Populism in Canada
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Populism in Canada has been part of the country's political culture through its history and across the political spectrum. Populist parties and movements have included the Canadian social credit movement which achieved electoral strengths in Western Canada and to some extent in Quebec in the early to mid 20th century, and the Reform Party of Canada which became the largest conservative party in Parliament from a base in Western Canada in the 1990s.
According to Laycock, Quebecois populism is largely intertwined in Quebec nationalism and thus has to be examined with its own ideological and linguistic dynamics taken into consideration.[1]
Overview
In his 1981 Studies in Political Economy journal article, "Populism: A qualified defence", John Richards, a public policy professor at Simon Fraser University, said that there were elements of populism in the
19th century
Anti-establishment populist politics became an important political force in 19th century
20th century
Multiple important populist political movements were formed throughout Canada in the 20th century. Western Canada and the Canadian Prairies in particular were the source of origin of a number of Canada's populist movements in the 20th century.
United Farmers movement
In 1921, both Liberals and Conservatives lost to the
Social Credit (Socred)
The Social Credit populist political parties won provincial elections in three provinces—the
In 1933, William Aberhart, also known as Bible Bill, formed the
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF)
In 1932, in response to the hardships of the Great Depression, a coalition of labour, socialists, and progressives in Calgary, Alberta founded the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF).[13] Tommy Douglas, who became a social activist at the onset of the Depression, joined the new CCF and was elected as MP in the 1935 federal election.[17]
In his 1978 Canadian Journal of Political Science journal article, "Populism in the United States, Russia, and Canada: Explaining the Roots of Canada's Third Parties", John Conway said that CCF and Alberta's Social Credit were, to some extent, "populist formations."[18] Conway said that the CCF is an example of a populist party that transitioned successfully into a democratic party—the New Democratic Party. He said that the NDP, which was formed in 1961, was modelled on European social democratic parties and Britain's and Australia's Labour parties.[18]
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a right-wing populist party that existed from 1987 to 2000.[19] It was formed and led by Preston Manning, the son of former Social Credit Alberta Premier Ernest Manning.[19] It was originally a Western Canadian protest party that captured the support of right-wing Western Canadians who were disillusioned with the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and in particular its preference for resolving the grievances of Quebec over the West.[19] It also drew support of right-wing conservative Canadians who were dismayed by the Progressive Conservatives' inability to deliver their promised tax cuts and spending cuts.[19] In 1993, the Reform Party made a political breakthrough in electing large numbers of members of parliament.[19]
21st century
This section needs expansion with: examples and additional citations. You can help by adding to it. (November 2018) |
The People's Party of Canada has self-described as populist,[20] and been described as populist by many journalists.[21][22] Its leader, Maxime Bernier, refers to it as "smart populism", which is based on principles of freedom, responsibility, fairness, and respect, that speak for "all Canadians" and which do not appease special interest groups.[20]
Pierre Poilievre, who has been described as populist by some journalists,[23][24] won the 2022 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election and became the leader of both the Conservative Party and the Official Opposition. Some journalists have compared Poilievre to American Republican populists such as Ted Cruz,[24] while many journalists have dismissed these comparisons due to Poilievre's pro-choice, and pro-immigration positions, along with progressive views on LGBTQ issues.[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]
Citations
- ^ a b c Laycock 2005, p. 174.
- ^ Conway 1984.
- ^ Richards 1981.
- ^ Richards 1989, p. 263-267.
- ^ Foss & Larkin 1986.
- ^ Boyte & Riessman 1986.
- ^ a b Boyte, Booth & Max 1986.
- ^ a b c Richards 1989, p. 264.
- ^ Laycock 2005, p. 175.
- ^ a b Walz 1971.
- ^ a b Laycock 2005, p. 176.
- ^ a b Canadian Encyclopedia 2006a.
- ^ a b Canadian Encyclopedia 2006.
- ^ Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica 2004.
- ^ Laycock 2005, pp. 176–177.
- ^ a b Laycock 2005, p. 177.
- ^ Tommy Douglas CV 2011.
- ^ a b Conway 1978, p. 99.
- ^ a b c d e Laycock 2005, p. 178.
- ^ a b Maxime Bernier says his new party offers 'smart populism'. YouTube. Canadian Press. 11 October 2018. Event occurs at 1:56. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- ^ Aiello, Rachel (14 September 2018). "Maxime Bernier launches People's Party of Canada". CTVNews. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- ^ "Maxime Bernier on next steps for The People's Party of Canada". Le Devoir (Interview) (in French). 15 September 2018.
- ^ Blatchford, Andy (25 May 2022). "Conservative frontrunner deploys populist strike on Ottawa's elites". Politico. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Canadian Conservatives elect "right-wing populist" Pierre Poilievre to lead fight against Justin Trudeau". CBS News. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
- ^ "NP View: The unstoppable Pierre Poilievre". National Post. 5 August 2022.
Trying to demonize Poilievre as a "populist" or as Canada's Trump, or implying that he is a white supremacist or opposed to women's rights is unlikely to succeed. He is pro-choice, pro-immigration and has forcefully denounced white replacement theory and all of "that kind of thinking."
- ^ Forrest, Maura (12 September 2022). "The quick take on Canada's new Conservative leader". Politico.
He has been compared to former President Donald Trump for his populist overtures, but in terms of substance, he has largely confined himself to pocketbook issues. He is pro-immigration — his wife is a Venezuelan immigrant — and now calls himself pro-choice.
- ^ "Is there room for centrists in the current Conservative Party?: Tasha Kheiriddin on the right path forward for Conservatives in Canada". The Hub. 9 August 2022.
And second, what parts of his program—which, to be fair to him, he is pro-immigration, pro-same-sex marriage, and pro-choice—do you take exception to?
- ^ McConkey, David (23 October 2022). "Pierre Poilievre, populist politician?". The Brandon Sun.
In several ways, Poilievre does not fit the mould of a new populist. For one, Poilievre is not new. He was a cabinet minister in the Stephen Harper government and he has been a member of Parliament for almost 20 years. For another, he is not your stereotypical reactionary. He is at ease with the non-traditional family, he is pro-choice, he is pro-immigration.
- ^ Campbell, Clark (16 September 2022). "The making of Pierre Poilievre, conservative proselytizer". The Globe and Mail.
But he is no Donald Trump in tenets or temperament. He doesn't echo the anti-immigrant rhetoric, and abhors Mr. Trump's gargantuan deficits. He is so calculated that he could never be the erratic bundle of impulses that rambles at a Trump rally.
- ^ "Canada's Conservatives pick a brainy brawler as leader". The Economist. 15 September 2022.
His rhetorical style evokes populists such as Donald Trump. But his enemies list is more circumscribed. Unlike Mr Trump, he favours immigration.
- ^ Moore, Samuel (4 November 2022). "Pierre Poilievre: Canada's next Prime Minister?". Cherwell.
Moreover, in a way that distinguishes him from Trump and other right-wing populists, Poilievre's social policies are progressive. He is pro-choice and pro-LGBT rights and has actually criticised the Trudeau ministry for not being pro-immigration enough, belittling the inefficiencies of the current immigration system as yet another example of big government "gatekeeping".
- ^ Oliver, Joe (7 September 2022). "Liberals risk drowning in the Poilievre wave". Financial Post.
The "Trump North" label has failed to stick because he has been consistently pro-choice, supports gay marriage and favours immigration.
References
This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: inconsistent citation format. (October 2022) |
- Morley, J.t. (6 February 2006). "Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF)". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- Morley, J.t. (7 February 2006a). "Social Credit". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- Conway, John F. (1978). "Populism in the United States, Russia, and Canada: Explaining the Roots of Canada's Third Parties". Canadian Journal of Political Science Via Wikipedia Library. 11 (1): 99–124. S2CID 154859046.
- Conway, John F. (1984). "The Nature of Populism: A Clarification". Studies in Political Economy. VI. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica (2004). "Social Credit Party (Socred)". Encyclopædia Britannica.
- Laycock, David (2005). "Populism and the New Right in English Canada". In Panizza, Francisco (ed.). Populism and the Mirror of Democracy. New York: Verso. pp. 172–201. ISBN 978-1-85984-489-2.
- McHenry, Dean Eugene (1950). The Third Force in Canada: The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, 1932–1948. Berkeley, California: University of California Press.
- Richards, John (1 January 1981). "Populism: A Qualified Defence". Studies in Political Economy. 5 (1): 5–27. ISSN 0707-8552.
- Richards, J. (1989). "The New Populism" (PDF). Labour/Le Travail. 23. Canadian Committee on Labour History: 263–267. S2CID 56032690.
- * "Parliamentarian file: DOUGLAS, Thomas Clement (Tommy), C.C., B.A., M.A., LL.D.(Hon.)". Parliament of Canada. Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada. 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- Walz, Jay (10 September 1971) [August 31, 1971]. "Tories Rout Alberta's Regime of 36 Years". The New York Times. Ottawa, Ontario. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 28 October 2022.