Progressive Conservative leadership convention, 1942

Progressive Conservative leadership election, 1942
Date December 9-11, 1942
Convention Winnipeg Civic Auditorium,
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Resigning leader Arthur Meighen
Won by John Bracken
Ballots 2
Candidates 5
Spending limit None

The 1942 Progressive Conservative Party leadership election was held to choose a leader to replace Arthur Meighen for the newly named Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.

Background

Meighen had led the Conservative Party from 1920 to 1926 serving two short terms as Prime Minister of Canada. He was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 1932 by R. B. Bennett where he served as Leader of the Government in the Senate. The Conservatives were defeated in 1935 and passed through a succession of leaders without being able to improve their prospects. In 1941, the national conference of the Conservative Party voted unanimously in favour of Meighen becoming party leader without a leadership convention. Meighen resigned from the Senate and attempted to re-enter the Canadian House of Commons in a February 9, 1942 by-election in York South but was upset by the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation's Joseph Noseworthy. Without a seat in the Commons, Meighen's leadership was greatly weakened. In September 1941 he called for a national party convention to broaden out the party's appeal and reportedly approached populist John Bracken, the longtime Liberal-Progressive Premier of Manitoba to seek the party's leadership. On the first day of the convention, Meighen confirmed in his keynote address that he would not be a candidate for the party's leadership.[1]

Candidates

Convention

The convention occurred several months after the September 1942 Port Hope Conference. 150 Conservative activists at that conference called on the party to adopt progressive policies in order to broaden its electoral appeal. , Many of these policies were adopted by the December convention. Prior to the leadership vote, the party decided to change its name to the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada as an indication of the shift in policies. These included support for veteran employment social security, farming, health, natural resources, a national labour relations board, and resources for soldiers.

Results

Delegate support by ballot
Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot
Votes cast % Votes cast %
BRACKEN, John 420 48.3% 538 61.7%
MACPHERSON, Murdoch Alexander 222 25.5% 255 29.2%
DIEFENBAKER, John George 120 13.8% 79 9.1%
GREEN, Howard Charles 88 10.1% Withdrew
STEVENS, Henry Hubert 20 2.3% Eliminated
Total 870 100.0% 872 100.0%

References

  1. "1942 CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP". CPAC. Cable Public Access Channel.
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