201:
the speech 'fell flat'. Darcy McKeough spoke next. He gave an aggressive speech. He tried to cast himself as the compromise candidate, neither for the establishment (Davis) nor for the dissidents (A. Lawrence). Bob Welch discarded his prepared speech and gave a fierce rendering of his vision. He pledged himself to a more open party. Allan
Lawrence ignored his previous arguments about excessive spending on education and government services. Instead he described himself as natural successor to Robarts, a preserver of Canadian unity and Ontario's greatness. Some observers felt his speech was cheeky and presumptuous but it went down well with his organizers. Bert Lawrence who realized that he was well behind in the polls, promised an improved relationship between government and people, structural reform of the cabinet, an enlarged role for backbenchers, and better coordination of the work of the civil service.
213:, a key organizer of the convention, explained to delegates how the voting machines would work. Voting began at 3:15 pm but after an hour it was announced that 12 of the 15 machines had failed work properly. During the next two hours conference organizers met with the manufacturer of the machines and candidates. The manufacturers claimed that nothing was wrong with their machines and it was the delegates who had failed to use them properly. After a meeting with the candidates, there was unanimous agreement that the first ballot be scrapped and that it be redone using paper ballots. This was announced to the delegates at about 6:15 pm. Voting didn't take place until about 7:45 pm and the results were announced about 9 pm.
217:
endorse anyone. The second ballot began at about 10 pm and the results had Bob Welch in last place. Darcy McKeough tried to make a deal with him but he was turned down. Welch felt that to make a deal with McKeough would go against his principles for an open party. He refused to make an endorsement. After the third ballot, McKeough was in last place and he gave his endorsement to Davis. The fourth ballot results were announced at 2 am. It gave Davis the victory by only 44 votes.
216:
In the meantime, unofficial results from the machine vote had leaked out and there was intense discussions between candidates and their organizers. When the first paper ballot results were announced, Davis was in the lead by 117 votes. Both Robert
Pharand and Bert Lawrence dropped out and refused to
187:
had less support and were viewed as compromise candidates. Robert
Pharand was a late entry into the race. He was a 26-year-old graduate student from Ottawa who announced his intention to run on January 31, 1971. He represented a small group of young Conservative members who felt the five established
200:
in
Toronto between February 11–12, 1971. On the first night speeches were made by the candidates. Davis defended his record at the Ministry of Education. He described himself as resolute decisive and steadfast. The text read well but he spoke in a monotone that lessened the impact. Some argued that
220:
Analysis of the results focused on why Davis almost lost. Some argued that Davis' moderate stance was almost outshone by
Lawrence who curried favour with more right-wing Conservatives. In terms of delegates, Lawrence and Davis were virtually tied. The deciding factor was the sitting MPPs who voted
619:
108:
132:
128:
124:
120:
116:
112:
100:
96:
81:
92:
88:
84:
171:
was the early front runner and was seen as the candidate of the party establishment. He had support of 14 cabinet ministers and 42 Members of
Provincial Parliament (MPPs).
629:
634:
167:
announced his retirement plans on
December 1, 1970. Five sitting members quickly announced their intention to vie for the leadership.
624:
335:
172:
175:
was viewed as suave and a bit of a maverick. He attracted supporters who disliked Davis' education expenditures.
406:
180:
209:
On the second day, voting took place. 15 large voting machines were placed in the middle of the floor.
197:
145:
35:
599:
537:"Party acting as if Robarts had resigned: Tories ask to reserve leadership convention site".
592:
372:
176:
613:
434:
210:
184:
164:
148:
48:
293:
168:
152:
58:
526:"McKeough eliminated after third ballot, endorses Davis". February 13, 1971.
142:
1971 Progressive
Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election
19:
1971 Progressive
Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election
620:
Progressive
Conservative Party of Ontario leadership elections
188:
candidates were not speaking clearly enough about the issues.
559:
Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs (1971)
144:
was held on February 12 of that year to replace retiring
561:. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 99–102.
82:
Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership conventions
72:
64:
54:
44:
31:
23:
591:
8:
552:
550:
548:
18:
585:
583:
630:1971 political party leadership elections
598:. Toronto: Macmillan of Canada. pp.
557:Peter Oliver (1975). John Saywell (ed.).
163:The change in leadership came about when
228:
518:
17:
7:
14:
572:"Student to run for leadership".
635:February 1971 events in Canada
576:. February 1, 1971. p. 8.
541:. December 2, 1970. p. 1.
1:
590:Manthorpe, Jonathan (1974).
221:almost entirely for Davis.
196:The convention was held at
651:
594:The Power & the Tories
231:Delegate support by ballot
470:
450:
428:
400:
251:
248:
245:
242:
239:
236:
80:
625:1971 elections in Canada
240:1st ballot (cancelled)
155:on the fourth ballot.
151:. The party selected
233:
20:
574:The Globe and Mail
539:The Globe and Mail
229:
198:Maple Leaf Gardens
36:Maple Leaf Gardens
510:
509:
138:
137:
27:February 12, 1971
642:
604:
603:
597:
587:
578:
577:
569:
563:
562:
554:
543:
542:
534:
528:
527:
523:
234:
205:Voting procedure
45:Resigning leader
40:Toronto, Ontario
21:
650:
649:
645:
644:
643:
641:
640:
639:
610:
609:
608:
607:
589:
588:
581:
571:
570:
566:
556:
555:
546:
536:
535:
531:
525:
524:
520:
515:
471:No endorsement
456:Robert Pharand
451:No endorsement
429:No endorsement
401:Endorsed Davis
227:
207:
194:
161:
39:
12:
11:
5:
648:
646:
638:
637:
632:
627:
622:
612:
611:
606:
605:
579:
564:
544:
529:
517:
516:
514:
511:
508:
507:
504:
501:
498:
495:
492:
489:
486:
483:
480:
477:
473:
472:
469:
466:
463:
460:
457:
453:
452:
449:
446:
443:
440:
437:
431:
430:
427:
424:
421:
418:
415:
412:
409:
403:
402:
399:
396:
393:
390:
387:
384:
381:
378:
375:
373:Darcy McKeough
369:
368:
365:
362:
359:
356:
353:
350:
347:
344:
341:
338:
336:Allan Lawrence
332:
331:
326:
321:
318:
315:
312:
309:
306:
303:
300:
297:
289:
288:
285:
282:
279:
276:
273:
270:
267:
264:
261:
258:
254:
253:
250:
247:
244:
241:
238:
226:
225:Ballot results
223:
206:
203:
193:
192:The convention
190:
177:Darcy McKeough
173:Allan Lawrence
160:
157:
136:
135:
78:
77:
74:
70:
69:
66:
62:
61:
56:
52:
51:
46:
42:
41:
33:
29:
28:
25:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
647:
636:
633:
631:
628:
626:
623:
621:
618:
617:
615:
601:
596:
595:
586:
584:
580:
575:
568:
565:
560:
553:
551:
549:
545:
540:
533:
530:
522:
519:
512:
505:
502:
499:
496:
493:
490:
487:
484:
481:
478:
475:
474:
467:
464:
461:
458:
455:
454:
447:
444:
441:
438:
436:
435:Bert Lawrence
433:
432:
425:
422:
419:
416:
413:
410:
408:
405:
404:
397:
394:
391:
388:
385:
382:
379:
376:
374:
371:
370:
366:
363:
360:
357:
354:
351:
348:
345:
342:
339:
337:
334:
333:
330:
327:
325:
322:
319:
316:
313:
310:
307:
304:
301:
298:
296:
295:
291:
290:
286:
283:
280:
277:
274:
271:
268:
265:
262:
259:
256:
255:
235:
232:
224:
222:
218:
214:
212:
211:Alan Eagleson
204:
202:
199:
191:
189:
186:
185:Bert Lawrence
182:
178:
174:
170:
166:
158:
156:
154:
150:
147:
143:
134:
130:
126:
122:
118:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
83:
79:
75:
71:
67:
63:
60:
57:
53:
50:
47:
43:
37:
34:
30:
26:
22:
16:
593:
573:
567:
558:
538:
532:
521:
328:
323:
292:
230:
219:
215:
208:
195:
165:John Robarts
162:
149:John Robarts
141:
139:
104:
49:John Robarts
15:
284:Votes cast
278:Votes cast
272:Votes cast
266:Votes cast
260:Votes cast
252:4th ballot
249:3rd ballot
246:2nd ballot
243:1st ballot
55:Won by
614:Categories
513:References
294:Bill Davis
237:Candidate
169:Bill Davis
159:Background
153:Bill Davis
73:Candidates
59:Bill Davis
32:Convention
407:Bob Welch
181:Bob Welch
600:115–116
146:premier
65:Ballots
506:100.0
503:1,580
500:100.0
497:1,621
494:100.0
491:1,652
488:100.0
485:1,657
482:100.0
479:1,560
476:Total
426:16.4
420:16.3
414:16.2
398:21.3
392:17.4
386:16.5
380:16.7
367:48.6
361:37.4
355:30.1
349:26.0
343:24.3
320:41.3
314:36.0
308:33.1
302:32.2
257:Name
140:The
468:0.4
462:0.8
448:7.7
445:128
442:9.9
439:154
423:271
417:270
411:252
395:346
389:288
383:273
377:260
364:768
358:606
352:498
346:431
340:379
329:51.4
317:669
311:595
305:548
299:502
183:and
133:2018
129:2015
125:2009
121:2004
117:2002
113:1990
109:1985
105:1971
101:1961
97:1949
93:1938
89:1936
85:1920
24:Date
459:13
324:812
616::
582:^
547:^
465:7
287:%
281:%
275:%
269:%
263:%
179:,
131:,
127:,
123:,
119:,
115:,
111:,
107:,
103:,
99:,
95:,
91:,
87:,
602:.
76:6
68:4
38:,
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.