LILLEY: What does conservatism mean in Canada?

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Where should the Conservative Party go between now and the next election? What is conservatism in general and in particular in a Canadian context?

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These philosophical questions are at the center of the debate around the Conservative Party. At every turn, I hear that this or that leader is not conservative enough or too conservative, but no one can define what conservatism is at its core.

Unlike some political philosophies, such as Marxism or socialism, conservatism is not a dogmatic philosophy driven by a founding text or creed. Unlike Canadian liberalism, it is not primarily focused on the seizure and control of power.

Canadian Conservatives owe more to their British cousins ​​than to Americans, although both certainly influence them.
Both Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan are viewed by many conservatives as political figures to admire and emulate. However, neither defines conservatism in a Canadian context.

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At its core, conservatism is a philosophy that does not rely on radical new ideas or experts who are based on models rather than experience. It is a political philosophy that looks first to the tried and true while seeking the best solution to the problem at hand.

Irish statesman Edmund Burke is often considered the father of conservatism. A member of the British House of Commons from 1765 to 1794, Burke’s views and writings on issues related to conservatism still resonate.

“Each age has its own manners and its policies depend on them,” Burke wrote in 1757.

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I was recently asked why the O’Toole Conservatives had not offered a conservative fiscal platform in this most recent election that would have cut spending, balanced the budget, and ended the excesses of the Trudeau Liberals. The simple reason is that the public was not prepared for that, they would not have accepted such a move.

When Thatcher came to power promising to cut spending in 1979, when Reagan did so in 1980, and when Chretien finally withdrew spending in Canada in 1995, the public was prepared for it. Mulroney’s Conservatives had tried to cut spending a decade earlier, in 1985, and the public erupted in anger.

Politics is the art of the possible, which means it’s about finding that sweet spot between what you want to achieve and what the public will support. Those who say that they would rather be out of power and be “true” to their principles are effectively saying that they do not want to be in power at all.

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Every political party, every movement that hopes to dominate public opinion or public policy requires a coalition. Coalitions, by their nature, mean that not everyone gets everything they want at once.

The Liberals have realized this and will support their leader and his party no matter what to make a small incremental breakthrough on their problems.

Too often Canadian conservatives are all or nothing people.

If you want to rule, at a certain point, you will have to put water in your wine. If you’re not willing to compromise, just admit that you’d rather run a debating society than a government.

Conservatism is not now and has never been a strict and dogmatic philosophy, it is a practical political point of view. He meets voters where they are while offering solutions to the problems of the day based on limited government and personal freedom.

This is how you build a political response to the problems of the future, looking ahead, not fighting the battles of the past.

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