This is a list of federal leaders after Confederation who were members of federal conservative parties.
Tory leaders since Confederation This is a list of leaders of the Conservative Party of Canada (historical) (1867–1942), Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–2003), and Conservative Party of Canada (2003–present) ("the Tory parties"), and of prime ministers of Canada after Confederation who were members of those parties.
Conservative (1867–1942)
Name From To Riding as leader Notes Sir John A. Macdonald July 1, 1867 June 6, 1891Kingston, ON (1867–18, 1887–91);Victoria, BC (1878–82);Carleton, ON (1882–88)1st Prime Minister Sir John Abbott June 16, 1891 November 24, 1892Senator for Inkerman, QC3rd Prime Minister Sir John Sparrow David Thompson December 5, 1892 December 12, 1894Antigonish, NS4th Prime Minister Sir Mackenzie Bowell December 21, 1894 April 27, 1896Senator for Hastings, ON5th Prime Minister Sir Charles Tupper May 1, 1896 February 6, 1901Cape Breton, NS6th Prime Minister Sir Robert Laird Borden February 6, 1901 July 10, 1920Halifax, NS (1900–04, 1908–17);Carleton, ON (1905–08);Kings, NS (1917–21)8th Prime Minister Arthur Meighen July 10, 1920 September 24, 1926Portage la Prairie, MB (1908–21, 1925–26);Grenville, ON (1922–25)9th Prime Minister Hugh Guthrie (interim leader) October 11, 1926 October 12, 1927 Wellington South R. B. Bennett October 12, 1927 July 7, 1938 Calgary West, AB11th Prime Minister Robert Manion July 7, 1938 May 14, 1940 London, ON Resigned after lost seat in 1940 election Richard Hanson (interim leader) May 14, 1940 November 12, 1941 York—Sunbury, NB Arthur Meighen November 12, 1941 December 9, 1942Senator for St. Marys, OntarioResigned after defeat in attempt to enter House of Commons via York South by-election
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–2003)
Picture Name Term start Term end Riding as leader Notes John Bracken December 11, 1942 July 20, 1948 Neepawa Former Premier of Manitoba George Drew October 2, 1948 November 29, 1956 Carleton Former Premier of Ontario William Earl Rowe November 29, 1956 (Interim) December 14, 1956 Dufferin—SimcoeInterim leader until 1956 leadership convention John Diefenbaker December 14, 1956 September 9, 1967 Prince Albert 13th Prime Minister of Canada Robert Stanfield September 9, 1967 February 22, 1976 HalifaxFormer Premier of Nova Scotia Joe Clark February 22, 1976 February 19, 1983 Rocky Mountain, Yellowhead 16th Prime Minister of Canada Erik Nielsen February 19, 1983 (Interim) June 11, 1983 YukonInterim leader until 1983 leadership convention Brian Mulroney June 11, 1983 June 13, 1993 Central Nova, Manicouagan, Charlevoix18th Prime Minister of Canada Kim Campbell June 13, 1993 December 14, 1993 Vancouver Centre19th Prime Minister of Canada Jean Charest December 14, 1993 April 2, 1998 SherbrookeFormer Premier of Quebec Elsie Wayne April 2, 1998 (Interim) November 14, 1998 Saint JohnInterim until 1998 leadership election Joe Clark November 14, 1998 May 31, 2003 Kings—Hants, Calgary CentreHis second tenure as leader Peter MacKay May 31, 2003 December 7, 2003 Central NovaFinal leader of the Progressive Conservative Party; merged the PC Party with Stephen Harper's Canadian Alliance in 2003, cofounding the new Conservative Party of Canada.
Conservative Party of Canada (2003–present)
Leader Term start Term end Constituency Notes — 20 March 2004 Senator for Grandville, Quebec Interim leader, served concurrently as Senate Opposition Leader. 1st Stephen Harper 20 March 2004 Acting: 19 October 2015 – 4 November 2015Calgary Southwest, Alberta First official leader of the modern Conservative Party of Canada; Served as Leader of the Official Opposition from 2004–2006, and Prime Minister from 2006–2015. — Rona Ambrose 5 November 2015 27 May 2017 Sturgeon River—Parkland, Alberta Interim leader, served concurrently as Leader of the Official Opposition. 2nd Andrew Scheer 27 May 2017 24 August 2020 Regina—Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan Served concurrently as Leader of the Official Opposition 2017–2020; (resigned 12 December 2019, remained leader until his successor was chosen on 24 August 2020). 3rd Erin O'Toole 24 August 2020 2 February 2022 Durham, Ontario Served concurrently as Leader of the Official Opposition 2020–2022; (removed 2 February 2022 by the Conservative caucus).— Candice Bergen 2 February 2022 10 September 2022 Portage—Lisgar, Manitoba Interim leader, served concurrently as Leader of the Official Opposition 2022. 4th Pierre Poilievre10 September 2022IncumbentCarleton, Ontario (2004-2025) None (2025) Battle River—Crowfoot, Alberta (2025-present) Served concurrently as Leader of the Official Opposition until being unseated in the 2025 Canadian federal election. He returned to Parliament in the 2025 Battle River—Crowfoot federal by-election, thus again becoming Leader of the Official Opposition.
Conservative prime ministers of Canada This is a list of prime ministers of Canada after Confederation who were members of the Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942), Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–2003), and Conservative Party of Canada (2003–present).
Conservative (1867–1942)
Sir John A. Macdonald (1867–1873, 1878–1891) Sir John Abbott (1891–1892) Sir John Sparrow David Thompson (1892–1894) Sir Mackenzie Bowell (1894–1896) Sir Charles Tupper (1896) Sir Robert Borden (1911–1920) Arthur Meighen (1920–1921, 1926) R. B. Bennett (1930–1935)
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–2003)
John Diefenbaker (1957–1963) Joe Clark (1979–1980) Brian Mulroney (1984–1993) Kim Campbell (1993)
Conservative Party of Canada (2003–present)
Stephen Harper (2006–2015)
Electoral performance of Tory leaders
Conservative (historical; 1867–1942) Election Leader Party name # of candidates nominated # of seats won +/– Election Outcome # of total votes % of popular vote Position 1867John A. Macdonald Conservatives, Liberal-Conservatives 112 100 1st 92,656 34.53% 1872 Conservatives, Liberal-Conservatives, one Conservative Labour 140 1st 123,100 38.66% 1874 Conservatives, Liberal-Conservatives, one Conservative Labour 104 35 2nd 99,440 30.58% 1878 Conservatives, Liberal-Conservatives 161 64 1st 229,191 42.06% 1882 Conservatives, Liberal-Conservatives 168 7 1st 208,544 40.39% 1887 Conservatives, Liberal-Conservatives 203 25 1st 343,805 47.41% 1891 Conservatives, Liberal-Conservatives 212 6 1st 376,518 48.58% 1896Charles Tupper Conservatives, Liberal-Conservatives 207 19 2nd 467,415 48.17% 1900 Conservatives, Liberal-Conservatives 204 19 2nd 438,330 46.1% 1904Robert Borden Conservatives, Liberal-Conservatives 205 4 2nd 470,430 45.94% 1908 Conservatives, Liberal-Conservatives 211 10 2nd 539,374 46.21% 1911 Conservatives, Liberal-Conservatives and Nationalist Conservatives 212 47 1st 636,938 48.90% 1917 Unionist Party 211 20 1st 1,070,694 56.93% 1921Arthur Meighen National Liberal and Conservative Party 204 103 3rd 935,651 29.95% 1925Conservatives232 65 1st1,454,25346.13% 1926 Conservatives 232 23 2nd 1,476,834 45.34% 1930R. B. Bennett Conservatives 229 44 1st 1,836,115 47.79% 1935 Conservatives 228 96 2nd 1,290,671 29.84% 1940 Robert James Manion National Government 207 2nd 1,402,059 30.41%
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–2003) Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Role Government 1945 John Bracken 1,448,744 27.62% 27 2nd Liberal minority 1949George A. Drew 1,734,261 29.62% 23 2nd Liberal majority 1953 1,749,579 31.01% 9 2nd Liberal majority 1957John Diefenbaker 2,564,732 38.81% 62 1st PC minority 1958 3,908,633 53.56% 96 1st PC majority 1962 2,865,542 37.22% 92 1st PC minority 1963 2,591,613 32.80% 23 2nd Liberal minority 1965 2,500,113 32.41% 2 2nd Liberal minority 1968Robert Stanfield 2,554,397 31.43% 23 2nd Liberal majority 1972 3,388,980 35.02% 35 2nd Liberal minority 1974 3,371,319 35.46% 12 2nd Liberal majority 1979Joe Clark 4,111,606 35.89% 41 1st PC minority 1980 3,552,994 32.49% 33 2nd Liberal majority 1984Brian Mulroney 6,278,818 50.03% 108 1st PC majority 1988 5,667,543 43.02% 42 1st PC majority 1993 Kim Campbell 2,178,303 16.04% 167 5th Liberal majority 1997 Jean Charest 2,446,705 18.84% 18 5th Liberal majority 2000 Joe Clark 1,566,994 12.19% 8 5th Liberal majority
Conservative Party of Canada (2003–present) Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government 2004 Stephen Harper 4,019,498 29.63% 21 2nd 2006 5,374,071 36.37% 25 1st 2008 5,209,069 37.65% 19 1st 2011 5,832,401 39.62% 23 1st 2015 5,613,633 31.91% 67 2nd 2019 Andrew Scheer 6,239,227 34.34% 22 2nd 2021 Erin O'Toole 5,747,410 33.74% 2 2nd 2025 Pierre Poilievre 8,089,941 41.3% 25 2nd
Other conservative parties' leaders Parties that have had representation in the House of Commons "Reform-Alliance" Leaders of the Reform Party of Canada Preston Manning (October 31, 1987 – March 25, 2000)
Leaders of the Canadian Alliance Deborah Grey (March 27, 2000 – July 8, 2000) (interim) Stockwell Day (July 8, 2000 – December 12, 2001) John Reynolds (December 12, 2001 – March 20, 2002) (interim) Stephen Harper (March 20, 2002 – December 7, 2003)
Leaders of the Reconstruction Party of Canada Henry Herbert Stevens (1935–1938)
Leaders of the Social Credit Party of Canada John Horne Blackmore (1935–1944) (parliamentary leader) Solon Earl Low (1944–1961) Robert Thompson (1961–1967) Alexander Bell Patterson (1967–1968) (interim) Réal Caouette (1971–1976) André-Gilles Fortin (1976–1977) Gilles Caouette (1977–1978) (interim) Charles-Arthur Gauthier (1978) (interim) Lorne Reznowski (1978–1979) Charles-Arthur Gauthier (1979) (interim) Fabien Roy (1979–1980) Martin Hattersley (1981–1983) Ken Sweigard (1983–1986) (interim) Harvey Lainson (1986–1990) Ken Campbell (1990–1993)
Leader of the People's Party of Canada Maxime Bernier (September 14, 2018 – present)
Parties that have had no representation in the House of Commons Leaders of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada Ed Vanwoudenberg (1987–1991) Charles Cavilla (1991–1993) Heather Stilwell (1993–1994) (interim) Jean Blaquière (1994–1995) Ron Gray (1995–2008) Jim Hnatiuk (2008–2014) David J. Reimer (2014) (interim) Rod Taylor (2014 – present)
Leaders of the Libertarian Party of Canada Sieg Pedde (1973–1974) Charles 'Chuck' Lyall (1974–1976) Ron Bailey (1976–1978) Alex Eaglesham (1978–1979) Linda Cain (1980–1982) Neil Reynolds (May 1982 – 1983) Victor Levis (1983–1987) Dennis Corrigan (1987–1990) Stanislaw Tyminski (1990–1991) George Dance (1991–1993) Hilliard Cox (May 1993 – 1995) George Dance (1995–1996) Vincent Pouliot (May 12, 1996 – April 5, 1997) Robert Morse (1997) Jean-Serge Brisson (1997 - May 18, 2008)Agenda Dennis Young (May 18, 2008 - May 2011) Katrina Chowne (May 2011 – May 2014) Tim Moen (May 2014 – 2021) Jacques Boudreau (2021 – present)
Leaders of the Progressive Canadian Party Ernie Schreiber (2004–2005) (interim) Tracy Parsons (2005–2007) Sinclair Stevens (2007–2016) Joe Hueglin (2016–2019)
Leaders of the Western Block Party Doug Christie (November 30, 2005 – March 11, 2013) Paul St. Laurent (March 11, 2013 – January 31, 2014)
Leader of the Alliance of the North François Bélanger (September 11, 2013 — present)
References
Notes Created Viscount Bennett following his retirement from office. On this occasion, Meighen failed in his attempts to win re-election to the House of Commons, so Hanson remained Leader of the Opposition throughout Meighen's term Bracken did not win election to the House of Commons until 1945, so Hanson remained Leader of the Opposition until January 1943, when he was replaced by Gordon Graydon On two occasions when Drew was too ill to perform his duties, William Earl Rowe served as Leader of the Opposition Michael Starr served as Leader of the Opposition until November 5, 1967, when Stanfield, who had previously been premier of Nova Scotia, won election to Parliament