Commentary
Does political ideology still matter in Canada?
A popular sentiment among academics, columnists, commentators, and intellectuals in recent years is that political ideology is less important than it used to be. They obviously acknowledge differences between Conservatives, Liberals, Socialists, and others still exist. Yet they believe the race to the political centre and shifts in generational thinking have watered down the ideological underpinnings of parties, leaders, and movements.
Here’s an example.
Sean Speer, editor-at-large of The Hub and senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, suggested in a March 23 National Post column that historical differences between left-leaning Red Tories and right-leaning Blue Tories are no longer relevant. Focusing on the Conservative leadership race, he suggested the “most significant difference” between the two leading candidates, Pierre Poilievre and Jean Charest, is “actually generational” and can be described as a “battle between the late boomers and geriatric millennials.”
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