Leadership Selection Issue Dampens Tory Convention

The first policy convention since the Conservatives won a majority could sow seeds of discontent over a contentious leadership voting system.

The Conservative party's policy convention opened in Ottawa last night and, while it was all fun and games for the evening, a rift over the leadership selection process could dampen the rest of the weekend. Many of the prime minister's closest allies in the party support a shift to a system that would give more weight to ridings with more Tory supporters, such as those in Ontario and Alberta, than to those with fewer, such as those in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Right now, each riding has an equal say in the current leadership selection process, which former Progressive Conservative members such as Peter MacKay appear to support.