Federal parties have evolved their democratic processes—why won’t they do the same for the Canadian public?

Although the Liberal and Conservative parties have adopted the preferential ballot to select their leaders, they prefer that the public continue to use the first-past-the-post method of selecting MPs.

If all Pierre Poilievre, pictured, needed to win the Conservative leadership was the support of caucus, he'd be a sure winner. But that's not how the Conservative Party elects its leaders anymore. The Hill Times Photograph by Sam Garcia

Opinion

BY NELSON WISEMAN

May 12, 2022

If party leaders were selected by party caucuses, Pierre Poilievre would be the next Conservative leader. But that system of selecting leaders was discarded a century ago, when the parties opted for leadership conventions, dominated by ex-officio delegates or party insiders such as constituency pres...

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