He has a charisma deficit, but he is solid on the major conservative issues of government spending restraint, the energy sector, immigration, foreign policy (he’s no friend of the chi-coms, military, and law and order. He’s not a social conservative but he promised he wouldn’t silence them in the party. That last point remains to be seen. Former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper made the same promise in 1994, then prevented his party from having any serious debate over issues such as abortion.
Sorry I meant 2004 - not 1994.