Topic summary
Blue Toryism
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Blue Tory.
History
For the first 50 years of Canada's existence as a country, the 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 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. 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.