Conservative Party

I

Introduction

Conservative Party, Canadian political party formed in 2003 from the merger of two older parties, the Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance. The new party’s members and supporters are known as Conservatives or Tories. The Conservative Party took power in Canada after parliamentary elections in early 2006. (For information on the history of the Canadian Alliance, see the article with that title.)

II

Formation of the Party

The Progressive Conservative Party developed in largely French-speaking Canada East (now Québec) and English-speaking Canada West (now Ontario) in the 1850s when both were part of the British colony of Canada. From the beginning the party was defined by cautious loyalty to traditional authorities and interests, and in particular to the monarchy of Britain and the traditions of British Toryism.

In 1854 the more moderate members of a reform movement in Canada East joined with English-speaking Conservatives to form a coalition government for the province of Canada, which was a union of Canada East and Canada West. The new group was called the Liberal-Conservative Party, a name that can be confusing because the labels liberal and conservative typically stand for opposite poles of political thinking. In many countries each of these poles is represented by a major party. Eventually this would be true in Canada: the Liberal-Conservatives gradually dropped Liberal from their name, seldom using it after the 1870s, and a new Liberal Party formed to oppose them. In 1942 the Conservatives added Progressive to their name in an effort to appeal to reformist sentiments among voters.

Throughout Canadian history, the Progressive Conservative Party tended to stress national economic development, economic protectionism, and central management of the Canadian state. However, like their primary rivals the Liberals, the Progressive Conservatives demonstrated few consistent positions in national affairs. Rather, the party’s positions were fluid over time, directed more by opportunism than by principle.

---

---

III

John A. Macdonald

At the time of Confederation, when the Dominion of Canada came into existence, the party was headed by John A. Macdonald. Macdonald became the first prime minister of the dominion on July 1, 1867. Under his leadership the Conservatives were the dominant Canadian political party for the remainder of the 19th century. In cooperation with business, the party dedicated itself to the economic development of a largely unpopulated country. It was guided by Macdonald’s National Policy, which imposed high tariffs (taxes on imported goods) to protect the developing industries of central Canada. Government revenues were used to support a transcontinental railroad to link Canada from sea to sea. As the party of Confederation and national union, the Conservatives were able to build support in the Maritime provinces and the Canadian west. The party also used patronage, the spreading of political favors, to build support.

Macdonald remained the dominant figure in Canadian politics until his death in 1891 despite mixed economic results from the high tariffs, and scandals, one of which caused his government to lose power in 1873. After an interlude of Liberal government, he was reelected in 1878 and held the prime minister’s office for the remainder of his life. In this second Macdonald government, the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed, tying the nation together across the breadth of the continent.

The Conservative government outlasted Macdonald by five years, but in 1896 the Liberals gained the prime ministership. By the beginning of the 20th century, the fortunes of the Conservative Party had declined from the status and influence it had enjoyed in the first decades after Confederation.

IV

Sir Robert Borden

The Conservative Party did not come back into power until 1911, when Sir Robert Borden became prime minister. Borden continued to work on reforming the civil service, which the Liberals had begun, by expanding the scheme of advancement based on merit rather than tenure. However, Borden differed from the Liberals on naval policy and made no attempt to implement their Naval Service Act, which would have created a Canadian navy. The Conservative position was adapted to win the support of French Canadian nationalists who opposed military support for Britain.

Midway through World War I (1914-1918), Borden decided that Canada could fight the war better with a united federal government. The Conservatives and some Liberals formed a coalition, the Union Government of 1917 to 1920, which led Canada through the remainder of the war. During the war, Borden imposed nationwide conscription (drafting men to be soldiers) and direct federal taxation to support the war effort. He also nationalized some debt-plagued railroads. After the war, Borden led the Canadian delegation to the peace conference in 1919, where he was largely responsible for gaining increased international recognition of Canada’s autonomy. He retired from office in 1920.

	More from Encarta
	•  7 tips for funding an online degree •  How to succeed in the fashion industry without being a top designer •  Presidential Myths Quiz •  Coffee break: Recharge your brain