Blue Grit

A '''Blue Grit''',<ref>{{cite news |author=Greg Weston |date=June 13, 2010 |title=Tories win in Grit-NDP merger |url=http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/greg_weston/2010/06/11/14355706.html |work=QMI Agency |publisher=Toronto Sun}}</ref><ref name="Red Tory, Blue Grit">{{cite news |author=Ken Gray |date=April 7, 2010 |title=Red Tory, Blue Grit |url=http://www2.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=b15a20ba-1b5f-449b-a1a7-d155e996e2f6&p=2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113063114/http://www2.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=b15a20ba-1b5f-449b-a1a7-d155e996e2f6&p=2 |archive-date=November 13, 2014 |access-date=November 13, 2014 |work=The Ottawa Citizen}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Ron Graham |date=October 2013 |title=Born in the Burbs |url=http://thewalrus.ca/born-in-the-burbs/ |work=The Walrus}}</ref> also known as a '''blue Liberal''' or a '''business Liberal''',<ref>{{cite news |author=Jessy Brunette |date=January 14, 2011 |title='I was a very blue Liberal,' Reynolds says |url=http://www.thesudburystar.com/2011/01/14/i-was-a-very-blue-liberal-reynolds-says |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113053608/http://www.thesudburystar.com/2011/01/14/i-was-a-very-blue-liberal-reynolds-says |archive-date=November 13, 2014 |access-date=November 13, 2014 |work=The Sudbury Star}}</ref><ref name="As leadership race winds down, Liberals still divided on an economic plan">{{cite news |author=Steven Chase |date=April 13, 2013 |title=As leadership race winds down, Liberals still divided on an economic plan |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/as-leadership-race-winds-down-liberals-still-divided-on-an-economic-plan/article11183884/ |work=The Globe and Mail}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Patrick Brethour |date=August 24, 2012 |title=Canada's new electoral divide: It's about the money |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadas-new-electoral-divide-its-about-the-money/article578586/ |work=The Globe and Mail}}</ref><ref name="How the Liberal Party lost Mark Carney">{{cite news |author=Daniel Leblanc |author2=Steven Chase |author3=Jane Taber |name-list-style=amp |date=December 15, 2012 |title=How the Liberal Party lost Mark Carney |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/how-the-liberal-party-lost-mark-carney/article6414626/?page=all |work=The Globe and Mail}}</ref> is a member or supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada or of one of the nation's provincial and territorial Liberal parties who is generally considered to be right-of-centre. The term has also been applied to former Progressive Conservatives who are now Liberals, such as Scott Brison.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Opinion {{!}} Trudeau's Cabinet Has Diversity, But Conservative White Men Will Keep the Purse Strings {{!}} Common Dreams |url=https://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/11/05/trudeaus-cabinet-has-diversity-conservative-white-men-will-keep-purse-strings |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=www.commondreams.org |language=en}}</ref>

Blue Grits can generally be described as adhering to conservative liberalism, typically advocating for policies that combine fiscal caution with cultural liberalism, in contrast with the more progressive social liberals. Unlike the federal Conservative Party and many of its provincial and territorial counterparts, Canadian liberals have not historically exhibited a clearly identifiable ideological factional divide. This is partly due to the federal Liberal Party's historically high level of party discipline in Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marland |first=Alex |last2= |date=March 21, 2019 |title=The stifling conformity of party discipline |url=https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/march-2019/the-stifling-conformity-of-party-discipline/ |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=Policy Options |language=en}}</ref> While in some ways akin to Red Tories, Blue Grits tend to be less inclined toward paternalism and traditionalism, instead focusing more on economic liberalism — hence their alternative name, business Liberals.<ref name=":0" />

Prominent current leaders who have been identified as Blue Grits include Mark Carney, the current Prime Minister of Canada, and Bonnie Crombie, the former leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. The former British Columbia Liberal Party, particularly under Christy Clark, embraced pro-business policies and fiscal restraint, attracting both Blue Grits and federal Conservative supporters to form a “free enterprise coalition” against the BC NDP.

== Notable Blue Grits/Examples == * Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada (since 2025), governor of the Bank of England (2013–2020) and governor of the Bank of Canada (2007–2013)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Liberals, Conservatives gripped in a tie, next election will be 'like a knife fight in a telephone booth,' with Trump as disruptor: Nanos |url=https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2025/03/17/in-the-march-9-liberal-leadership-election-prime-minister-carney-secured-a-crushing-victory-winning-all-343-ridings/454044/ |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=The Hill Times |language=en-CA}}</ref> * John Turner, Prime Minister of Canada (1984) and minister of finance (1972–1975)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tuns |first1=Paul |title=30 years of Liberal infighting |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/paul-tuns-30-years-of-liberal-infighting |website=Ottawa Citizen |accessdate=August 9, 2019 |date=June 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Five stories we're watching |url=https://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/five-stories-were-watching-3/ |website=Maclean's |accessdate=August 9, 2019 |date=October 1, 2012}}</ref> * Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada (2003–2006) and minister of finance (1993–2002)<ref name="Red Tory, Blue Grit" /><ref name="As leadership race winds down, Liberals still divided on an economic plan" /> * John Manley, Deputy Prime Minister (2002–2003), minister of finance (2003–2003) and minister of industry (1995–2000)<ref name="As leadership race winds down, Liberals still divided on an economic plan" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Is Justin Trudeau's honeymoon over?|author=Michael Den Tandt|work=canada.com|date=May 1, 2014|url=http://o.canada.com/news/national/is-justin-trudeaus-honeymoon-over}}</ref> * Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal leadership candidate in 2006 and 2013<ref name="As leadership race winds down, Liberals still divided on an economic plan" /><ref>{{cite news|title=No longer hyphenated, Liberals cast aside the business faction|author=Ian Lee|work=Ottawa Citizen|url=http://www2.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/archives/story.html?id=10397d17-27cc-4708-be3c-3b47aeaa007b|date=April 16, 2013|access-date=November 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129124944/http://www2.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/archives/story.html?id=10397d17-27cc-4708-be3c-3b47aeaa007b|archive-date=November 29, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> * Frank McKenna, Premier of New Brunswick (1987–1997)<ref name="As leadership race winds down, Liberals still divided on an economic plan" /><ref name="How the Liberal Party lost Mark Carney" /> * Roy MacLaren, minister of state for finance (1983–1984), minister of national revenue (1984) and minister for international trade (1993–1996)<ref name="As leadership race winds down, Liberals still divided on an economic plan" /> * Bonnie Crombie, 6th Mayor of Mississauga (2014–2024), leader of the Ontario Liberal Party (2023–2026)<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=McGrath |first=John Michael |date=May 23, 2023 |title='We govern from right of centre': Bonnie Crombie on how she'd lead the Ontario Liberals |work=TVO |url=https://www.tvo.org/article/we-govern-from-right-of-centre-bonnie-crombie-on-how-shed-lead-the-ontario-liberals |access-date=July 9, 2023}}</ref> * Christy Clark, Premier of British Columbia (2011–2017)

==References== <references />

Category:Canadian political phrases Category:Centrism in North America Category:Classical liberalism Category:Conservative liberalism Category:Neoconservatism Category:Neoliberalism Category:Political party factions in Canada {{Canada-party-stub}}