Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Parti progressiste-conservateur de l'Ontario
Abbreviation	PC
Leader	Doug Ford
President	Michael Diamond
House leader	Paul Calandra
Founded	1854; 171 years ago (1854) (as Conservative Party of Canada West)
Preceded by	Upper Canada Tories
Headquarters	400-56 Aberfoyle Crescent, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Youth wing	Ontario Young Progressive Conservative Association
Membership (2018)	133,000
Ideology	Conservatism (Canadian) Progressive conservatism Economic liberalism
Political position	Centre to centre-right
Colours	Blue
Seats in the Legislature	80 / 124
Political parties

The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (French: Parti progressiste-conservateur de l'Ontario), often called the Ontario PC Party or just the PCs, is a political party in Ontario, Canada. It is known as a centre to centre-right party. This means its ideas are usually in the middle or a bit to the right of the political spectrum.

For a long time, from 1943 to 1985, the Ontario PC Party was in charge. During this time, they believed in something called "Red Toryism." This meant they thought the government should help the economy and spend money on things like roads, schools, and hospitals. They also supported fair social changes, like equal pay for women and voting rights for Indigenous people.

In the 1990s, the party's ideas changed. Under leader Mike Harris, who was premier from 1995 to 2002, they moved towards "Blue Toryism." This new approach focused on cutting taxes and reducing government spending. The PCs lost power in 2003. However, they returned to power in 2018 with a majority government led by Doug Ford.

The History of the PC Party

How the Party Began

John Sandfield Macdonald

The first Conservative Party in Upper Canada was made up of people loyal to the British Crown. They also supported the wealthy Family Compact group that governed the colony. After the 1837 Rebellions, the colony gained "responsible government." This meant the government had to answer to the people's elected representatives.

The modern Conservative Party started in 1854. It was a mix of Liberals and Conservatives, created by Sir John A. Macdonald. This group formed the first government in Ontario. John Sandfield Macdonald became the first premier.

Until 1942, the party was officially called the "Liberal-Conservative Association of Ontario." This name showed its mixed beginnings. But most people just called it the Conservative Party.

After Canada Was Formed

John Sandfield Macdonald was actually a Liberal. He was an ally of John A. Macdonald, even though they were not related. His government was a true mix of Liberals and Conservatives at first. But soon, some more radical Liberals left to join the opposition.

This left Sandfield Macdonald leading a group that was mostly conservative. After losing power in 1871, this group started to break apart. The party, which used to include both Catholics and Protestants, became almost entirely English and Protestant. It relied more and more on the Protestant Orange Order for support.

The party began to oppose funding for Catholic schools. They also opposed language rights for French-Canadians and were wary of immigrants. However, some parts of the party gained a reputation for supporting workers. This was because of links between the Orange Order and the labour movement.

The Pre-War Years

After 33 years in the Opposition, the Conservatives returned to power in 1905. They were led by James P. Whitney. His government was progressive and helped develop the province. They started huge public works projects, like creating Ontario Hydro.

However, they also passed laws that were unfair to the French-Canadian population in Ontario. One example was Regulation 17. The Conservatives were in power for almost all the years from 1905 to 1934. But after Whitney died in 1914, they lost their vision.

They lost power in the 1919 election to the United Farmers of Ontario. But they won again in the 1923 election. This was because the United Farmers party fell apart and the Ontario Liberal Party was divided. They were defeated by Mitch Hepburn's Liberals in 1934. This was due to their struggles with the Great Depression.

The Post-War Years

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Conservatives changed their approach. They decided to support government spending and action. This was a big change from their earlier views. They believed this would help the economy grow.

The party changed its name to the "Progressive Conservative" party in 1942. This happened after the federal party also changed its name. Their new leader, John Bracken, insisted on it. He came from the Progressive Party.

The Progressive Conservatives won a minority government in the 1943 provincial election. They took advantage of problems within the Liberal party. The Liberals ended up as the third-place party. Drew called another election in 1945 to try and win a majority.

The PCs won a large majority. It later came out that the PC government had faced criticism for how they gathered information on their opponents. The PCs would then lead Ontario politics for the next four decades.

Under Drew and his successor, Leslie Frost, the PCs strongly supported rural areas. But they also invested a lot in building things across the province. This included building the 400 series of highways, starting with Highway 401. On social issues, Frost's government passed laws against discrimination. These included the Fair Employment Practices Act of 1951. They also supported equal pay for women.

In 1955, they gave Indigenous people the right to vote. Frost also improved healthcare access for Ontarians. He passed the Hospital Services Commission of Ontario Act in 1956. He also launched the Ontario Hospital Insurance Plan in 1959.

In 1961, John Robarts became the 17th premier of Ontario. He was very popular. Under his leadership, the party continued to focus on healthcare, education, and social issues. They introduced the Ontario Human Rights Code in 1962. Robarts believed in individual freedoms. He also promoted the rights of the provinces against the federal government. He wanted to keep Canada united. He hosted a conference in 1967 to try and create a new Constitution for Canada.

Robarts initially opposed Canadian Medicare. But he later fully supported it. The party then put in place the public healthcare system that is still used today. He also supported French education in Ontario schools.

The "Big Blue Machine" Era

In 1971, Bill Davis became party leader and the 18th premier. In the 1971 election, the Tories strongly opposed a Liberal plan. The Liberals wanted to extend funding for Catholic separate schools until Grade 13. However, Davis changed his mind in 1985. He made this funding extension one of his last actions before leaving office.

Davis governed until 1985. He had a team of advisors known as the "Big Blue Machine." They were known for their political and strategic skills. Their influence was so strong that many people call this long period of Tory rule the "Big Blue Machine era."

During its 43 years in power, the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario was seen as a centrist party. The Liberals were to its right, and the New Democratic Party was to its left. However, its main support came from socially conservative voters in rural Southern Ontario. Davis managed to bring these different groups together. He became one of the most popular politicians in Ontario's history. Davis continued to expand community colleges, universities, and highways across Ontario.

From 1980s to 1995: In Opposition

Party logo in 1985

Party logo in 1987

Party logo in 1990

Bill Davis retired in 1985. Frank Miller became the new leader. Miller was more conservative than Davis. He moved the party further to the right. Soon after becoming leader, he called an election. The PCs won a minority government. For the first time in 42 years, they got fewer votes than the Liberals.

Soon after, the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Liberals made an agreement. The NDP would support a Liberal minority government. Miller's government was defeated on June 18. David Peterson's Liberals then formed the government. This ended the longest period of one-party rule in Canadian provincial history. Larry Grossman replaced Miller as leader.

When the Liberal-NDP agreement ended, an election was held in 1987. The Tories fell to third place in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. They won only 16 seats, their worst result in over 50 years. Grossman lost his own election and resigned. Andy Brandt was the party's interim leader until Mike Harris was elected leader in 1990.

Three months after Harris became leader, and only three years into the Liberal government's term, David Peterson called an election. The PCs did not improve their standing. However, the Liberals were defeated by the NDP.

Mike Harris and the "Common Sense Revolution"

Logo of the Ontario PC Party from 1995 to 2003

Ontario's 22nd Premier Mike Harris

In the 1995 election, Harris led his party from third place to a big victory. He ran on a platform called the "Common Sense Revolution." This plan promised tax cuts, including a 30% cut to personal income tax. It also focused on reducing the government's debt. The plan included cuts to welfare and introducing "workfare."

People had very different opinions about the Harris government. Some criticized it on issues like healthcare, the environment, and education. There were strikes and protests, including a teacher's strike in 1997. But the party won a second majority in the 1999 general election. They kept steady support until Harris left in 2002.

Support for the PCs started to drop in early 2000. They fell behind the Liberals in public opinion polls. This trend continued until the 2002 leadership campaign.

Ernie Eves: After Harris and 2003 Defeat

When Mike Harris resigned in 2002, the PCs held a leadership election. Ernie Eves, who had been Harris's finance minister, won. He had the support of almost all PC members of provincial parliament (MPPs).

Eves was a Red Tory, different from Harris. He had tried to soften some of Harris's more extreme policies. He continued to distance himself from the "Common Sense Revolution" after becoming premier. He stopped plans to sell off Hydro One. He also put limits on electricity prices.

After Eves became leader, the PCs gained support. But by the autumn of 2002, their popularity dropped again. Eves tried to make the government seem more moderate. However, he could not stop the decline in support that had started under Harris.

The PC election campaign in 2003 had many mistakes. Eves seemed uncomfortable trying to promote a platform he had opposed earlier. In contrast, the Liberals had spent years preparing to govern. They ran on a simple message: "Choose Change." PC television ads that attacked Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty were not well received. They made the Tories seem too aggressive.

A key moment in the campaign happened when a member of Eves's team made a joke about McGuinty. This made the Tories seem desperate to make their opponents look bad. On election day, the Tories lost badly, winning only 24 seats.

Opposition Under John Tory (2004 to 2009)

John Tory, leader (2004–2009)

Ontario PC logo, 2006–2010

In early 2004, Eves announced he would step down as leader. A new leader was chosen in the fall. Jim Flaherty ran on a right-wing platform. He was challenged by John Tory, who was seen as a Red Tory. Tory had worked for former premier Bill Davis.

John Tory was elected as the party's new leader on September 18, 2004. He was elected to the Ontario legislature in a special election in March 2005.

Before the 2007 general election, the PCs' support grew. Tory tried different approaches. At first, he tried to rise above party politics. Later, he took a more traditional approach. He strongly opposed the Liberal plans on taxes and spending. He also focused on criticizing the government's handling of a situation with Mohawk Indigenous people in Caledonia.

At the 2006 PC Policy Convention, Tory shared his plans for the 2007 election. These ideas were called "The White Papers."

However, the party's popularity dropped after Tory promised to give government money to faith-based schools. This idea was not popular with voters. It played a big part in the party's loss. The Liberals won another majority government. The PCs gained only one more seat and lost 3% of the popular vote. Tory lost his own election in Don Valley West.

2008 Party Convention and Leadership Review

After the election loss, the party held a vote to review John Tory's leadership. This vote is required by the party's rules after an election defeat.

Leading up to the vote, party members were divided. Some supported John Tory, while others wanted him to step down. John Tory had the public support of the PC members in the legislature. He also had support from former premiers Ernie Eves and Bill Davis.

Tory received 66.9% support in the vote. This was lower than expected. Three hours after the vote, John Tory announced he would stay on as leader. Some party members criticized this delay. They said they would continue to call for an end to his "weak" leadership. Other members supported Tory. They said his opponents should accept the results and move on.

Opposition Under Tim Hudak (2009 to 2014)

Ontario PC logo 2010–2016

Tim Hudak, Leader 2009–2014

John Tory announced he would resign as leader on March 6, 2009. This was the day after he lost a special election. On June 27, 2009, party members elected Tim Hudak as the new leader.

Hudak led the PCs through two elections. In the 2011 provincial election, the Liberal government won a minority. Many expected Hudak's Tories to win the 2014 provincial election. But the Liberals, now led by Kathleen Wynne, won a majority government. This was largely because of Hudak's promise to cut 100,000 public service jobs. Hudak resigned after the election. Jim Wilson became the interim leader until the next leadership election.

Opposition Under Patrick Brown (2015 to 2018)

Patrick Brown, Leader 2015–2018

On May 9, 2015, party members elected Patrick Brown as leader. He was a federal Conservative Member of Parliament from Barrie. Since he did not have a seat in the provincial legislature, another MPP resigned so Brown could run. Brown was elected as MPP for Simcoe North in a special election on September 3, 2015.

Party logo (2016–2018)

At the party's meeting in 2016, Brown announced that the PCs would be more welcoming and understanding. He wanted to move the party towards the political middle. He aimed to reach out to groups that usually did not support the party, like trade unions. He also wanted to pursue "sensible" carbon pricing. He showed a new logo to represent this change. Brown wanted to avoid past mistakes where one issue cost the party support.

In November 2017, the PC party released its "People's Guarantee" platform. Brown's plan was seen as moderate on many issues. It included proposals like joining the federal carbon tax plan. It also suggested providing child care subsidies. Brown's platform also had more traditional PC ideas. These included cutting taxes and user fees, like a 12% reduction in hydro bills. It also promised to balance the provincial budget.

Some groups of conservatives who disagreed with Brown formed new parties. Brown also removed an MPP from the party after he made negative comments about French language rights. This MPP then joined another party. Brown resigned as leader on January 25, 2018.

Transition Under Vic Fedeli (January to March 2018)

Brown resigned less than five months before the next provincial election. The party decided to hold a new leadership election quickly. Vic Fedeli, an MPP from Nipissing, was chosen as the interim leader on January 26, 2018. The party held a leadership election on March 10, 2018.

Fedeli's first big job was to look into claims of questionable spending during Brown's time as leader. The party president resigned. Several other key party staff were also let go due to a "reorganization."

Doug Ford's Leadership (March 2018 to Present)

Doug Ford, Leader 2018 - Present

On March 10, 2018, Doug Ford was elected as leader of the PC Party. He was a former Toronto city councillor. He is the brother of the late former mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford. Doug Ford narrowly defeated Christine Elliott. Since Ford did not have a seat in the legislature, he chose to have Vic Fedeli remain as leader of the opposition until the 2018 election.

On June 7, 2018, Ford led the PCs to a majority government. The Tories won 76 out of 124 seats. They also received 40.5% of the votes.

In the 2022 Ontario general election, Ford led the PCs to another victory. They won with an even larger majority.

Party Ideas and Goals

The Ontario PC Party is a conservative political party. Its ideas are generally in the centre or centre-right. In recent years, the PC Party has often campaigned on the following ideas:

Economic Rules

• Making rules simpler for businesses.
• Opposing ideas to ban licensed firearm ownership.

Education

• Adding lessons about managing money to school subjects.
• Reducing the power of teachers' unions.
• Hiring teachers based on their skills and qualifications, not just how long they have worked.
• Getting rid of the Ontario College of Trades.

Healthcare

• Supporting Ontario's universal publicly funded healthcare system.
• Hiring more healthcare workers.
• Allowing private clinics to offer publicly funded healthcare services.

Government Spending

• Aiming for balanced budgets when the economy is strong.
• Opposing a universal basic income and welfare payments without conditions.
• Reducing money given to corporations.

Infrastructure

• Funding the building of more highways and roads.
• Funding the building of public transit.
• Making it easier to approve housing construction.
• Supporting the use of hydro electricity and nuclear electricity.

Law Enforcement

• Hiring more police officers.
• Supporting longer prison sentences for crimes.

Taxes

• Reducing income taxes.
• Reducing business taxes.
• Reducing gasoline taxes and opposing a carbon tax.

Other Issues

• Reducing the number of politicians in local governments.

Party Leaders

The party was known as the Liberal-Conservative Association of Ontario from 1867 to 1942. It then became the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario from 1942 to today.

	Photo	Leader	Years in Office	Note
1		John Sandfield Macdonald	1867–1871	First Premier of Ontario
2		Matthew Crooks Cameron	1871–1878	Leader of the Opposition
3		William Ralph Meredith	1878–1894	Leader of the Opposition. Later became a Chief Justice.
4		George Frederick Marter	1894–1896	Leader of the Opposition
5		Sir James P. Whitney	1896–1914	Premier of Ontario 1905–1914, Leader of the Opposition 1896–1905
6		Sir William Hearst	1914–1919	Premier of Ontario
7		George Howard Ferguson	1919–1930	Premier of Ontario 1923–1930, Leader of the Opposition 1919–1923
8		George Stewart Henry	1930–1936	Premier of Ontario 1930–1934, Leader of the Opposition 1934–1938.
9		William Earl Rowe	1936–1938	Also a federal Conservative MP. Henry remained Leader of the Opposition as Rowe did not have a seat in the legislature.
10		George Drew	1938–1948	Premier of Ontario 1943–1948. Leader of the Opposition 1939–1943.
11		Thomas Kennedy	1948–1949 (interim)	Premier of Ontario.
12		Leslie Frost	1949–1961	Premier of Ontario, 1949–1961
13		John Robarts	1961–1971	Premier of Ontario, 1961–1971
14		Bill Davis	1971–1985	Premier of Ontario, 1971–1985
15		Frank Miller	1985	Premier of Ontario, 1985
16		Larry Grossman	1985–1987	Leader of the Opposition
17		Andy Brandt	1987–1990 (interim)	Leader of the third party
18		Mike Harris	1990–2002	Premier of Ontario, 1995–2002
19		Ernie Eves	2002–2004	Premier of Ontario 2002–2003, Leader of the Opposition 2003–2004
20		John Tory	2004–2009	Leader of the Opposition 2005–2007, later Mayor of Toronto.
21		Bob Runciman	2009 (interim)	Leader of the Opposition.
22		Tim Hudak	2009–2014	Leader of the Opposition
23		Jim Wilson	2014–2015 (interim)	Leader of the Opposition
24		Patrick Brown	2015–2018	Leader of the Opposition. Later Mayor of Brampton, Ontario.
25		Vic Fedeli	2018 (interim)	Leader of the Opposition
26		Doug Ford	2018–present	Premier of Ontario, 2018–present

Party Presidents

Election Results

Election	Leader	Seats	Change +/-	Votes	%	Status
1867	John Sandfield Macdonald	41 / 82	41	80,111	50.3%	Coalition Government
1871		38 / 82	3	59,926	45.9%	Official Opposition
1875	Matthew Crooks Cameron	34 / 88	4	89,355	46.8%	Official Opposition
1879	William Ralph Meredith	29 / 88	5	118,513	47.8%	Official Opposition
1883		37 / 88	8	120,853	46.6%	Official Opposition
1886		32 / 90	5	148,969	47.0%	Official Opposition
1890		34 / 91	2	130,289	39.9%	Official Opposition
1894		23 / 94	9	104,369	27.8%	Official Opposition
1898	James P. Whitney	42 / 94	19	204,011	47.7%	Official Opposition
1902		48 / 98	6	215,883	49.7%	Official Opposition
1905		69 / 98	21	237,612	53.37%	Majority Government
1908		86 / 106	17	246,324	54.7%	Majority Government
1911		82 / 106	4	205,338	55.6%	Majority Government
1914		84 / 111	1	268,548	55.3%	Majority Government
1919	William Howard Hearst	25 / 111	59	403,655	34.9%	Third Party
1923	George Howard Ferguson	75 / 111	50	473,819	49.8%	Majority Government
1926		72 / 112	3	640,515	57.6%	Majority Government
1929		90 / 112	18	574,730	58.8%	Majority Government
1934	George S. Henry	17 / 90	73	621,218	39.8%	Official Opposition
1937	William Earl Rowe	23 / 90	6	619,610	40%	Official Opposition
1943	George Drew	38 / 90	15	469,672	35.7%	Minority Government
1945		66 / 90	28	781,345	44.3%	Majority Government
1948		53 / 90	13	725,799	41.5%	Majority Government
1951	Leslie Frost	79 / 90	26	860,939	48.5%	Majority Government
1955		83 / 98	4	846,592	48.5%	Majority Government
1959		71 / 98	12	868,815	46.3%	Majority Government
1963	John Robarts	77 / 108	6	1,052,740	48.9%	Majority Government
1967		69 / 117	8	1,018,755	42.3%	Majority Government
1971	Bill Davis	78 / 117	9	1,465,313	44.5%	Majority Government
1975		51 / 125	27	1,192,592	36.1%	Minority Government
1977		58 / 125	7	1,322,723	39.7%	Minority Government
1981		70 / 125	12	1,412,488	44.4%	Majority Government
1985	Frank Miller	52 / 125	18	1,343,044	37.0%	Official Opposition
1987	Larry Grossman	16 / 130	36	931,473	24.7%	Third Party
1990	Mike Harris	20 / 130	4	944,564	23.5%	Third Party
1995		82 / 130	62	1,870,110	44.8%	Majority Government
1999		59 / 103	23	1,978,059	45.1%	Majority Government
2003	Ernie Eves	24 / 103	35	1,559,181	34.7%	Official Opposition
2007	John Tory	26 / 107	2	1,398,857	31.6%	Official Opposition
2011	Tim Hudak	37 / 107	11	1,527,959	35.4%	Official Opposition
2014		28 / 107	9	1,506,267	31.25%	Official Opposition
2018	Doug Ford	76 / 124	48	2,324,742	40.50%	Majority Government
2022		83 / 124	7	1,912,057	40.80%	Majority Government

See Also

• Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the 40th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
• List of Ontario general elections
• List of premiers of Ontario
• List of leaders of the opposition in Ontario
• List of political parties in Canada
• List of political parties in Ontario
• Ontario PC Youth Association
• Ontario PC Campus Association