Lady Lazarus
On Oct. 25, 1993, Canada’s ruling Progressive Conservative Party under Prime Minister Kim Campbell was obliterated from the electoral map. In 1988, Brian Mulroney had won a second majority government with 169 of 295 seats in the Commons. On Oct. 25, only two Tories survived the Liberal tidal wave: Jean Charest, the future premier, in Sherbrooke and Elsie Wayne in St. John’s. Campbell herself lost in Vancouver Centre to Liberal Hedy Fry. 147 of 295 Tory candidates lost their electoral deposits. Put another way: roughly 50% of the Tory candidates failed to muster even 15% in their ridings. Campbell was named by Prime Minister-designate Chretien as consul general in Los Angeles- from leader of a G7 country to a minor diplomatic post in two months. What if things had gone a little differently?
Prime Minister Kim Campbell (PC-BC), 1993
Outgoing Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, 1993
“1993 was the toughest campaign I ever had to run. Mulroney was still making noises about “un-retiring”, and it took some very frank discussions to dissuade him from a public reversal. The PM had encouraged both Campbell and Charest to run, though Charest was just 35 and had only held junior office. Despite Jean Chretien entering his fourth decade in political life, the Liberals were seen as fresh. Thus Campbell: a female Westerner in her mid-forties.”
- PC Party Chairman Norman Spector interviewed by Peter Mansbridge, 2002
“Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced today his impending resignation, effective April 11th. Mr. Mulroney stated that “it had always been my plan to retire after two terms, and running this year was never seriously considered. Therefore I am calling on the Conservative party to select my successor at a March leadership convention.”
MULRONEY TO QUIT IN APRIL: Globe and Mail, Jan. 29, 1993
“I ran in 1993 because I wanted to be Prime Minister and we needed a Quebecer in the race. At the convention, the outcome was a foregone conclusion; however we needed to project party unity. On April 11th, the day Kim Campbell was sworn in at Rideau Hall, the PC Party was in second place at 33%, trailing the Liberals by 8 points. We had our work cut out for us, and the Prime Minister told us all to get to work immediately. Our role model was that of John Major in 1992: winning an election that we were universally predicted to lose.”
Jean Charest interviewed, 2004
PC NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
ATTN: P.M.O.
RE: STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
MAY 23, 1993
“Madam Prime Minister,
As per your request, National Headquarters has produced a full strategic assessment for the upcoming general election campaign.”
FUNDRAISING- TOTALS AS OF 15/05/93
LIB: $9,100,000
PC: $8,800,000: Needs more work. Combined with candidates’ own fundraising, the kitty should top $20 million by campaign’s end.
NDP: $5,535,000
BQ: $1,414,000
REF: $1,124,000
POLLING- NATIONAL
LIB: 37%
PC: 33%
NDP: 12%
BQ: 9%
REF: 4%
UNDECIDED: 4%
One thing is for certain: we will not be returned with a third majority government. Underlying anti-Tory and specifically anti-Mulroney sentiment is far too deep. What our party can do is win a strong minority that puts us in a good position for the next election. To this letter is attached a draft platform that I hope you will approve for publication ASAP. Chretien has been walking around with that Red Book for six months and it’s about time we did the same.”
“No one has ever talked that way to a Prime Minister before.” “With all due respect, no one has ever had to. That’s why you’ll have to cut out you-know-who from your schedule, Madam Prime Minister.”
- Norman Spector to Prime Minister Campbell, June 5th
“Our priorities are threefold: reducing the federal debt, eliminating the deficit by the year 2000, and increasing Canada’s stature abroad.”
- Prime Minister Campbell on the stump, July 26
ANGUS REID POLL: AUG. 11-14
LIBERAL: 36.4%
PC: 34.7%
NDP: 11.2%
“This is CBC Breaking News: Prime Minister Kim Campbell has asked Governor-General Ray Hnatyshyn to dissolve Parliament for an October 25th federal election. Repeat, a federal election will be held on Oct. 25th. The Prime Minister is expected to address the national press corps from 24 Sussex within the next 15 minutes. We will be covering the press conference live for its entirety.”
CBC telecast, Sept. 4, 1993
“What brought great relief to the PC campaign was the collapse of the Reform Party: there had been infighting between the populists and the professionals. Manning was at heart a populist, his advisers were seasoned professionals. One adviser who left for the Alberta provincial scene was a young Calgary economist named Stephen Harper.”
No Ordinary Time: Campaign ’93 by Bob Plamondon
“Mr. Chretien, I want you to know that this morning, Statistics Canada announced that inflation is at 1.2%. When Mr. Trudeau left office nine years ago, inflation was at 12%. Unemployment is below 5% for the first time in nearly three years. Last week you announced that the Liberal Party would oppose the GST, as do M. Duceppe and Messrs. Manning and Layton. If a Liberal government is elected on the 25th of October, they will unilaterally abrogate NAFTA, weaken the Canada-US relationship, and abolish the GST. All this will accomplish is a significant shortfall in government revenue, rendering pledges to eliminate the national debt and budget deficit null and void. Do you have a plan to restore these revenues without a substantial tax increase on Canada’s working families, M. Chretien?”
Prime Minister Kim Campbell at the Oct. 4th leaders’ debate
“You know, we just might make it. Chretien lost a lot of ground in Ontario from that response- he’ll be lucky to keep more than 45 of 99 seats.”
- Norman Spector to Ontario Regional Chairman John Tory, Oct. 12
Canadian federal election, Oct. 25
295 Commons seats
Progressive Conservative: 127 seats, 36.2% (-24)
Liberal: 93 seats, 33.7% (+11)
BQ: 35 seats, 8.6% (+35)
NDP: 23 seats (-10)
Reform: 5 seats (+4)
Incumbent Prime Minister: Kim Campbell (PC)
St-Maurice, QC
(BQ): DUHAIME, Yves: 45.4%
(LIB): CHRETIEN, Jean: 44.1%
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