Upset in Ottawa

A new Conservative leader

For three days, eight candidates for leadership of Canada's Progressive Conservative Party pressed the flesh and corralled supporters in Ottawa's cavernous Civic Center. Most party insiders were predicting a victory for former Prime Minister Joe Clark. But by late afternoon, rumors of an upset were rife. Sure enough, after balloting stretched into Saturday night, the weary conventioneers finally rejected Clark in favor of Brian Mulroney, 44, a Quebec lawyer and business executive long active in party affairs. Mulroney has never run for office, but he will lead the Tories against the ruling Liberal Party in national elections that must be held by March 1985.

Resolution of the leadership struggle comes as a welcome relief to the problem-plagued Conservatives. In the past 20 years the party has been in power only briefly, after Clark unseated Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's Liberals in 1979. But that fledgling Tory government fell after only 6 1/2 months, the victim of Clark's brash style and unpopular austerity measures. Although Clark continued as Tory leader until stepping down in January to allow last week's convention, he was dogged by a reputation as a loser, and the party was torn by internecine squabbling.

Now, however, it is the Liberals who are in trouble. Since regaining his office from Clark, Trudeau has grappled unsuccessfully with Canada's limping economy while unemployment has risen above 12%. Trudeau has said he would not lead his party in another election. Whoever does may be in for trouble. A recent poll indicated that only 32% of voters favor the Liberals, while 50% prefer the Tories. If the untested Mulroney holds on to that lead, he could become the next Prime Minister. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.