville—Wainwright, 1993–2015), *Maurice Vellacott (Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, 1997–2015) ;Former provincial politicians: ;Former municipal politicians: ;Other prominent individuals: ;Organizations: (2) *
Campaign Life Coalition The Campaign Life Coalition (sometimes shortened to Campaign Life) is a Canadian political lobbyist organization founded in 1978. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, the organization advocates for socially conservative values. Campaign Life Coalition opp ...
, *
Canadian Taxpayers Federation The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF; french: Fédération canadienne des contribuables, link=no) is a federally incorporated, non-profit organization in Canada. It claimed 30,517 donors and 215,009 supporters in 2018–19. Voting membership, ...
Generation Screwed project ;Media: ;Policies: *Running as a social conservative, opposes a carbon tax, transgender bathrooms, tax increases generally, assisted suicide and abortion, deficit financing, and legalization of marijuana. Has been outspoken against abortion and against same-sex marriage and argued unsuccessfully at the 2016 Conservative policy convention to retain the party's definition of marriage as "the Union of one man and one woman". Advocates privatization of the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
.


Withdrawn candidates


Tony Clement

;Background Tony Clement, , is the MP for Parry Sound—Muskoka, Ontario (2006–2019) and has been Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs (2015–2016), President of the Treasury Board (2011–2015),
Minister of Industry The industry minister is a cabinet position in a government. The title may refer to the head of the governmental department that specializes in industry. This position may also be responsible for trade and employment, areas that fall under the mi ...
(2008–2011),
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...
(2006–2008), and a 2004 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election, 2004 leadership candidate, placing third. He was an MPP in the Ontario legislature (1995–2003) and a provincial cabinet minister (1997–2003) under Premiers Mike Harris and Ernie Eves. Clement also ran for the 2002 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election, leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario in 2002, placing third. :Date campaign announced: July 12, 2016 :Date withdrawn: October 12, 2016 ;Endorsements ;MPs: ;Senators: (1) *Leo Housakos (
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
; Speaker of the Senate, 2015) ;Provincial politicians: ;Municipal politicians: ;Former MPs: (1) *Brad Butt (Mississauga—Streetsville, 2011–2015) ;Former Senators: ;Former provincial politicians: (1) *Gary Mar (Alberta MLA for Calgary Nose Creek, 1993–2004, and Calgary-Mackay, 2004–2007) ;Former municipal politicians: (1) *Stephen Sparling (Halton, Ontario, Halton Regional Councillor for Oakville, Ontario, Oakville, 1991–2000) ;Other prominent individuals: (2) *Sandra Buckler (Director of Communications, Prime Minister's Office 2006–2008), *John Capobianco (FleishmanHillard National Lead) ;Organizations: ;Media: ;Other information: *Said he would bring in coherent environmental policies in the wake of the Paris climate change accord, end government subsidies to the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
. Withdrew after he was unable to meet fundraising targets he'd set for his campaign. *Later endorsed
Maxime Bernier Maxime Bernier (born January 18, 1963) is a Canadian politician who is the founder and leader of the People's Party of Canada (PPC). Formerly a member of the Conservative Party, Bernier left the caucus in 2018 to form the PPC. He was the membe ...
.


Daniel Lindsay

;Background Daniel Lindsay, 60, president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, radiologist, has done five tours as a civilian medical specialist with the Canadian Armed Forces, including in Kandahar, Afghanistan. :Date campaign announced: May 25, 2016 :Date withdrawn: December 28, 2016 ;Endorsements ;MPs: ;Senators: (1) *Betty Unger (Alberta) ;Provincial politicians: ;Municipal politicians: ;Former MPs: ;Former Senators: ;Former provincial politicians: ;Former municipal politicians: ;Other prominent individuals: ;Organizations: ;Media: ;Other information: Withdrew after he was unable to fundraise enough money to meet December 31 deadline for paying the party the $50,000 leadership campaign compliance fee.
Later endorsed
Erin O'Toole Erin Michael O'Toole (born January 22, 1973) is a Canadian politician who has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Durham since 2012. A member of the Conservative Party, O'Toole served as the party's leader and the leader of the Official ...
.


Kevin O'Leary Terence Thomas Kevin O'Leary (born 9 July 1954), also known as Mr. Wonderful, is a Canadian businessman, entrepreneur, and television personality. From 2004 to 2014, he appeared on various Canadian television shows. These include the business n ...

Kevin O'Leary, , is a businessman, investor, journalist, writer, financial commentator and Emmy award-winning television personality. ;Policies: O'Leary supported using a "big stick" federally in order to bring provincial governments in-line with federal policies, cutting waste in military spending, supports a peacekeeping role for the military, cutting carbon emissions through criminal sanctions rather than a carbon tax, supports current immigration policy but also wishes to "fast-track" the citizenship applications of skilled immigrants, asserted he would support LGBTQI people, legalize marijuana and defend abortion, reproductive rights. :Date campaign announced: January 18, 2017 :Date withdrawn: April 26, 2017 ;Other information: O'Leary withdrew from the election despite polls showing he was the frontrunner. He stated that while he believed he could win the leadership election, he would be unable to defeat Justin Trudeau in 43rd Canadian federal election, the next federal election due to his inability to speak French fluently and his lack of support in Quebec. He endorsed
Maxime Bernier Maxime Bernier (born January 18, 1963) is a Canadian politician who is the founder and leader of the People's Party of Canada (PPC). Formerly a member of the Conservative Party, Bernier left the caucus in 2018 to form the PPC. He was the membe ...
. As his withdrawal took place after the deadline, O'Leary remained on the final leadership ballot.


Adrienne Snow

;Background Adrienne Snow, 49, Toronto-based communications consultant, former director of policy for National Foundation for Family Research and Education. Former executive director of Centre for the Study of Civic Renewal. Announced on August 23, 2016, that she intended to be a candidate but failed to register and announced in January that she was ending her campaign. :Date campaign announced: August 23, 2016 :Date withdrawn: January 4, 2017


Declined

*
Rona Ambrose Ronalee Ambrose Veitch ( , Name at birth, née Chapchuk; born March 15, 1969) is a Canadian former politician who was Interim leader (Canada), interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Conservative Party and the Leader of the Official ...
– Interim Leader of the CPC and Leader of the Official Opposition (2015–2017), MP for Sturgeon River—Parkland (2015–2017) and Edmonton—Spruce Grove, Alberta (2004–2015),
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...
(2013–2015), Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Minister of Public Works and Government Services (2010–2013),
Minister of Labour Minister of Labour (in British English) or Labor (in American English) is typically a cabinet-level position with portfolio responsibility for setting national labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, traini ...
(2008–2010), Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth (Canada), Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (2007–2008), Minister of the Environment (Canada), Minister of the Environment (2006–2007). Ambrose is barred from running for permanent leader due to her position as interim leader and has declined interest in the permanent position. *John Baird (Canadian politician), John Baird – MP for Ottawa West—Nepean, Ontario (2006–2015),
Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...
(2011–2015), Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (2010–2011), Minister of the Environment (Canada), Minister of the Environment (2007–2008, 2010–2011),
Minister of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...
(2008–2010), President of the Treasury Board, (2006–2007), Ontario Progressive Conservative Party MPP (1995–2005) and provincial cabinet minister (1999–2003). *
Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also kno ...
– Opposition House Leader (2016–2020), Shadow Minister of Natural Resources (2015–2016), State for Social Development (2013–2015), MP for Portage—Lisgar, Manitoba (2008–present). *Paul Calandra – Parliamentary Secretary to the Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada and for Intergovernmental Affairs (2013–2015), MP for Oak Ridges—Markham, Ontario (2008–2015) Endorsed Scheer. *Jean Charest – Premier of Quebec (2003–2012), Leader of the Quebec Liberal Party (1998–2012), Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1993–1998), Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (1993), Minister of the Environment (Canada), Minister of the Environment (1991–1993), MP for Sherbrooke (electoral district), Sherbrooke (1984–1998) *Christy Clark – Premier of British Columbia (2011–2017), Leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party, B.C. Liberal Party (2011–2017) *Gérard Deltell – Quebec lieutenant and Shadow Finance Minister (2016–present), Shadow Minister of Employment and Workforce Labour (2015–2016), MP for Louis-Saint-Laurent, Quebec (2015–present), Quebec MNA for Chauveau (electoral district), Chauveau (2008–2015) and leader of the Action démocratique du Québec (2009–2012). Endorsed O'Toole. * Ed Fast – Shadow Minister for the Environment (2015–present), MP for Abbotsford (electoral district), Abbotsford, British Columbia (2006–present), Minister of International Trade (Canada), Minister of International Trade (2011–2015). Endorsed O'Toole. *Doug Ford – former Toronto city councillor (2010–2014) and mayoral candidate (2014). *Daniel Fournier – real estate development and investor. *Jason Kenney – Chair of Shadow Cabinet Committee on Strategic Operations (2015–2016), MP for Calgary Midnapore, Alberta (2015–2016) and Calgary Southeast, Alberta (1997–2015), Minister of National Defence (Canada), Minister of National Defence (2015), Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship (Canada), Minister for Multiculturalism (2013–2015), Minister of Employment and Social Development (2013–2015), Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (2008–2013) *Bernard Lord – Premier of New Brunswick (1999–2006), Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick (1997–2006) *
Peter MacKay Peter Gordon MacKay (born September 27, 1965) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2015 and has served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General (2013–2015), Minister of National Defence (2007â ...
– MP for Central Nova, Nova Scotia (2004–2015) and Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, Nova Scotia (1997–2004), Minister of Justice (Canada), Minister of Justice and Attorney General (2013–2015), Minister of National Defence (Canada), Minister of National Defence (2007–2013),
Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...
(2006–2007), Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party (2003) *Caroline Mulroney – investment management executive, daughter of former prime minister Brian Mulroney. *Mark Mulroney – head of capital equity markets at the National Bank of Canada, son of former prime minister Brian Mulroney. *James Moore (Canadian politician), James Moore – MP for Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, British Columbia (2000–2004) and Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, British Columbia (2004–2015),
Minister of Industry The industry minister is a cabinet position in a government. The title may refer to the head of the governmental department that specializes in industry. This position may also be responsible for trade and employment, areas that fall under the mi ...
(2013–2015), Minister of Canadian Heritage, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages (2008–2013). Elected as a Canadian Alliance MP in 2000. *
Michelle Rempel Michelle Rempel Garner (''née'' Godin; born February 14, 1980) is a Canadian politician who sits in the House of Commons as the member of Parliament (MP) for the Alberta riding of Calgary Nose Hill. A member of the Conservative Party, she was ...
– Shadow Minister of Immigration (2015–present), MP for Calgary Nose Hill, Alberta (2015–present) and Calgary Centre-North, Alberta (2011–2015), Minister of Western Economic Diversification (Canada), Minister of Western Economic Diversification (2013–2015) *Brad Wall – Premier of Saskatchewan (2007–2018), Leader of the Saskatchewan Party (2004–2018). *Dianne Watts – Shadow Minister of Infrastructure & Communities (2015–present), MP for South Surrey—White Rock, British Columbia (2015–present), Mayor of Surrey, British Columbia, Surrey (2004–2015) Endorsed O'Toole.


Opinion polling

Some of the polls below were conducted before nominations for the leadership closed and therefore include potential candidates for the leadership race. Rona Ambrose, as interim leader, is ineligible to run for the permanent leadership unless there is a change to the party's constitution.


Conservative Party members


Conservative Party supporters


All Canadians


See also

*2017 United Conservative Party leadership election *2017 New Democratic Party leadership election


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conservative Party of Canada Leadership Election, 2017 2017 elections in Canada Conservative Party of Canada leadership elections, 2017 May 2017 events in Canada 2017 political party leadership elections, Conservative Party of Canada leadership election