Blue Tory
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blue Tories, also known as small 'c' conservatives, are, in Canadian politics, members of the former Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and current Conservative Party of Canada who are more ideologically right wing. Prior to the 1960s, these Conservatives were most identified with the Montreal and Toronto commercial elite who took positions of influence within the Progressive Conservative Party. Since the mid-1970s, they have been heavily influenced by the neo-liberal movement. Blue Tories tend to favour neo-liberal policies such as devolution of federal power to the provincial governments, a reduced role for government in the economy, reduction of taxation and similar mainstream neoconservative ideals.
Perhaps the best example of a Blue Tory administration in Canada was the "Common Sense Revolution" provincial conservative government of Ontario Premier Mike Harris. The Harris Tories were widely viewed as extremely right-wing by Canadian standards in their economic policies and style of governance. Harris' government embarked on a number of conservative-theory-based initiatives, including steep cuts to education, welfare, and Medicare, privatization of government services and health care, the sale of provincial highways, and the forced amalgamation of municipalities. Provincial income taxes were also cut by 30% and corporate tax rates were nearly cut in half during the Harris mandate. However, it is often noted that despite the presence of social conservative members in the government, the Harris Tories did not address perrenial social conservative concerns in the province. Provincial policy surrounding publicly funded abortion clinics, the lack of funding for new religious schools (aside from a tax credit for private schools) or the growth of "covert" legal forms of euthanasia in the province's hospitals (such as the patients right to request the "Do Not Resuscitate" or D.N.R. option) were not reviewed by the Harris government.
Most Blue Tories are at least somewhat ideologically aligned close to the economic neo-liberal positions of the former Canadian Alliance, and as such supported the merger between the PCs and the Alliance to form the new Conservative Party of Canada (CPC). Some notable Blue Tories include many prominent federal and provincial Progressive Conservatives such as former PC Party Leader Peter MacKay, Conservative Party leadership contender Tony Clement, and former Premier of Ontario Mike Harris. Based on his statements and actions made in the last election, some political commentators have suggested that the current Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has also shifted his ideology closer to the Blue Tory mould as opposed to the social conservatism that was usually identified with the leadership of the Canadian Alliance and Reform Parties.
