What is the Conservative Party of Canada?
Answer
The federal centre-right political party formed in 2003 by the merger of the Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance, currently led by Pierre Poilievre as Official Opposition leader.
Explanation
The Conservative Party of Canada (in French, Parti conservateur du Canada) is the federal centre-right political party that has been the principal opposition or government party in Canada since Confederation. The current Conservative Party was formed on December 7, 2003 by the merger of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the Canadian Alliance. The current leader is Pierre Poilievre, elected on September 10, 2022, who is currently Leader of the Official Opposition.
The lineage of the modern Conservative Party traces to two earlier parties. The original Conservative Party of Canada (1867 to 1942) was led by Sir John A. Macdonald and was the founding party of Confederation. The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942 to 2003) was led by figures including R.B. Bennett (1930 to 1935), John Diefenbaker (1957 to 1963), Joe Clark (1979 to 1980), Brian Mulroney (1984 to 1993), and Kim Campbell (1993). The Canadian Alliance (2000 to 2003), led by Stockwell Day and Stephen Harper, had grown out of the Reform Party of Canada (1987 to 2000), a Western-Canadian populist conservative party led by Preston Manning.
Conservative Prime Ministers since 1867 have included Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir Charles Tupper (briefly 1896), Robert Borden (1911 to 1920), Arthur Meighen (briefly 1920 to 1921 and 1926), R.B. Bennett (1930 to 1935), John Diefenbaker (1957 to 1963), Joe Clark (1979 to 1980), Brian Mulroney (1984 to 1993), Kim Campbell (1993), and Stephen Harper (2006 to 2015). The Conservatives are the second-most-frequent Canadian governing party after the Liberals.
The Conservative Party's modern platform combines fiscal conservatism (lower taxes, balanced Budgets, smaller government), social conservatism (varies by leader and faction), strong defence and national security, support for resource industries, law-and-order policies, and Canadian patriotism. Under Pierre Poilievre's leadership since 2022, the party has emphasised housing affordability, the abolition of the federal carbon tax, gatekeeper reduction, and personal freedom themes. The current Conservative caucus has 116 MPs (after the April 2025 federal election), with a strong base in Alberta, Saskatchewan, parts of Manitoba, and rural and suburban Ontario. The party's official colour is blue.
Why this matters for your test
The Conservative Party of Canada is the principal centre-right party and current Official Opposition. Recognising the 2003 merger that created the modern party gives candidates a specific anchor.
Source: Conservative Party of Canada; Library of Parliament
