The New Conservative Paradise is Ontario; Up Next, Quebec?

Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
Friday June 8, 2018

Alberta Conservatives are rejoicing in the wake of Doug Ford's election as Premier, with a majority government, in Ontario.  "Ford Nation" proved that a party could be elected with no platform and the mathematically improbable mantra of cutting taxes and increasing spending while reducing debt; music to the ears of upcoming Conservative campaigns in Alberta.  For Jason Kenney, who has been equally light on solutions but big on improbable promises, Ford's win must be especially comforting.

"The winning strategy was simply to take the angry rural conservative base that's been building... and add the established voting pool... that core group of supporters" ~ Don Guy, veteran strategist; CBC, June 7, 2018 

Jason Kenney / Facebook

It was written about Ontario but it sounds awfully familiar.  The United Conservative Party has been building this perfect storm for almost three years now and we will likely see a surge in their froth-inducing narrative over the coming months.  Anger, hate and fear: the basis of a winning strategy in the Conservative heartland.

Anger over a government trying to inch Alberta into a green economy, hatred of evolving social norms and fear of an uncertain future.  From 2015 - 17, Saskatchewan and its Premier embodied Alberta's Conservative utopia. Now, Saskatchewan has a higher unemployment rate than Alberta.  Since Brad Wall abandoned his post as Premier to seek greener pastures in Calgary, his austerity measures and failure to rejuvenate the Saskatchewan economy are Scott Moe's problem.  But hope came from Ontario.

Now the United Conservatives have the once Liberal but suddenly Conservative province of Ontario to show Albertans where the greener grass grows.  Keep in mind that only 40% of the vote went to a conservative party while the other 60% went to the Liberals, NDP and Greens.  Reminiscent, one might say, of the 2015 election that saw the NDP rise in Alberta over the conservative parties with only 41% of the vote. 

"The (Party) was humiliated by voters going from a majority government to a small handful of seats"~ email to UCP members from Jason Kenney, June 7, 2018

Doug Ford / Facebook

One should expect few major moves from Ontario's new government prior to the Alberta election in 2019 aside from cutting taxes. The Conservative coalition within Canada will want to assure voters in Alberta that what they love, social programs, education and healthcare spending without the bill, will remain in place under a provincial Conservative government.  Ontario: Alberta's new Conservative Paradise... ?

Doubtful anyone ever considered that a possibility even though Conservatism might look a little different there than it does in Alberta.  Ford's promise of one dollar beer and government mandated cheaper gas doesn't just happen on its own in a free-enterprise society, you know.  And nothing says "open for investment" like dictating prices to private companies - as any good Conservative knows.  But don't concern yourself about that; Ontario certainly didn't.

Francois Legault / Facebook

As if there wasn't enough celebrating to be had, hang on to your hats, Alberta, because the party has only just begun.  The next provincial election is on October 2 in Quebec and there's been some very interesting developments on the Conservative front there as well.  Francois Legault, leader of the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), a 'progressive conservative'-type party, has said "a CAQ government will aim for zero equalization" in four years AND ... you probably guessed it, cut taxes.  As is becoming the norm for Conservative politics, Legault says there will be no service cuts either.

Something isn't adding up in provincial politics lately.  Alberta's Conservatives have been calling for a return to the basics in education, particularly in math.  I'm beginning to see why.