Abandoning the Political Middle

Polls show Canadians are increasingly leaning left or right in their politics. This shrinking middle may signal a change in B.C.'s long-held view of the world. Since the federal election campaign is more than half over, and the provincial one is entering its “pre-election” phase, some political trends are emerging.

By Tony Wanless / April 20, 2011

Polls show Canadians are increasingly leaning left or right in their politics. This shrinking middle may signal a change in B.C.’s long-held view of the world.

Since the federal election campaign is more than half over, and the provincial one is entering its “pre-election” phase, some political trends are emerging.

One is that the middle is shrinking, and you need look no further than the emergence of Sun TV – headed by Stephen Harper’s former director of communications Kory Teneycke – which brings a hard-right voice to Canada’s public discussion.

Federally, the Conservative government’s attempts to establish itself as the champion of the right – tough on crime and immigrants who jump the queue, raising fears of a “coalition,” fiscal tightening – are apparently gathering steam.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the continuum, the federal New Democrats are suddenly rising in, of all places, Quebec. Their usual leftward brew of higher taxes for corporations, more funding for families, and more restraints on business seems to be resonating.

Of course, that leaves the federal Liberals, the party that usually occupies the centre, in a bad place. Their polling numbers show it.

Then just this weekend, provincial New Democrats chose Adrian Dix as party leader. Dix, who was a ferocious party stalwart in the Glen Clark government, made it no secret that he thinks the New Dems should swing left.

Seems like the party agreed with him, probably because they see an opportunity, if the unions and the party intellectuals can stay united, to form a government in the next election.

That’s because the Liberals, by choosing centrist Liberal Christie Clark as leader over Kevin Falcon, generally acknowledged to be more right than most in the party, signalled that they feel the middle is the place to be. After all, it has been for some time.

But, could it be that the provincial NDP has sniffed the winds more recently, recognized some change is in the wind, and decided to avoid the middle ground?

Or is it just that there really isn’t anything else to play politics on, federally or provincially, so extremism becomes more popular?

As most Canadians will attest, the middle can be a pretty comfortable place to be.

Until it gets mushy.