New Right Eegemony in Canada: Ideological Influences on Parties
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New Right Eegemony in Canada: Ideological Influences on Parties, Perceptions, and Policies by Richard D. Algie B.A. University of Alberta 1989 B.A.(Hons.equiv.) UBC 1994 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the department of Sociology and Anthropology 9Richard Algie 2000 Simon Fraser University April2000 Al1 rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1*1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rw WdlingtOrr ûttawaON K1AON4 -ON K1AW Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive pemettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or setl reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfichelfilm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract In this thesis, 1 examine primarily the role of ideoiow, in particular, the penetration of the New Right (NR)ideology into the discourse of major political parties in Canada. Thus a nurnber of conceptions of ideology will be reviewed as a means to derive a conceptual fiamework for understanding expressions of NR ideology in the Refom Party and other major Canadian political parties. With the omet of global restnicturing and the Canadian fiscal and national di fficulties, the Reform Party has emerged as a new political party that is actively working to organize, promote, and conduct concerted attacks on the welfare state. The Reform Party, which expresses a NR ideology that combines neo-liberal economic and politicai positions with neo-consewative social and moral positions, has contributed to the erosion of Canada's welfare state. Other supporters of the NR ideology are also attempting to destroy the welfare state and the ideological consensus surroundhg it, thus setting the stage for increasing social inequality in Canada. Findings of this thesis demonstrate the linkages between the NR discourse of several key global institutions, and that of the Reform Party and the New Democratic, Liberal. and Conservative parties. NR themes which have gained dominance within Canadian political economic discourse are identified, such as positions on fiee-market econornics. the debt and deficit, and social conservatisrn. Such NR themes and shifts in poIitica1 ideology since the mid- 1970s are traced through global trade institutions in the post-WWII penod by way of document review and in Canadian political parties in the 1970s to 1990s by way of House of Commons debates. Secondary sources that include newspapers. magazines, journais, books, party leaders statements, political platforms, and statistics are aiso used to document the shift to a NF2 ideology. 1 argue that a NR ideology has ernerged within the discourse of Canada's major political parties and has shified political debates and policies to the right. This creation and implementation of NR-influenced policies became possible once people had become more receptive to NR ideas and the NR's policy agenda. That is evident. as dl the major political parties in Canada have adopted aspects of the three key themes (such as fiee- market economics, debt and deficit reduction, and sociai conservatism) found within NR ideology and have put policies in place which are based on elements of these NR themes. These policies have eroded key programs of the Canadian welfare state and have created a much more unequal, class-stratified, authoritarian society and began to reverse the liberal transformations (in the areas of feminism, the farnily, and sexuality) of this century. This study may be of help to those subordinate groups and classes in Canada who are struggling to construct an alternative hegemonic politics that will need to confiont both the NR and its vision for Canada and be compelling for a large number of Canadians. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE .. Abstract 111 Table of Contents v List of Tables vi Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Theoretical Perspectives on Ideology 8 Chapter 3 Emerging Hegemony of NR Ideology in Global Institutions and 20 Policies (postWWn) and in Canadian Politicai Parties and Policies Chapter 4 NR ideology in Canadian Political Parties in the mid-1970's 47 Chapter 5 The Rise of the Reform Party and its NR Ideology 65 Chapter 6 NR Ideology in Canadian Political Parties in the 1990's 81 Chapter 7 Conclusion : The Shift to the Right 112 Appendix 1 131 Bibliography 132 LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1 Support for NR Ideology by Canadian Politicai Parties: 1970s 5.1 Support for NR Ideology by The Reform Party 6.1 Support for NR Ideology by Canadian Political Parties: 1990s 7.1 Support for NR Ideology by Canadian Politicai Parties: mid- 1970 & late I 990s 1 Chapter 1 Introduction In Western democracies around the world, political ideology has shifted rightward to embrace the New Right (NR) perspective. That has been evident in global institutions created in the aftermath of World War II and in the rise of NR politics in England under Margaret Thatcher, in the United States under Ronald Reagan, and in Canada under Brian Mulroney. The focus of this thesis is on the rise of the NR in Canada and, in particular, the shifi to a NR ideology within Canadian political parties fiom the mid -1970s to the Iate 1990s. Several key forces have influenced this shifi including the new realities of globalization, the effect ofregionaiism, and the need to restructure the Canadian economy to increase competitiveness. The lobbying efforts of the Business Council on National Issues and the Fraser Institute, among others, have also played a role in this shift. However, this thesis will focus on the role played by the Reform Party in representing the NR ideology and in pushing its agenda to the forefiont of Canadian politics. The implications of the dominance of NR ideology are that its adherents in the NR movement bring about changes in policy and in ideology that will alter Canadian society economically and socially, be devastating for many Canadians, and will be estremely dificult to reverse. House of Commons debates clearly illustrate this shifi in ideology, and through their widespread dissemination in the media, they influence the general public towards a greater acceptance of NR ideology and policy. 2 The rise of the NR and the Reform Party have forced the other political parties to rnake a rightward shifi in their policies and ideology. This is in part a response to the new reali ties of global restmcturing. Importantly, however, the Canadian case has its own distinctive specificity based on its political, economic, social, and cultural history. This specificity includes: a history of technologicai dependence, a high degree of foreign ownership in the economy, and regional politics. al1 set against the background of both a fiscal crisis and a crisis of national identity. These factors have set the stage for the erowth of the Reform Party and the dramatic shift to the right which is evident in the C other major Canadian parties- The primary interest of this thesis is to examine the role of ideology and the penetration of the NR agenda into the discowse of the major political parties in Canada which include. the Conservative Party. the Liberai Party, and the New Democratic Party. This analysis will illustrate the rightward shift in the political ideologies of the major parties and will then assess the implications of this shif3 for policy and Canadian society. The key question with which this study is concemed is, to what degree has the ideology of proponents of the NR influenced political parties and their perceptions about fiee-market economics, the debt and the deficit, social conservatism (includes sociai authoritarianism, and crime and punishment issues), and social inequality in Canada since the mid- 1970s? (See Appendix 1 for primary and secondary research questions-) 1 will argue that global institutions and the global economy have provided the conditions for the rise of the NR in politics, and that NR ideological influence on other parties has ken substantiai. The continued moves of these global institutions to create a fiee-market 3 combined with the crisis of the global economy based on the oil shock of 1973, the omet of stagflation, the rise of Japan, and the competition fiom the NICs has created the economic basis for the rise of the NR. The NR movement consists of many groups and individuais such as the Business Council on National Issues (BCNT), and the Fraser Institute. I will argue fiuther that proponents of the NR, such as the Reform Party, have influenced a shift in ideology. as evidenced in policies and perceptions on key issues debated in the House of Cornmons. Finally, 1 will argue that the NR ideology that has emerged within the discourse of Canada's major political parties has shified political debates and policies to the right, eroded support for welfare policies, and increased social inequality. The following sections in this chapter will outline the key concepts, research procedures, sources of evidence, and methods and analytical techniques that will be employed in this thesis. Key Concepts Several key concepts wiIl be employed in this thesis including common-sense, hegemony, ideology and the New Right (NR).