His Conservatives are further to the right than the former Progressive Conservative Party, which governed Canada on and off until its annihilation in 1993 and which was barely distinguishable from the Liberals.

ECONOMIST: Canada's general election

After a catastrophic defeat in 1993, the Progressive Conservative party (as it was then named) split into two rival parties, allowing the Liberals to win big majorities with just 40% of the vote.

ECONOMIST: Canada's prime minister

Will the anti-Wall Street movement become the progressive version of the conservative Tea Party?

FORBES: The Left Brewing Its Own Tea

The Alliance is a bold effort to reshape Canada's right by merging Reform, a federal neo-conservative party of Albertan origin, with sections of the Progressive Conservatives.

ECONOMIST: Alberta��s advantage poses some questions for Canada

To be sure, we had our differences in the Vermont Republican Party, but even our more conservative leaders were in many ways progressive.

CNN: Transcript: Jeffords statement

He leads a party that emerged only in March from a hurried merger between the western-based, socially conservative Alliance (previously the Reform Party) and the eastern rump of the more centrist Progressive Conservatives.

ECONOMIST: The Conservatives have turned the campaign upside down