Canada

Liberal Party

The Liberals are Canada's “government party,” having ruled for two-thirds of the 20th century. The party does not espouse a coherent theory of society, parliament, power, or policy. Its specific positions have evolved with changing circumstances, issues, and public attitudes. Run from the top down, it can become distant from its regular members and society at large after prolonged periods in power. It has also been able to renew itself, often by scouring its “extra-parliamentary wing” for ideas after its occasional electoral defeats.

The Liberal Party had its origins in 19th-century reform movements, even before Canadian independence. In that century, in near permanent opposition, it championed responsible government, provincial rights, free trade, closer ties with the United States (continentalism), and the interests of the working class.

In the 20th century, the party built a powerful nationwide coalition on the basis of regional power brokerage, an expansionary role for government, accommodation of English and French Canadians, patronage, and a highly pragmatic approach to policy, sometimes stealing Conservative causes. W. L. Mackenzie King (1921–26, 1926–30, 1935–48) used ambiguity to maintain a diverse coalition, and the party won a reputation for competence and compromise. Later, the Liberals’ position in the west dissipated, and the party relied heavily on its strength in central Canada.

Social welfare programs initiated under King were expanded under Lester Pearson (1963–68) and Pierre Elliot Trudeau (1968–79, 1980–84). Trudeau also opposed Québec separatism while seeking to tie Québec to a new Canadian constitution, implement bilingualism, and promote Canadian French within the party and federal [Page 59]government. The parties switched positions on continentalism in the 1970s, and the Liberals took a nationalist stance against the establishment of a free-trade area with the United States. By the time of Jean Chrétien (1993–2003), the party appeared to be the mirror image of its earlier self. Attuned to the public mood, Chrétien grumbled about the United States and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), although he did not undo it, and prided himself on achieving a smaller government bureaucracy, fiscal responsibility, and balanced budgets. On social issues, however, he spoke in favor of gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana, positions that did not garner broad support.

Canada has favored practical leftist governments over holding to a particular party ideology. Important factors for any Canadian government are how it deals with Québec separatism and the superpower neighbor to the south, the United States.

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