More Conservative Country

[SNJ1985]

Right-leaning folks in Australia are still part of the political process. The political culture in Canada is such that conservatives are considered to be traitors to the state.

Right-wing populist parties like the Reform Party and the Social Credit Party have had some success in Canada's past. What happened?

[Hydera]

Right-leaning folks in Australia are still part of the political process. The political culture in Canada is such that conservatives are considered to be traitors to the state.

Right-wing populist parties like the Reform Party and the Social Credit Party have had some success in Canada's past. What happened?

Reform party merged with the Progressive Conservatives and the socially conservative Social Credit Party voters eventually floated to PC to Reform then the Conservative Party.

[Intell]

Canada, no strong left-wing party, strong attachment to the monarchy, and upper-middle class liberalism, like the US.

[mvd10]

Australia is more conservative, but we shouldn't underestimate Canada. There aren't many countries where someone like Stephen Harper could stay in power for a decade. And while the "left-wing party" usually dominates the Liberals aren't really that left-wing. I think that Canada is more conservative than most Western countries.

[Hatman 🍁]

Australia is more conservative, but we shouldn't underestimate Canada. There aren't many countries where someone like Stephen Harper could stay in power for a decade. And while the "left-wing party" usually dominates the Liberals aren't really that left-wing. I think that Canada is more conservative than most Western countries.

Canada is more centrist, and comfortably so than any other major western country.

[morgieb]

So Canada is more economically conservative and Australia more socially conservative, yeah?

Seriously, it's Australia. Although the bigger gaps are on social policy (especially immigration).

[SNJ1985]

Right-leaning folks in Australia are still part of the political process. The political culture in Canada is such that conservatives are considered to be traitors to the state.

Right-wing populist parties like the Reform Party and the Social Credit Party have had some success in Canada's past. What happened?

Reform party merged with the Progressive Conservatives and the socially conservative Social Credit Party voters eventually floated to PC to Reform then the Conservative Party.

I'm aware that the Reform Party merged with another party to form the modern Conservative Party.  Right-wing populism doesn't seem to be a major force in the modern Conservative Party, though; or at least not as major of a force as it was in the Reform Party.

[TDAS04]

A harder question would be Australia vs. UK, or Canada vs. New Zealand.

[Njall]

Right-leaning folks in Australia are still part of the political process. The political culture in Canada is such that conservatives are considered to be traitors to the state.

Right-wing populist parties like the Reform Party and the Social Credit Party have had some success in Canada's past. What happened?

Reform party merged with the Progressive Conservatives and the socially conservative Social Credit Party voters eventually floated to PC to Reform then the Conservative Party.

I'm aware that the Reform Party merged with another party to form the modern Conservative Party.  Right-wing populism doesn't seem to be a major force in the modern Conservative Party, though; or at least not as major of a force as it was in the Reform Party.

I can still see populism being a pretty major force within the CPC. Listening to Andrew Scheer recently, the main points I've been hearing him go on about are forcing a debate on the Khadr settlement, repealing the carbon tax, and standing up for free speech on campuses, all three of which are pretty right-wing populist causes. CPC talking points also frequently cast them as standing up to "elite" Liberals who are "out-of-touch" with "ordinary Canadians."

[Don Vito Corleone]

Right-leaning folks in Australia are still part of the political process. The political culture in Canada is such that conservatives are considered to be traitors to the state.

Right-wing populist parties like the Reform Party and the Social Credit Party have had some success in Canada's past. What happened?

In Reform's best election they were still 100 seats behind the Liberals, I don't know how that can really be counted as a success.

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

Right-leaning folks in Australia are still part of the political process. The political culture in Canada is such that conservatives are considered to be traitors to the state.

Right-wing populist parties like the Reform Party and the Social Credit Party have had some success in Canada's past. What happened?

Reform was sabotaged by its leaders, who never really understood why the party had become so popular. The party was disfigured before being killed off.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I don't think there is no future for Right Populism in Canada, although there are several institutional problems (mainly in reconciling the ripe audiences for right populism in Francophone Quebec, in the immigrant heavy GTa suburbs (e.g. Ford Nation) and the classic Western populism into a national sustainable right-coalition without spectacularly falling out.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

You might want to check out what social policy is like in most of Canada - Saskatchewan in particular is an honourable exception - before you fall for the Nice Guy FF propaganda of the Liberal Party of Canada. I'm not sure if 'more conservative country' is a useful concept, but there's no doubt that the general tone of domestic policy is more right wing in Canada than Australia and always has been. Notably when the power of the State is wheeled out (in this province or that province) it is rarely with overtly redistributive goals in mind.

Mind you, part of the issue also is a profound ignorance of Australia I guess. It's not the United States in the South Seas or anything like that.

[Lechasseur]

Undoubtedly Australia. Their politics is much closer to that of the US than Canada's is.

[Lord Halifax]

Undoubtedly Australia. Their politics is much closer to that of the US than Canada's is.

Why ignore the post right above yours? Its made by one of the forum's most knowledgable posters.

[IceAgeComing]

You might want to check out what social policy is like in most of Canada - Saskatchewan in particular is an honourable exception

Incidentally, which had first regional government in America to elect a socialist government (not including Mexico in this; admittedly, because my knowledge there is incredibly limited).  Wonder if that would have anything to do with this?

[Kingpoleon]

Oddly enough, the US has a food stamp program.  Canada has no such program , we don't even help poor families with school lunches. I don't think Australia has a food stamp program either.

There has to be some kind of aid to the poorest... right?

It's up to every province. The only federal program is unemployment insurance (which is normal, as employment is a federal power, unlike anything else related to poverty).

Yea, that is a odd part of the Canadian health care system. Every 10 years, the 10 premiers and the PM sit down and hash out a new health accord. The feds send the money, but the provinces administer it. Since I only have my Ontario provincial health care card, I wonder what would happen if I had to go to the hospital out of province. Seems like a bit of a bureaucratic nightmare.

Are you kidding? The average Canadian isn't sure if they can go to a hospital outside of their own province?

I can't imagine not knowing that health insurance is available past state lines. I'm not trying to insult you. It seems to me that Canada doesn't have enough public education about its healthcare system.

[MaxQue]

Oddly enough, the US has a food stamp program.  Canada has no such program , we don't even help poor families with school lunches. I don't think Australia has a food stamp program either.

There has to be some kind of aid to the poorest... right?

It's up to every province. The only federal program is unemployment insurance (which is normal, as employment is a federal power, unlike anything else related to poverty).

Yea, that is a odd part of the Canadian health care system. Every 10 years, the 10 premiers and the PM sit down and hash out a new health accord. The feds send the money, but the provinces administer it. Since I only have my Ontario provincial health care card, I wonder what would happen if I had to go to the hospital out of province. Seems like a bit of a bureaucratic nightmare.

Are you kidding? The average Canadian isn't sure if they can go to a hospital outside of their own province?

I can't imagine not knowing that health insurance is available past state lines. I'm not trying to insult you. It seems to me that Canada doesn't have enough public education about its healthcare system.

Well, it's up to every province to decide what they pay or not, relating to other provinces. In case of Qubec, it's a long list of if, but and conditions.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

You might want to check out what social policy is like in most of Canada - Saskatchewan in particular is an honourable exception

Incidentally, which had first regional government in America to elect a socialist government (not including Mexico in this; admittedly, because my knowledge there is incredibly limited).  Wonder if that would have anything to do with this?

It most certainly would.

Anyway, this is a somewhat meaningless question, because the answer is completely different depending on what definition of 'Conservative' is used.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

You might want to check out what social policy is like in most of Canada - Saskatchewan in particular is an honourable exception

Incidentally, which had first regional government in America to elect a socialist government (not including Mexico in this; admittedly, because my knowledge there is incredibly limited).  Wonder if that would have anything to do with this?

And oddly enough, Australia had the first ever socialist/social democratic government in the world.

[Kingpoleon]

Oddly enough, the US has a food stamp program.  Canada has no such program , we don't even help poor families with school lunches. I don't think Australia has a food stamp program either.

There has to be some kind of aid to the poorest... right?

It's up to every province. The only federal program is unemployment insurance (which is normal, as employment is a federal power, unlike anything else related to poverty).

Yea, that is a odd part of the Canadian health care system. Every 10 years, the 10 premiers and the PM sit down and hash out a new health accord. The feds send the money, but the provinces administer it. Since I only have my Ontario provincial health care card, I wonder what would happen if I had to go to the hospital out of province. Seems like a bit of a bureaucratic nightmare.

Are you kidding? The average Canadian isn't sure if they can go to a hospital outside of their own province?

I can't imagine not knowing that health insurance is available past state lines. I'm not trying to insult you. It seems to me that Canada doesn't have enough public education about its healthcare system.

Well, it's up to every province to decide what they pay or not, relating to other provinces. In case of Qubec, it's a long list of if, but and conditions.

You guys need healthcare reform more than we do!

[MaxQue]

Oddly enough, the US has a food stamp program.  Canada has no such program , we don't even help poor families with school lunches. I don't think Australia has a food stamp program either.

There has to be some kind of aid to the poorest... right?

It's up to every province. The only federal program is unemployment insurance (which is normal, as employment is a federal power, unlike anything else related to poverty).

Yea, that is a odd part of the Canadian health care system. Every 10 years, the 10 premiers and the PM sit down and hash out a new health accord. The feds send the money, but the provinces administer it. Since I only have my Ontario provincial health care card, I wonder what would happen if I had to go to the hospital out of province. Seems like a bit of a bureaucratic nightmare.

Are you kidding? The average Canadian isn't sure if they can go to a hospital outside of their own province?

I can't imagine not knowing that health insurance is available past state lines. I'm not trying to insult you. It seems to me that Canada doesn't have enough public education about its healthcare system.

Well, it's up to every province to decide what they pay or not, relating to other provinces. In case of Qubec, it's a long list of if, but and conditions.

You guys need healthcare reform more than we do!

Well, the Constitution is clear. Healthcare is a provincial power (article 91 (7)). Federal has some powers due to other clauses, but nothing that can force provinces to do a complete reform.

For Quebec, the government pays, but it pays the amount it pays in Quebec. If the service is more expensive in another province, the person has to pay the difference.

For exemple, a GP consultation is 19.90$ in Quebec and 25$ in Alberta, so, Quebec government will pay 19.90$ and the person 5.10$.

You can take a private insurance to cover that.

[mileslunn]

Definitely Australia although Australia is probably closer to Canada than the US on the political spectrum.  Now if comparing to New Zealand or UK that would be a more interesting debate.  The only difference though in Canada is greater variations.  There are many areas in Canada where the right wing vote is under 20% while very few in Australia where it falls below 30%.  By the same contrast you don't see the Liberals/Nationals racking up the massive margins the Tories do in the rural Prairie ridings.  Actually the only other country where right wing parties frequently get over 80% in some areas is parts of the US, don't see those kind of numbers anywhere else in the West.

Compared to Britain I would see similar point for median voter but less polarized.  On the one hand the Tories tend to average around 5-10 points better in the UK than Canada, but also Britain lacks a centrist option and if you look at the Tony Blair years the Tories did get in the low 30s which is not too dissimilar to what our Tories get in a bad election.  At the same time Labour is to the left of our Liberals so I think many Blue Liberals would vote Tory in British elections, otherwise I think BC elections are probably the closest comparison with BC Liberals being like the Tories and NDP like Labour.  Where Britain differed at least in the last election was the age gap was much bigger.  Lots of seniors still vote Liberal they don't go Tory in the same massive numbers as in Britain while amongst Millennials support for the Tories is usually only around 10% below what they get nationally not 20% below.  Also you don't have the strong class difference in voting as many working people vote for parties on the right and many wealthy vote Liberal albeit not NDP.  That being said in the last few years Canada does seem to have taken a strong swing to the left so if the trend continues it may very well be the most left wing country in the developed world in 20 years.

[Cynthia]

no contest at all....aussies.

new zealand would be a little harder, i guess.

NZ is less Conservative than Canada on average.

Bill English is pro life.

[Lord Wreath]

Australia by miles. The old talk in psephological circles was that Australia was just a naturally conservative country that elected right-wing governments, interspersed by the occasional Labor government that would be promptly tossed out. While at face value history supports this conclusion, Australia's most-respected election analyst, Antony Green, has dismissed that claim.

But then again, opposition to 'illegal' immigration is basically accepted fact here so who knows