Dalton Camp - Political Involvement

Political Involvement

While involved in studies at the University of New Brunswick, Camp worked briefly for the Liberal Party of Canada and its provincial wing, the New Brunswick Liberal Association. Later, Camp was heavily influenced by his studies at the London School of Economics and upon his return to Canada, he sought to distance himself from what he now felt was the arrogance of "Canada's Ruling Party" (the Liberals). Camp had some socialist beliefs which attracted him to the Liberal Party, but he was also attracted to the traditions of Canadian conservatism; thus he ultimately found a political home within the Red Tory wing of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (PC). Now living in Toronto, Ontario in the 1950s, Camp worked with several public relations firms and through his speaking, organizational, and political abilities was influential during several provincial elections in Canada which saw PC governments elected for the first time in more than a generation. Camp was also instrumental in helping John Diefenbaker, leader of the federal Progressive Conservative party win elections in 1957 and 1958; however, he personally mistrusted Diefenbaker. Following the PC defeat to Lester Pearson's Liberals in 1963, Camp sought to reorganize the Tories and subsequently became president of the national party the following year.

Faced with evidence that a majority of Tories were unhappy with the increasingly eccentric and autocratic policies of their leader John Diefenbaker, Camp led a grassroots campaign within the party for a leadership review. After the decision was made to have a leadership convention in 1967, Camp left the presidency of the party and briefly considered campaigning for leadership of the party; however, when Robert Stanfield decided to run, Camp lent his support to Stanfield's campaign. Media savvy and an intellectual, Camp was considered by many Tories to have been a potential match to Pierre Trudeau, who would lead the Liberals throughout the 1970s.