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{{short description|Canadian libertarians}}
{{Conservatism in Canada|Schools}}
{{Toryism}}
A '''Blue Tory''' in [[Canada|Canadian]] politics is a [[conservatism in Canada|conservative]] who advocates for [[Right-libertarianism|free-market]] and [[economic liberalism|economically liberal]] (sometimes known as [[fiscally conservative]]) policies<ref name="GagnonTanguay2016">{{cite book|first1=Alain-G. |last1=Gagnon |first2=A. Brian |last2=Tanguay |title=Canadian Parties in Transition |edition=Fourth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_JwSDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA122 |date=2016 |publisher=[[University of Toronto Press]] |isbn=978-1-4426-3470-1 |page=122}}</ref> such as reductions in public spending, tax cuts, opposition to [[deficit spending]], and a more limited role of government.  They also advocate self reliance, individual responsibility, personal freedom and liberty and therefore do not necessarily support [[social conservatism]].<ref name="nationalpost2012">{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/alberta-election-pits-pcs-red-versus-wildroses-blue-conservatives-experts-say |title=Alberta election pits PC's 'red' versus Wildrose's 'blue' conservatives, experts say |work=[[National Post]] |date=April 9, 2012 |access-date=August 8, 2019 |author=Postmedia News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cjnews.com/perspectives/opinions/jews-red-tories |title=Why Jews were red tories |work=[[Canadian Jewish News]] |date=March 4, 2015 |access-date=August 8, 2019}}</ref> They are generally regarded as the largest faction of conservatives in the party.  

The term has been applied to members of the modern [[Conservative Party of Canada]] and provincial Progressive Conservative parties, as well as the historical [[Reform Party of Canada]] and its successor, the [[Canadian Alliance]]. In contemporary language, Blue Tories are sometimes described as "'''true-blue Conservatives'''".<ref name="trueblue">{{cite web|first=Les |last=Whittington |url=https://www.hilltimes.com/2021/08/23/a-true-blue-tory-in-the-conservatives-big-tent-in-search-of-erin-otoole/313354 |title=A true-blue Tory in the Conservatives' big tent? In search of Erin O'Toole |work=Hill Times |date=August 23, 2021 |access-date=May 25, 2022}}</ref>

== History ==

For the first 50 years of Canada's existence as a country, the [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative Party]] (also known as the "Tories") subscribed to policies that required the government to play an active role in the economy. The signature achievement of [[John A. Macdonald]], Canada's first [[Prime Minister of Canada|prime minister]] from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891, was the [[National Policy]], which [[nationalized]] industries and promoted high [[tariffs]] to protect domestic industries. The party strictly opposed [[free trade]] with the United States, and this vigorous opposition played a key role in the party's return to power under [[Robert Borden]] in [[1911 Canadian federal election|1911]]. As such, Blue Toryism was essentially non-existent in the Conservative Party during its governance of Canada from 1867 to 1873, 1878 to 1896, and from 1911 to 1921.

However, in the 1930s, [[R. B. Bennett]] as prime minister adopted [[laissez-faire]] policies during the Great Depression, differing himself from his previous [[Red Tory]] predecessors.

=== The Common Sense Revolution in Ontario ===

One example of a provincial Blue Tory government in Canada was the "[[Common Sense Revolution]]" provincial Progressive Conservative government of [[Ontario]] Premier [[Mike Harris]].  The Harris Tories were widely viewed as [[Radical politics|radical]] by Canadian standards in their economic policies and style of governance. Harris' government embarked on a number of initiatives, including cuts to education, welfare and [[Medicare (Canada)|Medicare]], privatization of government services and health care, the sale of provincial highways and the forced [[amalgamation (politics)|amalgamation]] of municipalities. Provincial income taxes were also cut by 30% and corporate tax rates were nearly cut in half during the Harris mandate.

=== Harper era (2006–2015) ===

Federally, the most popular example of a Blue Tory government was that of [[Stephen Harper]], who was prime minister from 2006 to 2015. Tax cuts were prevalent during Harper's tenure; he reduced the [[goods and services tax (Canada)|goods and services tax (GST)]] from seven percent to five percent; reduced the corporate income tax rate from 21 percent to 15 percent; and implemented personal income tax cuts during the [[Great Recession]]. Other economically liberal policies from the Harper government included the privatization of the [[Canadian Wheat Board]], the negotiation of [[free-trade agreements]] such as the [[Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement]] (CETA), and the introduction of the [[tax-free savings account]] (TFSA). In order to [[balance the budget]], Harper implemented various public spending cuts during his third term in office (2011–2015); one notable change was the increase in eligibility for [[Old Age Security]] from 65 years of age to 67, though this planned change did not go into effect as it was subsequently reversed by the succeeding [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] government of [[Justin Trudeau]] in 2015.

Most Blue Tories are at least somewhat ideologically aligned close to the economically liberal positions of the former [[Canadian Alliance]]; as such, they supported the merger between the PCs and the Alliance to form the new federal [[Conservative Party of Canada]] (CPC).

== Notable adherents == 
Notable Blue Tories include:

* [[Mike Harris]], [[Premier of Ontario]] (1995–2002)<ref name=":0">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/conservatism/ |title=Conservatism |encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]}}</ref>
* [[Stephen Harper]], [[Prime Minister of Canada]] (2006–2015)<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/red-tory/ |title=Red Tory |encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]}}</ref>
* [[Ralph Klein]], [[Premier of Alberta]] (1992–2006)<ref name=":0" />
* [[Preston Manning]], former leader of the [[Reform Party of Canada|Reform Party]]<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
* [[Pierre Poilievre]], [[Leader of the Conservative Party (Canada)|Leader of the Conservative Party]] (2022–present)

== See also ==
* [[Conservatism in Canada]]
* [[Fiscal conservatism]]
* [[Red Tory]]
* [[Wets and dries]], similar factionalism in the [[Conservative Party (UK)]]
* [[Small-c conservative]]
* [[Blue Grit]]

== References ==
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{{Nationalism}}

[[Category:Conservative Party of Canada]]
[[Category:Political party factions in Canada]]
[[Category:Conservatism in Canada]]
[[Category:Fiscal conservatism]]
[[Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Canada]]
[[Category:Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)]]
[[Category:Toryism]]