Issue Archive » Tags » Future of Conservatism
Enrightened Thinking
by Unknown Author on June 18, 2009 | Editorials, Future of Conservatism
In an era of instant news headlines and empty libraries, a project that seeks to deepen our thinking on a sustained basis through the written word seems downright old-fashioned. To make the point clearer, do you think that many people would respond favourably today to this ad in your local paper?
Read more » | 0 commentsExplaining the Facts of Life - "Idea" Conservatives & The Media
by Mark Milke on June 18, 2009 | Future of Conservatism, Media
“The facts of life are conservative” said Margaret Thatcher. Perhaps, but the facts never speak for themselves, which is especially problematic for any Canadian mildly interested in ideas. Too many newspapers have hollowed out their editorial, analysis and comment sections; the number and length of book reviews have been slashed; in both newspapers and on television, investigative reporting is often absent (there is no Canadian television equivalent of John Stossel for example); and the Canadian media is more monolithic than the American media, in part because our smaller population makes diversity in staffing and the sheer number of outlets less possible.
Read more » | 0 commentsThe Emerging Conservatism of the Anglosphere
by Michael Lindsay on June 19, 2009 | Future of Conservatism, Philosophy, United Kingdom
There are those in my gown town who believe that every political idea expressed in the Anglosphere originates in the United Kingdom. This belief draws indignation from the city’s colonial contingent, which champions the contributions of non-Britons from Rand to Kymlicka. However, we colonials are forced to admit that, particularly over the past thirty years, it has typically been in Britain where global shifts in political attitudes have first been fully expressed in political platforms.
Read more » | 0 commentsFederalism, Like It's 1867
by Brigitte Pellerin on June 19, 2009 | Federalism, Future of Conservatism
How often do you get a blast from the present while reading history books? It certainly happens when the subject is Canadian unity. For instance, if you heard a Quebec politician complain about a supposed fiscal imbalance within our federation because “the share of income tax collected by the province . . . is still clearly inadequate” and claim that “by so often giving short shrift to Quebec’s pleas up to now, the federal government has acted as though it meant to put a brake on our province’s social and economic development”, you could be forgiven for believing that former Parti Québécois premier Bernard Landry had made a comeback. In fact, a Liberal Premier, Jean Lesage, uttered these criticisms in 1963. [i]
Read more » | 0 commentsWhy Canada Needs Conservatives, Though it Tends to Imagine Otherwise
by Dr. Travis D. Smith on June 19, 2009 | Future of Conservatism, Philosophy
Canadians are fortunate beyond measure. Given that underneath we’re the same creatures that the world has ever seen, the liberty, civility, prosperity and opportunity that we enjoy is astounding. Little wonder that people the world over want to move here, while relatively few seek to flee. An awareness of our good fortune must supplement our appreciation for the enormous effort that goes into making Canada such a pleasant place to live. We should be more grateful and less smug.
Read more » | 0 commentsIncremental Conservatism: Mr. Harper Goes to Ottawa
by Tom Flanagan on June 19, 2009 | Future of Conservatism
Criticism from the right of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has recently come into vogue. Economists from the Fraser Institute have condemned aspects of Conservative tax policy. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation called the 2006 budget “Liberal Lite.” Gerry Nicholl, who used to work for Mr. Harper at the National Citizens Coalition, has become a frequent critic in the Globe and Mail and other media. And, going beyond media criticism, people associated with the Free Dominion website held an organizational meeting in May 2007 to found a new version of the Reform Party. Are things really so bad, that after only 18 months in power, conservatives are ready to go back to the days of division on the right?
Read more » | 0 commentsElection '08 Report: Challenges Facing Harper
by Jaime Watt on June 22, 2009 | Future of Conservatism
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said on many occasions that he views the path to a stable, durable, Conservative majority government as a long march.By that measure, in the recent election campaign, he achieved several important milestones: He broke through Ontario's resistance; he won new levels of support among Canada's ethnic communities and New Canadians; and began to make urban inroads. It looks like he has bridged the gender gap with important groups of women.
Read more » | 0 commentsWhere is Conservatism Today? Post-U.S. Election and after Harper's Election Victory?
by Michael Taube on June 22, 2009 | Economy, Future of Conservatism
For the first time in nearly a quarter century, conservatives are at a crossroads. The recent Canadian and American elections, and the dramatic turn of events that preceded and followed both results, have dramatically changed the course of conservatism.
Read more » | 0 commentsThe Liberal Party of Toronto
by Collin May on June 22, 2009 | Future of Conservatism
Where have all the Liberals gone? Based on recent by-elections, it would appear they’ve migrated to the Greater Toronto Area. Unable to win in the Quebec by-elections of a few months ago, now struck down in northern Saskatchewan and almost defeated in the Liberal stronghold of Vancouver Quadra, only Toronto seems enamored of Canada’s “Natural Governing Party.” And despite its size, Toronto does not a majority party make.
Read more » | 0 commentsSetting things Right
by Gerry Nicholls on September 10, 2009 | Future of Conservatism
It’s time for Canada’s conservative movement to stop focusing on what’s wrong and to start making things right. And I make that plea as someone who fully understands that for those of us who believe in free enterprise, smaller government and individual freedom, lots of things are going wrong.
Read more » | 0 commentsThe Conservative Vision of Social Justice
by Monte Solberg on November 26, 2009 | Fiscal Policy, Public Policy, Future of Conservatism
In this article Monte Solberg argues that Canadian conservatives are missing an important opportunity to dramatically improve the effectiveness of well over half of current government spending and to dramatically improve their political popularity at the same time. But doing this requires the government to define and communicate their idea of a conservative vision of social justice. Solberg looks at the rise of this idea in the US, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Read more » | 0 commentsFreedom to Build: Homes for the Homeless
by Fergus Hodgson on November 26, 2009 | Property, Fiscal Policy, Public Policy, Future of Conservatism
The homeless of Canada, as a growing and suffering demographic, warrant our concern. Contrary to public perceptions, approximately half of these individuals are employed, and even more are willing to work. However, since the cost of housing has greatly outpaced wage growth, minimum wage and low paying jobs are no longer sufficient to cover accommodation in many of Canada’s major cities. The homeless are primarily a symptom of a restrained housing supply, particularly the low-cost variety. While numerous government programs and community initiatives have sought to address homelessness, they have proved ineffectual and often counterproductive. The homeless population has continued to expand, along with the relevant waiting lists and government agencies. These initiatives will continue to fail while the underlying cause, the many impediments to and the lack of private housing, is not addressed.
Read more » | 3 commentsCommunity is not a Liberal Word
by Dave Quist and Andrea Mrozek on November 26, 2009 | Family, Public Policy, Future of Conservatism
Strong community acts as a powerful force to keep government in check. Strong communities are made up of strong families, yet families are on the decline in Canada today. No wonder then, that government sits at an unwieldy 42 per cent of GDP. Social conservatives acknowledge the importance of strong families in creating community, which in turn is able to support families and social programs today taken on by our welfare state. Though it may be true that classical liberals of yesteryear (conservatives today) paid little attention to community—this is because they took strong communities for granted. We can no longer afford to do so, as the ongoing decline of strong families will continue to create impetus and motivation for larger and larger government programs.
Read more » | 0 commentsSocial Conservatives and the Harper Government
by Richard Bastien on November 26, 2009 | Traditionalism, Family, Fiscal Policy, Public Policy, Future of Conservatism
Social conservatives focus on what is permanent in human nature, emphasize the importance of tradition, trust in a market economy and put the family ahead of the state. Rejecting John Rawls’ notion that a political order can be established that is neutral between diverse moral and religious worldviews, as well as the concept of a specifically Christian law, they also believe that the origin of enacted laws is the natural moral law, a legal philosophy developed by Greek and Roman thinkers long before Christianity appeared on the historical scene. The Harper government has been reasonably supportive of a social conservative vision, as attested by its implementation of the Child Care Allowance Program, the abolition of the Court Challenges Program and its balanced environmental policies. There seems little doubt that the CPC is the national party most capable of addressing other issues of particular concern to conservative-minded people, notably as regards the interpretation of freedom of expression and freedom of consciences, as well as the reinforcement of the traditional family through family taxation.
Read more » | 0 commentsBook Review: Progress and Property Rights: From the Greeks to Magna Carta to the Constitution
by Matt Bufton on November 26, 2009 | Property, Fiscal Policy, Future of Conservatism, Book Review
Review of Progress and Property Rights: From the Greeks to Magna Carta to the Constitution , by Walker Todd.
Read more » | 0 commentsThe Audacity of Despair: Book Review of We Are Doomed: Reclaiming Conservative Pessimism
by Grant Morgan on December 14, 2009 | Public Policy, Future of Conservatism, Book Review
One inevitable side-effect of the disastrous performance of the U.S. Republicans in recent elections, and the apparent revival of statist economics across the western world, has been a sudden proliferation of books offering theories on the decline of conservatism and prescriptions for its revival. Derbyshire, however, makes a surprisingly energetic and amusing case for why conservatives should be unrelentingly pessimistic.
Read more » | 0 comments“A Long Time Coming”: Parliament's Prorogation Crisis
by John von Heyking on February 08, 2010 | Federalism, Future of Conservatism, Democracy
Harper’s decision to request prorogation has proven controversial because his critics (some of them sympathetic to his political program) believe he is abusing his executive power over Parliament. Harper’s defenders point out that there is nothing unconstitutional about prorogation and that Parliament’s current dysfunction justifies it.
Read more » | 0 commentsThis Month's Featured Article
Has treason run its course in Canada?
Don’t look for another case of treason any time soon argues Michael Taube in a column that supplements this month’s treason issue…
Read More » | 0 commentsMost Read
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