Guest Author - Betty Dobson

When Joe Clark led the federal Progressive Conservative Party to power on June 4, 1979, he probably never dreamed that he'd be one of the party's last members in office.

Clark seemed to come from nowhere in 1976 to take over the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives, earning him the longtime nickname "Joe Who?" Political cartoonists fed off public and media perception that viewed him as awkward and slow.

After becoming Canada's youngest Prime Minister, Clark had more to worry about than any form of public ridicule. He needed the support of the Social Credit Party's six Members of Parliament to sustain his minority government--a partnership he steadfastly refused to form. His government soon fell in a December 1979 Motion of No Confidence, and the party lost the preceding election to Pierre Trudeau's Liberal Party.

Despite such an inauspicious beginning, Clark went on to become one of Canada's most highly respected political figures. He served as Secretary of State for External Affairs, President of the Privy Council, and Minister Responsible for Constitutional Affairs in Brian Mulroney's cabinet.

He retired from politics in 1993, but returned to the Progressive Conservatives in 1998 and served a second term as party leader until 2003, when he was replaced by Peter McKay.

McKay led the party into a controversial merger in December 2003 with the Canadian Alliance, a group of hard-right politicians from western Canada. While many members stayed with the newly formed Conservative Party of Canada, others followed different paths when they could not agree with the merger.

André Bachand became an Independent for the remainder of his term in office, while Scott Brison crossed the floor to the Liberals. John Herron chose to finish out his term as a Progressive Conservative but announced his plans to run for the Liberals in the next election.

Clark also chose to sit out his term as a Progressive Conservative. He went further in honoring his party allegiance, however, by declaring his intention to retire from Parliament.

On a federal level, he could and should be viewed as the last Progressive Conservative.