conservative party

current conservativ eparty emerged

in 2003 when PC & reform alliance parties merged

conservative party is associated with

with english culture, imperialism, and traditionalism

1980’s

progressive conservative party called for lower taxes, deregulation (less gov. control of business) & privitization of govt services

why was the reform alliance created

the reform alliance felt the progressive conservatives were not “conservative enough” - the reform alliance went more right - wing

why did the previous conservativces hve trouble getting elected

they were vote splitting - btw the progressive and the reforms. when they combinned they got more votes

position of the current conservatives

• favours lower taxes, less active govt, law and order, and strong military

  • officially neutral on social issues

what do the conservatives need to win the election?

3 sisters coalition

to win the conservatives need:

1. the red tories - ON and Atlantic Canada (the more progressive conservative party

2. western populist (far end right-wing)

3. francophone conservative nationalist

key themes of john A, Macdonald administration

• set up the policies against the indigenous → assimilation policy

  • although this was carried on through the liberal years

• brought together the colonies of Atlantic Canada

Macdonald’s party was ….

• maintaining loyalty and connections to the British empire

• the importance of privilege, class rank, and distinctions

• preferred a strong, central government, essential for building up the transnational political unit across North America and responsible for building a good societya red torrie party - based on economic stability, protecting the community from individualism (which they seen as corrosive on communities, leading the a positive role of the state)

what was the national policy under Macdonald

had to connect the east and west of Canada (in order to promote trade to these areas and instead of trading only with US). he therefore built the railroad, although it favoured Ontario

what was the main reason for the success of Macdonald

he could broker an agreement between english and french - a large part of his success

this fell apart with the Louis Riel affair (the rebellion between the Metis and english Canadians). the french Canadians began to question the conservative party

this accelerated with the Manitoba school issue: where Manitoba stopped funding catholic schools (mainly the french population), and also stopped being a bilingual province. the french people in this area looked to the conservative govt for help, but the govt believed it was the right of the province

Arthur Meign years

• opposed a free trade agreement with the US as proposed by the liberal party

  • this helped them win

• conscription issue - further damaged the issue with French Canadians

Benet

comes in during the great depression

• gets kicked out because he ran the govt like a business (similar to corporate) → he limited benefits to people

• brought in the CBC, bank of Can,

john diefenbaker

civil rights avocate, gained support from the western party

Mulroney

• the party had become “blue torie”

  • wanted to rebuild relationship with western Can & Queb

  • wanted the provinces to work together

• embraced the neoliberal state → small govt, privatization,

• this is where the conservative party splits

  • the “3 sister” formula was not intact, therefore they lost

key policies of the Mulroney years

• protective tariffs

• building the Pacific railway

• partnership with french canada

1911 election focused on …

• free trade agreements with the US proposed by the liberals (many anglo-can did not like)

what led to the emergence of the progressives

• the progressives emerged as a populist farmer’s movement political party in 1921, opposing old time politics and became more popular, winning more seats than the conservatives

  • this proved to be only a phase, with the party being only a protest movement and became reabsorbed within the older parties.