Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) is a major political entity formed from the merger of several right-wing parties over the past six decades, primarily to consolidate conservative interests within Canada's parliamentary system. The party held power from 2006 to 2015, with Stephen Harper serving as prime minister, during which time it focused on economic growth, tax cuts, and a strong national defense. The CPC promotes a platform that includes low taxes, limited federal government intervention, and stricter immigration policies, while frequently being colloquially referred to as the "Tories."
Historically, the party's roots can be traced back to the Liberal-Conservative Party established in 1854, evolving through various political contexts and challenges, including opposition to free trade and Quebec nationalism. However, the CPC lost its majority in the 2015 election to the Liberal Party, which was indicative of a desire for change among voters. In the aftermath, the Conservative Party faced challenges in addressing public concerns on issues like economic management, social policies, and environmental considerations.
As the party prepares for internal elections, it seeks to recalibrate its approach to align with contemporary voter expectations and to overcome its image of inflexibility. The future direction of the CPC hinges on the selection of new leadership capable of revitalizing its strategies and connecting with a broader electorate.
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada is an amalgamation of multiple right-wing political parties that joined forces over six decades to represent conservative interests in Canada’s parliamentary democracy. The Conservative Party held more seats in Parliament than opposing parties; therefore, the party leader served as Canada’s prime minister and held the majority of seats in Canada’s cabinet, ministers of the Crown, from 2006 to 2015. The Liberal Party then unseated the Conservative Party winning a majority of seats in Parliament in the next election.
The Conservative Party is empowered by an image favoring low taxes, a small federal government with most powers on domestic matters left to the governments of the provinces, limiting foreign immigration, and fierce advocacy on law and order and security issues.
"Tories" is the sobriquet for the Conservative Party of Canada frequently used in newspaper reports and colloquial political speech.
Background
A splintering over many decades of right-wing political parties kept Canada’s government by default in the hands of liberals and progressives. That changed in 2003 with the merger of parties renaming themselves the Conservative Party of Canada. They won a majority and elected Stephen Harper prime minister in 2006 on the promise of ending a deep economic recession. Harper’s Economic Action Plan created more than a million new jobs, surpassing the seven largest countries in the world in economic growth. The Conservative Party platform was enacted leading with tax cuts, debt reduction, limiting government spending, and a new emphasis on tax-free personal savings accounts. On matters of national security and foreign policy, the Conservative Party worked with other governments in the fight against terrorism and protection of borders, enhancing its image as strong on defense.
The National Council, whose representatives party members elect at meetings, governs the Conservative Party. In addition to designing and approving political operations for the party, the council writes a party platform, a statement of founding principles and policies of the Conservative Party to guide party leaders, especially when in government.
The roots of the Conservative Party are traceable to the Liberal-Conservative Party of 1854. Thirty years later, "Liberal" was dropped from the name. The name "Tories" is modeled after the name given to conservatives in England. Early policies of the Conservative Party of Canada ensured economic protectionism and fidelity to the United Kingdom. The party vigorously opposed free trade fearing the economic prowess of the United States might make Canada another "colony." The party has always opposed Canadian French nationalists and their allegiance to France; some of these activists want Quebec to secede from Canada and/or separate from Britain. The Conservative Party consistently opposes this meme with the call for "one nation, one flag, one leader."
Canada’s liberals dominated governments with the occasional conservatives winning majorities for rather short periods of time. Preceding the Conservative Party’s recent long-term rule of government, the Progressive Conservative Party ruled government in the 1980s, primarily because of the public’s dissatisfaction with liberal economic policies and the conservatives’ stand against the superciliousness of French nationalists.
Conservative Party of Canada Today
The 2015 loss of government by the Conservative Party of Canada to the Liberal Party was a populist sweep out of office. An extraordinarily large number (69 percent) of the voters went to the polls. Canada’s voters, much like their American counterparts, voted for "change." They too wanted someone young and fresh, and like US President Barack Obama, Justin Trudeau fit the bill. Every party lost voters to the Liberal Party. The Conservative Party leader and prime minister, Stephen Harper, resigned on election night, but remained in Parliament as a member of the opposition. The bane of the Conservative Party, and the issue that got it elected to government in the early 2000s, was the worsening economy. Canada was better insulated against the vicious American recession in 2008 but slowed, causing unemployment to top 7 percent. Canada suffered from dropping oil prices and delays in America’s building the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
One analyst suggests the Conservative Party is out because Canada absorbed nearly three million people between the party’s 2011 win and 2015 loss. Some accuse the party leader and prime minister of staying in office too long (more than a decade), while others attribute the party loss to the economy. The party is accused of long ignoring the problems and politics of local governments. The party is moribund philosophically, committed to its ideologies when voters want economic growth, rising wages, adequate delivery of public services, feminism, foreign policy, moral and religious issues, and national security. Canada’s Conservative Party appeared too inflexible in dealing with worsening conditions in recent years. It comes across like a party of incrementalism averse to political risk at a time when boldness—regardless of ideology—is necessary. Despite the party’s political skill remaining in office for so long, party leaders missed or ignored the populist desires sweeping the opposition into government.
In 2017 the Conservative Party performed internal elections and elected Andrew Scheer as its leader. Winning by a narrow margin, he served as leader from 2017 to 2020. In 2019, Scheer announced he would step down as leader after harsh criticism following the conservative’s failure to oust Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from office in the October elections. Scheer was also facing criticism after it was revealed that the party had helped to pay for the cost of his children’s private school tuition. After Scheer stepped down, the party elected Erin O’Toole. Viewed as more of a moderate, O’Toole was only leader for eighteen months before being voted out and accused of not being a hardline conservative. While O’Toole resisted the change, conservatives united to remove him. In 2022, the party elected Pierre Marcel Poilievere. Poilievere first broke with ranks when he endorsed the controversial Ottawa trucker convoy that then party leader O’Toole resisted embracing. After being voted in as party leader Poilievere focused his message on lowering taxes. However, the leader also caused several controversies with his fiery rhetoric, even being ejected from the House of Commons after refusing to withdraw his use of “wacko” to describe the prime minister. As Canada prepares for another election season, the party is optimistic that Poilievere can lead them to victory.
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