▁somewhat ▁left - of - cent re . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁not ▁an ▁un crit ical ▁supp orter ▁of ▁free - market ▁econom ics , ▁and ▁he ▁does ▁not ▁seem ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁social ▁conserv ative . ▁ ▁Nevertheless , ▁he ▁was ▁willing ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁more ▁conserv ative ▁figures ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁new ▁party . ▁ ▁Even ▁before ▁the ▁Reform ▁Party ' s ▁found ing ▁convention ▁( Oct ober ▁ 3 0 - Nov ember ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 8 7 ), ▁Roberts ▁began ▁to ▁have ▁concerns ▁about ▁the ▁new ▁party ' s ▁ide ology . ▁ ▁He ▁opposed ▁its ▁regional ist ▁aspects , ▁and ▁was ▁concerned ▁by ▁its ▁popular ity ▁with ▁vot ers ▁who ▁opposed ▁b iling ual ism ▁and ▁Quebec ' s ▁role ▁in ▁Canada ' s ▁Confeder ation . ▁ ▁One ▁week ▁before ▁the ▁found ing ▁convention , ▁he ▁agreed ▁to ▁stand ▁for ▁the ▁party ' s ▁leadership ▁against ▁Pr eston ▁Mann ing , ▁the ▁only ▁other ▁declared ▁candidate . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁convention , ▁Mann ing ' s ▁supp or ters ▁among ▁the ▁convention - go ers ▁voted ▁to ▁close ▁the ▁registration ▁process ▁one ▁day ▁ahead ▁of ▁schedule , ▁perhaps ▁fear ing ▁Roberts ▁was ▁planning ▁to ▁bus ▁in ▁several ▁" inst ant ▁deleg ates ". ▁ ▁After ▁failed ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁the ▁Mann ing ▁camp , ▁Roberts ▁dropped ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁race ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁Mann ing ' s ▁supp or ters ▁had ▁hij ack ed ▁the ▁party ▁from ▁its