2015 was a disappointing year for Conservatives north of the 49th parallel. After 44 years, Alberta’s Progressive Conservative government fell to the socialist Alberta New Democratic Party. On the east coast, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Progressive Conservative Party left office after only a single term, losing decisively to the provincial Liberals. Nearly a decade after coming to power, Stephen Harper’s federal Conservative Party of Canada suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party. In some circles, it was said that Canadian conservatism was dead. As it turns out, the rumors of Conservative demise in Canada have been greatly exaggerated. Over the past three weeks, the prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have elected Conservative majority governments.
In Saskatchewan, Premier Brad Wall’s Saskatchewan Party won its third straight election on April 4th. Wall has long been Canada’s most popular premier, regularly receiving approval ratings in the mid-60’s. He has become a champion for Canadian Conservatives from coast to coast, and has been pushed by supporters to run for the federal party’s leadership after Stephen Harper resigned, following his devastating loss in October 2015. For his part, Wall has rejected these calls, saying that he has “the best job in the world” and will not run for any position at the federal level. The Saskatchewan Party has enjoyed great success with improving public services while cutting taxes, proving the left wing New Democrats wrong on their entire platform. Under Brad Wall’s governance, Saskatchewan has hit record population highs and has become a national economic powerhouse.
On April 19th, Brian Pallister’s Progressive Conservatives ended the Manitoba New Democratic Party’s 14 year reign, winning the largest majority in their party’s history. The Manitoba NDP had been an extreme left wing government, sending taxes though the roof while allowing infrastructure to crumble. Pallister ran on conservative principles, including promises to limit the power of public sector unions and lower the provincial sales tax. While it remains to be seen what Pallister will do as premier, it’s certain that his Progressive Conservative government will be a welcome change of pace for Manitoba’s overtaxed residents.
Heading into the future, it appears that other Canadian Conservative parties are set to form government during their province’s coming elections. In Ontario, the Progressive Conservatives have consistently polled well above the provincial Liberals for more than a year. Ontarians will have the opportunity to cast their ballot in 2018. Alberta’s hard right Wildrose Party has led in every single poll conducted since the province’s general election last year. With efforts in Alberta to merge the Wildrose and Progressive Conservative parties, it’s a near certainty that the Alberta NDP will be ousted in 2019. Center-right parties like the British Columbia Liberals and Quebec Liberals have governed strongly, and will likely win their provincial elections in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Later this year, the Conservative Yukon Party, which has actively fought for resource development in the northern Yukon Territory, is poised to form government again during the 2016 territorial election.
As the last two provincial elections and as recent polling suggests, Canadian Conservatism is on the rebound, and looking to crush the political aspirations of the Canadian left. Three Conservative parties and two center-right parties currently govern five of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories. Polls show Conservative parties winning two more of these in coming years. Despite the left’s pipe dreams of dominating the country, conservatism is alive and thriving north of the 49th.
