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.

MURRAY DOBBIN has been a journalist, author, broadcaster, and media analyst for over thirty years. He is the author of Preston Manning and the Reform Party and The Politics of Kim Campbell (both bestsellers), and more recently, The Myth of the Good Corporate Citizen. He has prepared several programs for CBC Radio`s Ideas series, including one on taxes and an exposé of the New Right revolution in New Zealand. He is a research associate and board member of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Murray Dobbin's profile page

"Anyone who wants to know more about the real Preston Manning should read Murray Dobbin's new book."

Toronto Star

"Tough and Critical"

Books in Canada