ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the development, adoption, and practice of party primaries in Canada. It considers primaries for both the selection of legislative candidates as well as party leaders. Although both have resulted in broadly similar processes that invite party members to participate directly in the selection of party personnel, there are several key differences between the two. These differences include a slower path of democratization for leadership selection, as well as institutionalized veto points in candidate selection primaries. The chapter focuses on the inherently self-governing nature of Canadian parties in administering their primaries, considering how the view of parties as private associations allows for frequent rule changes, and even a back-tracking of sorts to less inclusive selection methods. It concludes with a brief discussion of the major challenges that parties face when conducting primary elections, including potential internal divisiveness.
