"I have campaigned across this country, from Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, through Hochelaga, to Victoria, B.C., and know that diversity is the essence of this country. Our strength is that we all reflect where we come from and respect where others come from," he told his fellow Tories. "My sense of Canada was formed in the open West and has been broadened by a unique opportunity to see this country whole. I made the deliberate decision long ago to serve in national affairs and in this party, which must be national in more than name."

"I am for a government with the courage to challenge and to change the way this country has been run for nearly forty years, by one party," Clark continued. "I am for a greater balance in the distribution of future industry and population, a stronger parliament where every member is a somebody and a government that demonstrates it can control itself before it tries to control others."

Though not well-known by the public as the leadership campaign was waged the previous fall and into the new year, Clark was a veteran organizer who had been at the heart of the organizational end of the PC party since his teenage years. As soon as delegate selection meetings had begun, party elders and the other candidates started to see how successful Clark could be. You will find an edited version of his convention address ahead of voting below.

Joe Clark, MP: Those of you who have worked in campaigns before will understand if I begin by thanking my supporters. We are here at a national, local, personal campaign and my wife Maureen and I owe you an immense gratitude.

As Earl Rowe would know, I am the second of my family to have been honoured to serve in the House of Commons. Colonel Hugh Clark, who was born in the year Confederation, sat ten years in Parliament as the member for Bruce County, Ontario - Kincardine. He was here the night the Parliament Buildings burned and said the best place to watch that fire was from the balcony of the Rideau Club - where he stood with other Conservative MPs from Ontario - who all watched with particular keenness the door to the Senate, to see which senators didn't escape and consequently what vacancies might be created.

In five months of meetings, from Comox to Cornerbrook, up until Friday, we have talked together in detail. Now I want to talk of our party and country. I am committed to both, and have served a long apprenticeship.

I learned by knocking on doors in 1957 and 1958 and learned more as chairman of the organization for Peter Lougheed in Alberta, when we started with no seats and again as a candidate losing once, and learning from that and winning twice, in Rocky Mountain, which we took from the Liberals.

I have campaigned across this country, from Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, through Hochelaga, to Victoria, B.C., and know that diversity is the essence of this country. Our strength is that we all reflect where we come from and respect where others come from. My sense of Canada was formed in the open West and has been broadened by a unique opportunity to see this country whole. I made the deliberate decision long ago to serve in national affairs and in this party, which must be national in more than name.

We have a legacy - to represent those Canadians whom others might ignore or whose rights have been abused as the rights of women, and of native people, and of small businessmen have been abused. And we have a tradition of building, of opening new vistas, of closing old wounds.

Governments don't build countries. People do. But Canadians can build only if there is confidence in the integrity of government and only when it is clear that the rules are the same for the powerful as they are for the rest of us.

I am not going to talk about Mr. Trudeau. You know what I think of him. But Canadians today don't want to know what we are against. They want to know what we are for.

I am for a government with the courage to challenge and to change the way this country has been run for nearly forty years, by one party. I am for a greater balance in the distribution of future industry and population, a stronger parliament where every member is a somebody and a government that demonstrates it can control itself before it tries to control others.

The democratic system works best if parties alternate in power. There have been too many years of Liberal government, too few of Conservative. That has damaged both parties.

And now that must change.

We will win because we must win. But I say to you frankly that we cannot expect the people of Canada to have confidence that we can heal the divisions in this nation until we demonstrate that we can pull together within our own party.

As a member of caucus who comes from the West, I know we can unite and build a party that, in 1978, and beyond, all Canadians will see as a party worthy of victory, worthy of Canada, ready to govern and able to govern.

I say to you and to all Canadians watching us today that there may never, in the history of Canada, have been a meeting more important than this convention. We are not playing a party game here. Six more years of Liberal rule could destroy our country. We are here to secure Canada's future. Of course we want to win in 1978. But I say to every Canadian, we must win in 1978. It is our clear duty to our country.

So let us, as a party, look far past the choice we make tomorrow - and prepare for the choice Canadians will make in two years time. Let us, from today, suspend the empty of the left and the right. We are one broad party. And arguments I am in the centre of it with the great majority of you.

I was pleased when editor Claude Ryan in Le Devoir wrote that I am 'a man from the West with a national perspective.' It pleases me because I believe our leader and party must speak for no region and for all regions, for no wing in this party, but for the whole party.

My friends, I deeply want our party to win. It will not be easy. We will be fighting an entrenched machine backed with the resources of government. We will be changing a habit of history. But we can - if we have the will to win - and the will to work - starting now.

Let us be honest. We will not take this station by storm, by stealth or by surprise. will win it by work. And I and my colleagues in Parliament will be out there with you, riding by riding, day by day, working to win.

Let me speak of our r common country. In a world that is growing too much the same, we are unique in our diversity. We are fortunate to combine, in one common country, the heritage of all the nations of the world, the lessons of all the local places that we came from, and a future without equal among nations.

My friends, appearing on this platform today are people who have been, are and will be my colleagues and friends. I want to say to you and to them that throughout this campaign I have presented my own case, argued my own brief, without criticism of any of you.

That was not tactics. This is how I feel. If I am chosen, I will need their support. Any of them who is chosen will have mine. On whatever minor things we disagree, we share an excitement about a country that is without equal in the world.

And we share a determination to build a government that is worthy of this country. I would say to all Canadians whose interest has been quickened by our proceedings here, we will be there to see you. We want your help for our party and for Canada.

My friends, with a deep sense of destiny, I ask the opportunity to be your servant and your leader.