Election 2000 was a personal win for Joe Clark but a major loss for the once mighty Progressive Conservative party.
As his party held tenuously to 12 seats on election night, Tory leader Clark did not concede it as a loss for the party of confederation.
Instead he praised the party faithful.
“You and I together did the impossible,” he said to applause.
Many analysts predicted the party would be wiped out in election 2000.
But Clark defeated incumbent Calgary Centre Alliance candidate Eric Lowther by nearly 4,000 votes.
Read Also
Beef check-off collection system aligns across the country
A single and aligned check-off collection system based on where producers live makes the system equal said Chad Ross, Saskatchewan Cattle Association chair.
At one time Alberta was a Conservative stronghold but Clark’s home province has switched loyalties, first to the Reform party and now to the Canadian Alliance.
Across the country, Tories dropped to 12 seats from 19.
In his speech to supporters, Clark took the high road, talking of patriotism and family values.
He did concede a chasm still exists within the country where the Canadian Alliance took 66 seats, mostly in the West, while Liberal support held in the East.
“There is still too far great a temptation to play the politics of polarization, whether it is east against west or rich against poor or English against French,” he said.
As he left the downtown Metropolitan Centre where supporters gathered, Clark declared his party remains a national force.
“What the country needs is a strong national party that can be a national alternative to the Liberal party. We are the only basis upon which that can be built,” he said.
He refused to answer questions about how he expects to be an effective force in the House of Commons with only 12 seats, barely retaining official party status. If party seats fell below that number, members would be treated as independents.
“The party waged a very effective campaign. I’m very proud of the party. We’re going to be looking forward to ways we can serve effectively and constructively in this parliament,” Clark said.
However, the grim reality is a popular vote of just over 14 percent. The party’s right wing rival, Canadian Alliance, had 25 percent of the popular vote and won 66 seats, many of them from former Tory positions. The Alliance will remain official opposition.
At Calgary Centre headquarters, there were often more reporters than party supporters.
Each victory for a Conservative was greeted with short bursts of applause followed by murmurs that the party will return as a force to be reckoned with next time.
“We’ll catch you later, Joe,” some called as Clark left the hall.
At the beginning of the campaign few believed Clark could stage a win. However a positive showing in televised debates and an aggressive campaign in the city may have been enough to renew confidence.
