Blue Grit

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A Blue Grit, [1] [2] [3] also known as a blue Liberal or a business Liberal, [4] [5] [6] [7] is a member or supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada or of one of the nation's provincial and territorial Liberal parties who is generally considered to be right-of-centre. The term has also been applied to former Progressive Conservatives who are now Liberals, such as Scott Brison. [8]

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Blue Grits can generally be described as adhering to conservative liberalism, typically advocating for policies that combine fiscal caution with cultural liberalism, in contrast with the more progressive social liberals. Unlike the federal Conservative Party and many of its provincial and territorial counterparts, Canadian liberals have not historically exhibited a clearly identifiable ideological factional divide. This is partly due to the federal Liberal Party's historically high level of party discipline in Parliament. [9] While in some ways akin to Red Tories, Blue Grits tend to be less inclined toward paternalism and traditionalism, instead focusing more on economic liberalism — hence their alternative name, business Liberals. [10]

Prominent current leaders who have been identified as Blue Grits include Mark Carney, the current Prime Minister of Canada, and Bonnie Crombie, the former leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. The former British Columbia Liberal Party, particularly under Christy Clark, embraced pro-business policies and fiscal restraint, attracting both Blue Grits and federal Conservative supporters to form a “free enterprise coalition” against the BC NDP.

Notable Blue Grits

See also

References

  1. ↑ Greg Weston (June 13, 2010). "Tories win in Grit-NDP merger". QMI Agency. Toronto Sun.
  2. 1 2 Ken Gray (April 7, 2010). "Red Tory, Blue Grit". The Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  3. ↑ Ron Graham (October 2013). "Born in the Burbs". The Walrus.
  4. ↑ Jessy Brunette (January 14, 2011). "'I was a very blue Liberal,' Reynolds says". The Sudbury Star. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Steven Chase (April 13, 2013). "As leadership race winds down, Liberals still divided on an economic plan". The Globe and Mail.
  6. ↑ Patrick Brethour (August 24, 2012). "Canada's new electoral divide: It's about the money". The Globe and Mail.
  7. 1 2 Daniel Leblanc; Steven Chase & Jane Taber (December 15, 2012). "How the Liberal Party lost Mark Carney". The Globe and Mail.
  8. ↑ "Opinion | Trudeau's Cabinet Has Diversity, But Conservative White Men Will Keep the Purse Strings | Common Dreams". www.commondreams.org. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  9. ↑ Marland, Alex (March 21, 2019). "The stifling conformity of party discipline". Policy Options. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
  10. 1 2 McGrath, John Michael (May 23, 2023). "'We govern from right of centre': Bonnie Crombie on how she'd lead the Ontario Liberals". TVO. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Liberals, Conservatives gripped in a tie, next election will be 'like a knife fight in a telephone booth,' with Trump as disruptor: Nanos". The Hill Times. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  12. ↑ Tuns, Paul (June 16, 2014). "30 years of Liberal infighting". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Five stories we're watching". Maclean's. October 1, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  14. ↑ Michael Den Tandt (May 1, 2014). "Is Justin Trudeau's honeymoon over?". canada.com.
  15. ↑ Ian Lee (April 16, 2013). "No longer hyphenated, Liberals cast aside the business faction". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
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