Leadership convention
Encyclopedia
In Canadian politics
, a leadership convention is held by a political party when the party needs to choose a leader
due to a vacancy or a challenge to the incumbent leader.
, the leader of a party generally remains that party's de facto candidate for Prime Minister
until such time as he or she dies, resigns or is dismissed by the party. In the New Democratic Party
and some of its provincial branches, the position of party leader was treated as all other positions on the party's executive committee, and open for election at party conventions generally held every two years, although incumbent leaders rarely face more than token opposition.
Usually, an outgoing leader retains the party leadership until their successor is chosen at a leadership convention. However, in some circumstances, such as the death or immediate resignation of a leader, this is not possible, and an interim leader
is appointed by the party for the duration of the leadership campaign.
In a few instances where a single leadership candidate has been unopposed by the entry deadline, the leadership convention has instead served as a venue for the membership to ratify
the candidate. Even in such situations, however, the convention must still take place before the candidate can assume the formal and permanent leadership of the party, even if they are already serving as the party's interim leader.
Traditionally, each riding association
of a party holds a special meeting to elect a fixed number of delegates to represent it at a leadership convention. These meetings would often select "alternate delegates" or "alternates", who would attend the convention, but vote only if one of the delegates from the riding association was unable to attend. In addition, delegates are often selected by the party's youth and women's associations in each riding, and party associations at university and college campuses.
In addition to the elected delegates, a large number of ex officio delegates attend and vote at leadership conventions. These ex officio delegates are automatically entitled to attend by virtue of being an elected member of parliament for that party, a member of an affiliated party in a provincial legislature, a member of the party's national or provincial executive, of the executive of an affiliated women's or youth organization.
Because of the implementation of "one member one vote" (OMOV) systems and proportional delegate elections by most parties, conventions have declined in importance. In recent years, the result of the vote is either known before the convention, or the voting does not take place at the venue.
In a pure "one member one vote" system, each party member casts a ballot to elect the leader, and all ballots have equal weight. There are modified OMOV system may allow all members to vote but may weigh them differently in order to ensure equality among ridings regardless of party membership or which guarantee a proportion of the vote to historically important constituencies such as labour in the case of the NDP.
The Liberal Party of Canada
held the first leadership convention in 1919, electing William Lyon Mackenzie King
. Prior to that the leader of the party was chosen by the party's parliamentary caucus
. The historical Conservative Party
used a leadership convention to select R.B. Bennett as party leader in 1927.
The Parti Québécois
was the first political party in Canada to adopt an OMOV system. Most provincial and federal parties adopted forms of OMOV in the 1990s.
Until 2003, when it adopted an OMOV system, every biennial convention of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
and its successor, the New Democratic Party, in the twentieth century was a leadership convention. However, in practice, contested elections were only held in the NDP when there was a declared leadership race.
Both the modern Conservative Party
and the NDP have instituted "one member one vote" systems in recent years. In 2003, the federal NDP used a modified system where the vote is calculated, so that ballots cast by labour delegates had 25% weight in the total result while votes cast by party members had 75%. While this modification is still used by some provincial sections of the NDP, the federal NDP now uses a pure OMOV process without a carve out for labour affiliates.
The modern Conservative Party has adopted the Progressive Conservative Party
system of OMOV, where each riding
has equal weight in a point system. The party's other predecessors, the Reform Party of Canada
and Canadian Alliance
, had pure OMOV systems.
The Liberals were the last party to select its leaders using delegated conventions, though more recent Liberal conventions used a system where delegates in a riding were apportioned by proportional representation
. In 2009 the Liberal Party approved a constitutional amendment requiring future leadership elections to be conducted using a modified OMOV system in which each riding is accorded equal weight. The 2009 convention
that ratified Michael Ignatieff
's leadership was conducted under the old rules. The last delegated Liberal convention to feature a contested race was the 2006 convention
that chose Stéphane Dion
.
The Bloc Québécois
has used a pure OMOV system since 1997.
The new Conservative Party of Canada
chose former Canadian Alliance
leader Stephen Harper
as its new leader on March 20, 2004. The other candidates were former Ontario
Health Minister
Tony Clement
and former Magna International
CEO Belinda Stronach
.
The Liberals
, on December 2, 2006 chose Stéphane Dion
as their leader at the 2006 Liberal leadership convention
. His successor, Michael Ignatieff
, was officially selected at the 2009 leadership convention
however as he had effectively become leader as a result of the 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute
the 2009 leadership convention was uncontested and served the function of ratifying Ignatieff's leadership. The 2009 Liberal leadership convention was the last federal convention in which the leader was chosen by delegates. The Liberal Party has adopted a constitutional amendment requiring future leadership elections to be conducted according to a weighted One Member One Vote system in which all party members could cast ballots but in which they would be counted so that each riding had equal weight.
The New Democratic Party
chose Jack Layton
as leader on January 25, 2003, in Toronto. His leadership was subject to an automatic review in Quebec City on September 10, 2006 and he was reaffirmed with 92% of the vote.
Politics of Canada
The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state...
, a leadership convention is held by a political party when the party needs to choose a leader
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
due to a vacancy or a challenge to the incumbent leader.
Overview
In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the leader of a party generally remains that party's de facto candidate for Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
until such time as he or she dies, resigns or is dismissed by the party. In the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
and some of its provincial branches, the position of party leader was treated as all other positions on the party's executive committee, and open for election at party conventions generally held every two years, although incumbent leaders rarely face more than token opposition.
Usually, an outgoing leader retains the party leadership until their successor is chosen at a leadership convention. However, in some circumstances, such as the death or immediate resignation of a leader, this is not possible, and an interim leader
Interim leader
An interim leader, in Canadian politics, is a party leader appointed by the party's legislative caucus or the party's executive to temporarily act as leader when a gap occurs between the resignation or death of a party leader and the election of a formal successor...
is appointed by the party for the duration of the leadership campaign.
In a few instances where a single leadership candidate has been unopposed by the entry deadline, the leadership convention has instead served as a venue for the membership to ratify
Ratification
Ratification is a principal's approval of an act of its agent where the agent lacked authority to legally bind the principal. The term applies to private contract law, international treaties, and constitutionals in federations such as the United States and Canada.- Private law :In contract law, the...
the candidate. Even in such situations, however, the convention must still take place before the candidate can assume the formal and permanent leadership of the party, even if they are already serving as the party's interim leader.
Traditionally, each riding association
Riding association
In Canadian politics a riding association , officially called an electoral district association is the basic unit of a political party, that is it is the party's organization at the level of the electoral district, or "riding"...
of a party holds a special meeting to elect a fixed number of delegates to represent it at a leadership convention. These meetings would often select "alternate delegates" or "alternates", who would attend the convention, but vote only if one of the delegates from the riding association was unable to attend. In addition, delegates are often selected by the party's youth and women's associations in each riding, and party associations at university and college campuses.
In addition to the elected delegates, a large number of ex officio delegates attend and vote at leadership conventions. These ex officio delegates are automatically entitled to attend by virtue of being an elected member of parliament for that party, a member of an affiliated party in a provincial legislature, a member of the party's national or provincial executive, of the executive of an affiliated women's or youth organization.
Because of the implementation of "one member one vote" (OMOV) systems and proportional delegate elections by most parties, conventions have declined in importance. In recent years, the result of the vote is either known before the convention, or the voting does not take place at the venue.
In a pure "one member one vote" system, each party member casts a ballot to elect the leader, and all ballots have equal weight. There are modified OMOV system may allow all members to vote but may weigh them differently in order to ensure equality among ridings regardless of party membership or which guarantee a proportion of the vote to historically important constituencies such as labour in the case of the NDP.
The Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
held the first leadership convention in 1919, electing William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
. Prior to that the leader of the party was chosen by the party's parliamentary caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
. The historical Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
used a leadership convention to select R.B. Bennett as party leader in 1927.
The Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
was the first political party in Canada to adopt an OMOV system. Most provincial and federal parties adopted forms of OMOV in the 1990s.
Until 2003, when it adopted an OMOV system, every biennial convention of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
and its successor, the New Democratic Party, in the twentieth century was a leadership convention. However, in practice, contested elections were only held in the NDP when there was a declared leadership race.
Both the modern Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
and the NDP have instituted "one member one vote" systems in recent years. In 2003, the federal NDP used a modified system where the vote is calculated, so that ballots cast by labour delegates had 25% weight in the total result while votes cast by party members had 75%. While this modification is still used by some provincial sections of the NDP, the federal NDP now uses a pure OMOV process without a carve out for labour affiliates.
The modern Conservative Party has adopted the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
system of OMOV, where each riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
has equal weight in a point system. The party's other predecessors, the Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
and Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
, had pure OMOV systems.
The Liberals were the last party to select its leaders using delegated conventions, though more recent Liberal conventions used a system where delegates in a riding were apportioned by proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
. In 2009 the Liberal Party approved a constitutional amendment requiring future leadership elections to be conducted using a modified OMOV system in which each riding is accorded equal weight. The 2009 convention
Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention, 2009
The Liberal Party of Canada leadership election of 2009 was prompted by Stéphane Dion's announcement that he would not lead the Liberal Party of Canada into another election, following his party's defeat in the 2008 federal election in Canada...
that ratified Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
's leadership was conducted under the old rules. The last delegated Liberal convention to feature a contested race was the 2006 convention
Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention, 2006
The Liberal Party of Canada leadership election of 2006 was prompted by Paul Martin's announcement that he would not lead the Liberal Party of Canada into another election, following his party's defeat in the 2006 federal election in Canada...
that chose Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
.
The Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
has used a pure OMOV system since 1997.
Recent federal conventions
Three of the major parties have held conventions recently to choose new leaders:The new Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
chose former Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
leader Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
as its new leader on March 20, 2004. The other candidates were former Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
Health Minister
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (Ontario)
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is the Government of Ontario ministry responsible for administering the health care system and providing services to the province of Ontario...
Tony Clement
Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
and former Magna International
Magna International
Magna International Inc. , is an automotive supplier headquartered in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's largest automobile parts manufacturer, and one of the country's largest companies. It owns the Magna Steyr automobile production company of Austria....
CEO Belinda Stronach
Belinda Stronach
Belinda Caroline Stronach, PC is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the floor to join the Liberals...
.
The Liberals
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, on December 2, 2006 chose Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
as their leader at the 2006 Liberal leadership convention
Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention, 2006
The Liberal Party of Canada leadership election of 2006 was prompted by Paul Martin's announcement that he would not lead the Liberal Party of Canada into another election, following his party's defeat in the 2006 federal election in Canada...
. His successor, Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
, was officially selected at the 2009 leadership convention
Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention, 2009
The Liberal Party of Canada leadership election of 2009 was prompted by Stéphane Dion's announcement that he would not lead the Liberal Party of Canada into another election, following his party's defeat in the 2008 federal election in Canada...
however as he had effectively become leader as a result of the 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute
2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute
The 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute was a political dispute during the 40th Canadian Parliament. It was triggered by the expressed intention of the opposition parties to defeat the Conservative minority government on a motion of non-confidence six weeks after the federal election on...
the 2009 leadership convention was uncontested and served the function of ratifying Ignatieff's leadership. The 2009 Liberal leadership convention was the last federal convention in which the leader was chosen by delegates. The Liberal Party has adopted a constitutional amendment requiring future leadership elections to be conducted according to a weighted One Member One Vote system in which all party members could cast ballots but in which they would be counted so that each riding had equal weight.
The New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
chose Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
as leader on January 25, 2003, in Toronto. His leadership was subject to an automatic review in Quebec City on September 10, 2006 and he was reaffirmed with 92% of the vote.
Upcoming federal leadership elections
- Bloc Québécois leadership election, 2011 to be held December 11, 2011 to choose a successor to Gilles DuceppeGilles DuceppeGilles Duceppe is a Canadian politician, and proponent of the Québec sovereignty movement. He was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons for over 20 years and was the leader of the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois for almost 15 years. He is the son of a well-known Quebec actor, Jean...
- New Democratic Party leadership election, 2012New Democratic Party leadership election, 2012An election for the leadership of the New Democratic Party , a social democratic party in Canada, will occur on March 24, 2012, as a result of the death of Jack Layton, the party's former leader. The party's executive and caucus set the rules for the campaign at a series of meetings in September 2011...
to be held March 24, 2012 in Toronto to elect a permanent successor following the death of Jack Layton in August 2011. - Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, 2013 to be held on dates to be determined between March 1 and June 30, 2013 to select a permanent successor to Michael IgnatieffMichael IgnatieffMichael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
.
Federal parties
- Liberal leadership conventions
- New Democratic Party leadership conventionsNew Democratic Party leadership conventionsNew Democratic Party leadership elections, more commonly known as leadership conventions, are the process by which the Canadian New Democratic Party elects its leader....
- Bloc Québécois leadership electionsBloc Québécois leadership electionsLucien Bouchard, the first leader of the Bloc Québécois was elected by acclamation by the MPs who formed the Bloc in 1990. When the party held its first convention in April 1995 his leadership was ratified by the delegates.-1996 BQ leadership election:...
- Canadian Alliance leadership electionsCanadian Alliance leadership electionsThe Canadian Alliance, a conservative political party in Canada, held two leadership elections to choose the party's leader. The first was held shortly after the party's founding in 2000, and the second was held in 2002...
- Progressive Conservative leadership conventionsProgressive Conservative leadership conventionsThe first Progressive Conservative Party of Canada leadership election was held in 1927, when the party was called the Conservative Party. Prior to then the party's leader was chosen by caucus....
- Conservative Party of Canada leadership election, 2004Conservative Party of Canada leadership election, 2004The 2004 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election took place on March 20, 2004 in Toronto, Ontario, and resulted in the election of Stephen Harper as the first leader of the new Canadian Conservative Party...
- Social Credit Party of Canada leadership conventionsSocial Credit Party of Canada leadership conventionsThe Canadian social credit movement first contested the 1935 federal election in order to capitalize from the Alberta Social Credit League's surprise victory in Alberta's August 1935 provincial election...
Provincial parties
- British Columbia Social Credit Party leadership conventionsBritish Columbia Social Credit Party leadership conventionsThe British Columbia Social Credit Party was a conservative political party in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. The provincial Social Credit movement was divided in its early years and was largely under the influence of the Alberta Social Credit League and did not have a functional...
- British Columbia Liberal Party leadership conventionsBritish Columbia Liberal Party leadership conventionsThis page lists the results of leadership conventions held by the British Columbia Liberal Party.-1902 leadership convention:*MARTIN, Joseph 47*McInnes, William Wallace Burns 17*Brown, John Cunningham 8...
- British Columbia New Democratic Party leadership conventionsBritish Columbia New Democratic Party leadership conventionsThis page covers the results of leadership elections in the British Columbia New Democratic Party .-Early developments:...
- New Democratic Party of Manitoba leadership conventionsNew Democratic Party of Manitoba leadership conventionsThe New Democratic Party of Manitoba has held five leadership conventions to select a party leader since its founding in 1961. In each instance, the leader was chosen by secret-ballot voting among delegates...
- Ontario Liberal leadership conventionsOntario Liberal leadership conventionsBallot-by-ballot results of leadership elections in the Ontario Liberal Party, a political party in the Province of Ontario, Canada.Note: Before 1919, the leaders of the Ontario Liberal Party were chosen by the party's elected Members of the Legislative Assembly...
- Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership conventionsOntario Progressive Conservative leadership conventionsThis page lists the results of leadership elections within the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario .Before 1920, leaders of the Conservative Party were usually chosen by caucus...
- Ontario CCF/NDP leadership conventionsOntario CCF/NDP leadership conventionsThe Ontario New Democratic Party elects its leaders by secret ballot of the party members and/or their delegates at leadership elections, as did its predecessor, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation . The party leader can be challenged for the leadership at the party's biennial convention...
- Saskatchewan New Democratic Party leadership conventionsSaskatchewan New Democratic Party leadership conventionsThis page shows the results of leadership elections in the New Democratic Party . Prior to 2001, the leader was elected via a delegated convention...
- Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba leadership conventionsProgressive Conservative Party of Manitoba leadership conventionsProgressive Conservative Party of Manitoba Leadership ElectionsThe Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba has had several contested races to determine its leadership. These have all occurred by voting at delegated conventions...
- Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan leadership conventionsProgressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan leadership conventionsThis page shows the results of leadership elections in the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan, Canada,...