Tories must learn from Brad Wall’s exit from politics

Conservative doom-and-gloom talk has little appeal, writes Mischa Kaplan.

Among Canadian conservatives, it is common to hear critics of Justin Trudeau point out the stark contrast between the prime minister and Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall. The former is a charismatic, master communicator; the latter projects an air of staid bookishness. Trudeau relies on broad and sweeping language to convey his messages, while Wall has always been, to conservatives at least, a voice of seasoned and careful reason, known more for his quiet competence than for his personality or grand vision.

Wall is also depicted as the fiscally conservative counter to the left-leaning tendencies of Trudeau and his provincial Liberal or NDP counterparts. In many ways, Wall has become an unexpected national hero, steadfastly representing the pragmatic and market-focused approach valued by moderate, fiscal conservatives across the country.

So Wall’s looming departure from politics has sent ripples through Canadian conservative circles, and rightly so. With British Columbia’s Christy Clark now out of the picture, and with Andrew Scheer still solidifying his role atop the federal Conservative Party of Canada, conservatism in this country seems increasingly leaderless.

Given that only two years ago, the considerable power and influence of Stephen Harper — probably the most dominant Canadian conservative in a generation — was buffered and strengthened by the presence of centre-right governments in B.C., Alberta, and Saskatchewan, it makes sense for conservatives to ask themselves what has gone wrong, and if the current state of affairs is a mere blip or, more worryingly, a growing trend that has not yet reached its nadir.

To remain relevant in such a political environment, Canada’s leading conservatives need to offer something that centre-right politicians around the world have never been very good at: a positive, solutions-based vision of the future. While leaders such as Harper and Wall earned conservative praise for their strong foundational beliefs in freemarket economics supported by limited government intervention, it is time for Canadian conservatives to recognize that this approach might not be bestdesigned to tackle complex and challenging issues such as climate change, challenges arising from shifting cultural and racial demographics, and growing structural income inequality.

As voter demographics change, the doom-and-gloom conservatism that often dominates the political rhetoric of the right has less and less appeal to younger voters, who are more concerned with climate change than with rapidly growing government debt. If conservatives want to have a real impact on important topics including fiscal responsibility, the size and role of government, and an efficient and market-friendly system of taxation, they should do a better job of explaining to voters how such projects can help address critical policy areas such as the environment, immigration and inequality.

Wall’s staunch opposition to a national carbon tax drew him endless praise from conservatives

across the country, but it is hardly the type of forward-thinking and innovative approach that will help propel the federal Conservatives back into power. The fact that MP Michael Chong — who offered a market-friendly, revenue-neutral approach to carbon taxation during his failed run for CPC leader — was often heckled during his leadership campaign by his fellow conservatives speaks a great deal to the uncreative and stubborn adherence to conservative orthodoxy that has come to define the intellectual framework of Canadian centreright politics.

Brad Wall’s political career should always stand as a testament to the unadorned, sensible governance style so beloved by moderate conservatives across the country. But these same conservatives should also search hard for a future path to ideological and political relevance.