The next year-and-a-half could be one of the most important in the contemporary history of the Canadian conservative movement.
It might compare only to the period between the Conservative Party of Canada’s creation in December 2003, Stephen Harper’s selection as party leader in March 2004, and the founding policy convention roughly six months later. This initial period was historic not only because it brought an end to the vote-splitting that had bedevilled Canada’s political right for more than a decade, but it is when Harper began to realize his vision of a political party underpinned by a clear, coherent, and positive conservative philosophy. This philosophy—a commitment to economic and personal freedom along with a traditionally conservative conception of key institutions such as the family and one’s local community— formed the backbone of the Conservative party’s political coalition as well as the intellectual foundation of its governing agenda.