Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election, 1971
| Date | February 12, 1971 |
|---|---|
| Convention |
Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario |
| Resigning leader | John Robarts |
| Won by | Bill Davis |
| Ballots | 4 |
| Candidates | 6 |
Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership conventions
The 1971 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election was held on February 12 of that year to replace retiring premier John Robarts. The party selected Bill Davis on the fourth ballot.
The change in leadership came about when John Robarts announced his retirement plans on December 1, 1970. Five sitting members quickly announced their intention to vie for the leadership. Bill Davis 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). Allan Lawrence was viewed as suave and a bit of a maverick. He attracted supporters who disliked Davis' education expenditures. Darcy McKeough, Bob Welch and Bert Lawrence 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 candidates were not speaking clearly enough about the issues.
The convention was held at Maple Leaf Gardens 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 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.
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