Canada and the power of the Conservative Party
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With a worsening economy around the world and in Canada, why has Conservative party there managed to hold onto power? Perhaps it's as simple as Canadians not being as worried about recessions.
Experience with past recessions has taught people that, in fact, unemployment doesn't rise much over 10 per cent, and so they are more right than wrong to conclude that it may not strike their household.
Posted by brandonb at 8:02 AM on June 4th 2009
There are a lot of tough, unpopular choices that have to be made right now, which will all be associated with the Conservatives. Were the Liberals in power, I think it likely that a great many of these decisions would be substantially the same. If the Conservatives can be associated with this recession rather than the Grits, so much better for the Grits.
The example of the NDP in Ontario comes to mind -- the party ruled largely as the others would have (on economic issues at least, though massive government spending), and the association with those bad times have ruined the party for a generation or more. Thus, if the federal Liberals can avoid power for the interim, and wait for Good Times to appear on the horizon, they would be much better in the long run. The Conservatives would be tainted for a long, long time, and the Liberals have rebuilt their party wihout having to do all that much for it.