The sad plight of classical Liberals

OAKVILLE, ONT.—I’d like to tell you a sad tale about a beleaguered political faction. It’s a faction no political party seems to care about it; it’s a faction no political party seems to want. The people who make up this unwanted faction are sometimes referred to as “classical liberals.” Maybe you’ve heard of them, since “classical liberalism” actually has a long history. Spawned during the Enlightenment Age, it’s an ideology chiefly associated with promoting free-market capitalism and individual freedom, especially the freedom to own private property. Interestingly, one of Canada’s most celebrated prime ministers, Wilfrid Laurier, was, in fact, a classical liberal. As author Brian Lee Crowley notes in his book, The Canadian Century, Laurier promoted “minimal state interference, low taxes and respect of property and of contract.” Yet, even, during the early 20th century, when this economic philosophy was arguably at the height of its influence, it was never really all that politically popular. It’s not hard to see why. While classical liberals extolled about how the free market, guided by Adam Smith’s “invisible hand," would eventually make for a more efficient economy, the average person cared more about their own immediate economic needs. And for a lot of people, free markets just weren’t working, hence the rise of socialist and democratic socialist political parties. Then, when the Great Depression hit and it seemed as if free markets had failed, the already shaky political appeal of classical liberalism essentially disappeared. From then on, mainstream political parties in Canada embraced policies that were an anathema to classical liberalism: state welfare, higher taxes, deficit spending, government intervention in the economy. By the 1960s, basically the only ones still actively promoting classically liberal values were economists, some business people, and Republican Senator Barry Goldwater. Yes, later on, there were classical-liberal-style politicians such as Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher who did achieve electoral success, but I’d argue their popularity was less about the appeal of their free-market ideology and more about their perceived strength as leaders. Besides, that seeming resurgence of classical liberal thought in the 1980s and 1990s quickly faded away, especially in the wake of the 2008 Financial Crisis. As a result of all this, it’s becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible, for classical liberals to find a political home they can really call their own. For instance, the Liberals—once the party of Laurier—has, over the years, moved drastically to the left of the political spectrum, even to the extent that it’s stealing policies from the socialist NDP. Nor has the Conservative Party exactly rolled out the welcome mat for classical liberals. After all, in the words of prominent Red Tory Hugh Segal, Canadian conservatism should protect “institutions that preserve order," while at the same time, opposing, “liberalism that de-emphasizes collective responsibility.” These are not exactly the words of someone who values free-market economics and smaller government. As classical liberal activists, Janet and Matt Bufton, recently wrote, “from the liberal perspective conservatives are over-skeptical of open-ended change and not skeptical enough of authority.” Notably, the last Canadian politician to unabashedly promote classical liberalism was Maxime Bernier, during his ultimately unsuccessful run for the Conservative Party leadership. The fact that Bernier lost that race likely indicates that conservatives found his small government, pro-free market, stances a little too radical to handle. Indeed, if anything, many are arguing the Conservative Party currently seems to be heading in a more illiberal populist direction. Consequently, classical liberals increasingly find themselves on the political sidelines. And that’s where they'll stay, until they can find a way to make their views more politically palatable. Gerry Nicholls is a communications consultant. The Hill Times