[icwhatudo]

Can someone explain in more detail? Obviously two canadian rightwing parties are uniting, but what divided them in the first place? Are the canadians getting their own version of "rino-ization"? (I saw the term "progressive conservative"...Any further explanation appreciated.

[IvanT]

The Conservatives collapsed at the end of the Mulroney era, and lost almost all their seats. A separate conservative party out of the west emerged called the Reform Party, later renamed the Canadian Alliance. The Progressive Conservatives were conservative, with some more Liberal stances on certain issues, but overall, a Tory party.

Since then they have been splitting the vote in every election, some feeling the Alliance is too right, and the conservatives not right wing enough. The Liberals have been taking advantage of this split for the last decade, winning majority govt's the last three elections on the trot, with no real competition.

Should this go throught, with Mike Harris at the helm, Canada could finally get a Conservative ruling party again.