Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 18/98) - It was back to the future time for Tories across Yellowknife and around Canada this past weekend.

Former prime minister Joe Clark, who led the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1976 to 1983 and was prime minister briefly in 1979-80, was returned to his party's leadership Saturday.

Western Arctic PCs gave Clark 56 votes Saturday, while Saskatchewan anti-free- trade crusader David Orchard picked up 24 votes in the riding.

In was the second ballot in this year's PC leadership race. Three weeks ago, Clark received 55 votes and Orchard 21. Two other candidates -- PC backroom wizard Hugh Segal had 12 Western Arctic voters support him, while former Manitoba provincial cabinet minister Brian Pallistar received six votes. On Saturday, only Clark and Orchard were still on the ballot for round two.

"The vote has brought the whole party together," Norm Fillion said at the Yellowknife Inn -- where local Tories gathered to watch the national results -- shortly after Clark's election was confirmed.

"It's made the basis for future prosperity and success for the party."

Bruce McLaughlin, a former GNWT cabinet minister and member of the PC's national executive, said the one-person, one-vote system of voting, which also included equal weight being given to all ridings in Canada, was here to stay.

"The general membership won't go back to the old system," he said.

In the past, the party's leader was chosen convention-style, featuring elected delegates and the wielding of immense power by backroom party brokers. Before that, the leader was chosen by the party's parliamentary caucus in Ottawa.

In recent months, Reform Party Leader Preston Manning and numerous right-leaning commentators have suggested a "unite the right" movement was the only way to prevent further Liberal victories.

This would see the federal PCs and Reformers merging into some form of new party or movement which Manning has labelled the United Alternative.

Local Tories appeared not interested in the concept, when asked about it Saturday.

"I don't," was Western Arctic PC Association president Dave Ramsay's quick response Saturday when asked whether he had thought about the concept.

As for Clark, the former prime minister attempted to visit Yellowknife earlier on in the leadership race, but bad weather and mechanical difficulties with his chartered plane prevented his arrival.