Red Tory
A Red Tory is a nickname given to members of Canada's Conservative Party who although economically conservative, retain traditional social values of the aristocracy such as noblesse oblige. The leading philosopher of Red Toryism was George Grant who saw conservative values of collectivism and community responsibility as anathama to liberal values of individualism. Notable Red Tories have been Dalton Camp and Robert Stanfield and to a lesser extent Joe Clark and John Diefenbaker. The collective nation building policies of Sir John A. MacDonald are seen as the foundation of the Red Tory tradition.In the 1960s, Red Tories such as Grant and Camp opposed the stationing of American Bomarc nuclear missiles in Canada and opposed the Vietnam War. In many ways, Red Tories were closer to the New Democratic Party of Canada than to the Liberals and some Red Tories have joined the NDP as the Tories have moved to the right. David Orchard and his supporters have put themselves as the modern inheritors of the Red Tory tradition.
In recent years "Red Tories" clashed with neoconservatives within the Progressive Conservative Party, and within Canada's socially conservative party, the Canadian Alliance. One of the most important issues facing the newly created Conservative Party is what will happen with the Red Tories. Some such as Joe Clark, Sinclair Stevens and Flora MacDonald had opposed the merger and do not support the new party. Stevens and a number of others applied to re-register the old Progressive Conservative Party name; however this was refused by Elections Canada.
On March 26, the Progressive Canadian Party was registered with Elections Canada. It aims to be perceived as a revival of the "PC Party"; however it is not clear how successful it will be in this regard, since no prominent former PC Tories such as Clark, Stevens, or MacDonald, or even any sitting MP or senator, are associated with the new party.
The origin of the adjective "red" is not known. The reference may be to socialist aspects of Red Tory principles, or to the British roots of the Tory old guard. Others think it comes from the Liberal Party of Canada. The Liberals often used red as their colour, while the Conservatives used blue.
Many Tory leaders since Confederation have been labelled Red Tories. These included Sir John A. Macdonald, John George Diefenbaker, Robert Stanfield and Joe Clark.
The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party has held power in that province for most of the time since Confederation. The Ontario PCs were often labelled Red Tory, for example under the leadership of William Davis from 1971 to 1985. Throughout the Maritimes Red Tories are the dominant force in the Conservative Party. This tends to explain why Canadian provinces are often ruled at the provinical level by a party that may be "Conservative" yet at the same time elect "Liberal" members of parliament to Ottawa. Outsiders may not understand the large amount of ideological common ground shared by the two nominally different parties.
With the conservative movements drift to the political right, the term Red Tory is often used today not to refer to those in the traditional Red Tory tradition of George Grant or Robert Stanfield but simply to moderates in the conservative movement, particularly those who reject or do not sufficiently embrace social conservatism.
Thus, in the 2004 Conservative Party of Canada leadership race, Tony Clement and Belinda Stronach were sometimes referred to as Red Tories even though Clement was on the right wing of the Mike Harris cabinet and despite the fact that both candidates are firm neoliberals who advocate privatization, tax cuts, the curtailment of social spending and free trade with the United States and oppose government intervention in the economy (policies real Red Tories would reject).
The union has seen a number of PC Red Tories leave the party, either to retire, or to defect to the Liberals. These include Scott Brison and John Herron. Joe Clark is sitting the balance of his parliamentary term as a Progressive Conservative, outside the new Conservative party caucus. Other Red Tories have decided to stay in the party. A group of them formed the Red Tory Coucil, a group contructed to give voice to the Red Tories, monitor the party and its positions, and to prevent too great a swing to the right.
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