Progressive Conservative Youth Federation

Campus politics gained importance in the 1950s and played a key role in the rise to power of John Diefenbaker and his eventual overthrow (through a Leadership review).

This incorporated a democratic counterweight to established party hierarchy, manifesting itself dramatically in grassroots conventions that elected (and eventually removed) John Diefenbaker, Brian Mulroney, and Kim Campbell.

Many prominent Tories got their start in the youth wing, including: Brian Mulroney, Joe Clark and Jean Charest.

At the Winnipeg convention in 1996, PCYF President Tasha Kheiriddin circulated the 'Tory Top Ten', a list of policies which included a 10% personal income tax cut.

Both Daifallah and Igneski made a well-publicized defection to the Canadian Alliance during the 1999 PC Party National Meeting in Toronto.

Patrick Brown caused considerable controversy as PCYF president in 1999 when he pushed for the merger of the right wing movement despite the objection of Tory leader Joe Clark.

These activities were consistent with a long history of PCYF activism that made lasting contributions to Canada's political democracy, including the removal of John Diefenbaker by Dalton Camp, the adoption of Leadership review as a process to enshrine accountability, the leadership selection of Brian Mulroney and Kim Campbell.