How Joe Clark became PC party leader at age 36

Joe Clark's competition was not to be underestimated.

Running against the 36-year-old Alberta MPfor the leadership of the Progressive Conservative party in 1976 were Quebec judge and MP Claude Wagner, former Liberal Paul Hellyer, MP Flora MacDonald "the first female serious contender,"according to CBC reporter Larry Stout and six others.

And then there was Brian Mulroney, aMontreal lawyer "with the Robert Redford image" who had never been elected to anything.

Some5,000 Tories gathered at the Ottawa Civic Centre on the weekend of Feb. 22, 1976, to choose a replacement for leader Robert Stanfield, who had led the national party without electoral success since 1967.

Four ballots to victory

49 years ago

Duration 2:12

As the convention continues, candidates throw their support to Clark -- or don't.

'Clark bandwagon was rolling'

"I like the fact he's a relatively young man. I think we can win with him,"said Sinclair Stevens, an Ontario MP who asked his supporters to vote for Clark when he bowed out after the first ballot.

It was MacDonald's turn to do the same after the second ballot.

"The Clark bandwagon was rolling," said Stout.

But there was a bump in the road: John Diefenbaker, the grand old man of the party who led it to victory in 1958, was in favour of front-runner Claude Wagner.

The third ballot came down to Clark, Wagner andMulroney, who had a choice to make when he placed third and dropped out.

"Brian Mulroneycould have been the kingmaker," said Stout. "He endorsed neither Clark nor Wagner, and allowed his delegates their free choice."

It was a two-man race, and when the fourth ballot was counted, Clark came out on top with 1,187 votes to Wagner's 1,122.

From the floor, Clarksaid he was delighted with the outcome and praised Wagner's "vigorous,effective" campaign.

The dark horse had won. But, as Stout explained,he was perceived as a compromise candidate

"The country is asking: 'Who is Joe Clark?'"

An unknownfrom the West

Joe Clark greets media after becoming PC leader

49 years ago

Duration 1:41

At 36, Joe Clark is the youngest person to lead a national political party.

The morning after his win, Clark occupied the office of the Leader of the Opposition to meet reporters.

He hadspent much time in that office but, as he noted, always onthe other side of the desk. (Clarkspent three years as Stanfield's executive assistant.)

"A lot of Canadians don't really know you, sir," said a reporter, tossing a newspaper onto Clark's desk.

It was that day's Toronto Star with a cover story headlined "Joe Who?"

"How are you going to overcome this identity problem?" he asked.

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"Well, I think the fact that so many of you fellows are here today will be a step in that direction ... I shouldn't have said 'fellows,' should I?" he replied, stopping himself and looking around.

"Oh, good," he said, gesturing at an unseen female reporter who could be heard saying "Thank you!"

Clark didn't think he'd be "JoeWho?" for long.

"I think publicity, a national personality, perhaps notoriety, attaches to the Leader of the Opposition just by the nature of the job," he said.

"One of the things that was important to my success ... was that ... I was pretty well known in the party."

Clark added that he hoped that familiarity within the party would expand to the country at large and bringhim repeated success in the next election.

It did in May 1979 Clark was elected Prime Minister at age 39.

But it was a short-lived minority government that was defeated that December, forcing another election that the Liberals under Pierre Trudeau won.