Preston Manning and the Reform Party [Paperback]

Murray Dobbin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 155028357X | ISBN-13: 978-1550283570 | Publication Date: January 1, 1991

The rise and persistence of the Reform Party and its successor the Canadian Alliance has indelibly altered the traditional structures of party politics in Canada.

This book profiles Preston Manning, tracing his roots in the Social Credit movement in Alberta, exploring his career before Reform, examining his connections to big business and shadowy right-wing organisations. It details the genesis of Reform policies on key issues from the GST to Quebec. Preston Manning claims the Reform Party arose out of grass roots populism: yet it grew from one man's political aspiration, and was run by a leader who, with the help of a small cabal, made all the key decisions. This book probes the apparent contradictions at the heart of Reform/Canadian Alliance's early years.

Preston Manning and the Reform Party is an eye-opening account of the realignment of Canadian politics engendered by the emergence of the Reform Party.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Tough and Critical" (Geoff Stevens Books in Canada )

"Anyone who wants to know more about the real Preston Manning should read Murray Dobbin's new book." (David Crane Toronto Star )

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Lorimer (January 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155028357X
• ISBN-13: 978-1550283570
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,295,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An in-depth, critical look at the far-right roots of Reform., March 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Preston Manning and the Reform Party (Goodread Biographies) (Paperback)

Dobbin is a long-established journalist from the province of Saskatchewan. This books examines the political historical roots of the Western Canadian based Reform Party tracing it to the old Social Credit Party of Alberta. Social Credit was, of course, founded by evangelical Christians in the 1930s in response to the Great Depression. It had populist roots but policies quite different from the socialistic ones of left populism founded by the CCF in neighbouring Saskatchewan (the forerunner to Canada's current social democratic party--the NDP). Preston Manning's father eventually became Premier of Alberta and Dobbin's book traces the former's personal development in that context.

What Dobbin also identifies in detail is the funding of Reform by many business interests including some wealthy individuals who supported apartheid in South Africa. His presentation is well-documented but also written in a very popular style.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A far-left, ideologically motivated, wretched tome, April 1, 1998

By 

Royce Koop ([e-mail]) (Invermere, British Columbia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Preston Manning and the Reform Party (Goodread Biographies) (Paperback)

Partially funded by an offshoot foundation of the NDP, Dobbin's perspective is to the far left of most Candians' views and his harsh and undeserved criticism will contribute nothing to Canadians' knowledge of what Manning's Reform Party stands for.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars socialist scumbag, September 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Preston Manning and the Reform Party (Paperback)

Murray is a socialist scumcbucket, just like all those other left-wing elitists. Rock on Preston!