The Reform Party of Canada was founded in 1987 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to represent western Canadian interests and address feelings of alienation in western provinces from the federal government. It was led by Preston Manning, the son of a former Alberta premier, and sought to create a new national conservative alternative to the Liberal party. While initially focused on western regionalism, the Reform Party shifted its strategy to run candidates nationwide and became the Official Opposition in 1993 due to growing dissatisfaction with the major parties. Manning later worked to merge Reform with the Progressive Conservatives to create a single national conservative party.

1. Made by Olga Gryb

2. Political roots and the party's creation
Western interest groups protested against the federal
government of Brian Mulroney
Click to add text
In 1986 they Introduced the idea of new
party formation at
the conference "Canada's Economic and
Political Future", which was held in
Vancouver, British Columbia.British Columbia.
1987 – The Reform Party of Canada has
been established in Winnipeg,
Manitoba
Why British
Columbia?
Why
Manitoba?

3. Western provinces have
developed a unique
political culture:
They have never had close
ties with central government
Alberta, and Saskatchewan
- quasi-colonial status
A sense of alienation
All these factors brought
to the proliferation of anti-
establishment parties and
movements
CEO of Canada West Foundation defines western alienation as “a political ideology of regional
discontent rooted in the dissatisfaction of western Canadians with their relationship to and
representation within the federal government.

4. Liberals from British Columbia
1. Stan Roberts – a former liberal
politician from Manitoba and the
president of the Canada West
foundation
2. Francis Winspear – a retired
millionaire from Edmonton
Conservative composed to Calgary
oilmen (Conservative)
1.Ted Byfield - a conservative Canadian
journalist, publisher, and editor. Owber
of the Alberta Report and Western
Report newsmagazines.
2.Preston Manning - son of long-time
Social Credit Alberta Premier Ernest
Manning.

5. Son of long-time Social Credit Alberta Premier Ernest
Manning.
Education:
1960 – the University of Alberta. Physics.
1964 – BA in economics
1965 – candidate of Social Credit Party in federal election
(finishing second)
1966 - Policy researcher position at the National Public Affairs
Research Foundation (lobbing interests of Social Credit Party)
1967 – Systems of Redondo Beach
1984 - policy consultant by the Representative Party of
Alberta
1987 – leader of the Reform Party of Canada

6. In his speech “Choosing a Political Vehicle to represent the
West” Manning propose to create a trans-ideological western
party.
It was not just regional party. Manning said he
wanted to found “truly national party with its
roots in the resourse-producing regions”.

7. He introduced the idea of New Canada with a new identity that would
solve existing problems
“Reformers seek a New Canada—a Canada which may be defined as "a
balanced, democratic federation of provinces, distinguished by the
sustainability of its environment, the viability of its economy, the
acceptance of its social responsibilities, and the recognition of the
equality and uniqueness of all of its citizens and provinces." New Canada
must include a new deal for aboriginal peoples and a new Senate to
address the problem of regional alienation. New Canada must be
workable without Quebec, but it must be open and attractive enough to
include a New Quebec”.

8. 1987 1988 1993 1997 2000
2.1% of the total
national vote
"The West Wants
In".
Economic
Fairness (Jobs for
the West)
Political Equality
(a Voice for the
West)
Responsible
Government.
18,69% of the total
national vote
Success was
related to the
mobilization of
people who were
opposed to the
welfare state
19,35% of the
total national vote
Reform changed
tactics by running
a candidate in
every riding in
Canada,
including those in
Quebec. The
party increased
its total seats to 60
and became the
Official
Opposition.

9. After the election Manning realized the Reform Party would
never win control of Parliament, and therefore the prime
minister's office, without gaining support in Eastern
provinces, particularly populous Ontario.
The goal was to create a conservative political alternative
to the Liberals that could won Ontarian and Atlantic
Canadian voters.
He started negotiation with the Progressive Conservatives
and…
The Reform Party of Canada
the Canadian Reform and Conservative
Alliance (in opposition between 2000 ans
2003)
The Conservative Party of Canada
2000

10. The Manning Centre's Web site states that its
mission is to “equip the next generation of political
leaders, especially those who share our
conservative values”.
Each year the Manning Centre puts on the largest
conference in Canada for conservatives and
classical liberals – the Manning Centre
Conference. This annual event provides
grassroots volunteers, think tanks, academics,
advocacy organizations, elected officials and
others with an opportunity to network, learn new
skills and discuss emerging issues.

12. Populist themes in the Reform Party (Laycock)
•Regionalism, anti-party, anti-state and into-minority structured the Party’s articulation;
however, its populism was quite inclusive
•The Party identified ‘the people’ as ordinary, hard-working citizens or westerns
•Other party as “tax-grabbing bureaucratic elites’
•Regular use of the instruments of direct democracy
•After entering Parlament, Reform promoted further decentralization of power to the provinces,
fiscal belt tightening major social and regional development programmes cuts, replacement of
many social services programmes by private charity work
•‘Workfare’ as an alternative to welfare
•Elimination of state support for multi-cultural advocacy groups
•Promote harsher treatment of criminals

13. References
1. Cohen, T. Is Canada's Reform Party of the 1990s a Tea Party model? CNN, August 26,
2010. http://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/08/25/tea.party.canada.reformers/ - last
accessed on October 23, 2015.
2. Flanagan T. Waiting for the wave: The Reform Party and The Conservative movement.
McGill-Queens University Press, 1995, 268 pp.
3. Harrison, Trevor. Of Passionate Intensity: Right-Wing Populism and the Reform Party of
Canada. University of Toronto Press, 1995, 325 pp.
4. Levant, E. Manning doesn't speak for conservatives, SUN, November 22, 2014.
http://www.torontosun.com/2014/11/22/manning-doesnt-speak-for-conservatives - last
accessed on October 23, 2015.
5. Mudde C., Kaltwasser C.R. (ed.) Populism in Europe and Americas: treat or corrective
for democracy? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.
6. Reform Party of Canada,
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Reform_Party_of_Canada - last accessed on
October 23, 2015 .
7. Reform Party of Canada, http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/reform-
party-of-canada/ - last accessed on October 23, 2015.

14.  Reform’s party was thus unquestionably ‘thin-centred’, with much of its ideological
core found in the nostrum of the contemporary North America new right.
 It triggered a transformation of the federal party system, mobilized new regional
groups, started constriction of new political alliances, added potent fuel to the
flames of citizens’ suspicion of governments and established parties, and laid the
foundation of political success for a party far more conservative than most
commentators would thought possible two decades ago.