The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The effort to unite the federal conservative parties regained momentum yesterday, as Canadian Alliance Leader Stephen Harper hinted that a historic merger is imminent. Consolidation talks between the Alliance and the PC Party appeared at a standstill recently, but Harper's statements indicated that a potential agreement is perhaps as close as ever. "I do think we're approaching something that is very historic ...," Harper told the media in Calgary. "It's not often that the political landscape is altered in a big way so quickly, but I think we're very close to doing that." An unnamed Tory source told The Canadian Press that the PC caucus held a conference call yesterday during which members were told a tentative deal had been reached. More than 80 per cent of the caucus agreed with the merger, according to the source. Local conservatives, including Flin Flon City Councillor Tom Therien, have told The Reminder that a single right-wing party is necessary to unseat the Liberals.
