Key Takeaways
- The Winds of Change conference emphasized political friendship (homonoia) as essential for a cohesive conservative coalition, not merely ideological purity.
- A successful Right must balance diverse strands—classical liberals, libertarians, social conservatives, monarchists, prairie populists, Tories—recognizing that forcing ideological uniformity risks tearing the movement apart.
- While the conference shifted focus from “labour of the negative” (critiquing bad ideas) to pragmatic winning, it also revealed the danger of sacrificing coalition‑building for short‑term victories.
- The eventual merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party in 2003 illustrated both the promise and the limits of fusionism: economic concerns dominated, pushing the Conservatives toward a managerial, second‑neoconservative approach.
- Populist energies cannot be ignored or dismissed; they remain a volatile, high‑risk element inherent to Canadian conservatism that requires careful management rather than suppression.
- True unity within the Right is unity of purpose, not uniformity of thought; sustaining friendship and mutual respect enables the coalition to endure despite deep ideological differences.
Origins and Intent of Winds of Change
The Winds of Change conference was convened to address something deeper than partisan disagreement: the need for political friendship, or what Aristotle termed homonoia—a sense of oneness of mind that allows opponents to cooperate despite profound differences. Edmund Burke’s notion of a “mixed system of opinion and sentiment” was invoked as a model for harmonizing varied perspectives, a concept that modern managerial politics often overlooks in favor of clear policy outcomes and ideological purity. The conference sought to remind conservatives that friendship, not just victory, is a cornerstone of a durable movement.
The Conservative Coalition in Canada
Canadian conservatism has always been a blended fabric, comprising classical liberals, libertarians, social conservatives, monarchists, prairie populists, Tories, and other traditions. Attempting to forge a pure ideological fabric would inevitably tear this coalition apart. The conference highlighted that the Right’s strength lies in its diversity; suppressing internal differences in pursuit of doctrinal uniformity undermines the very basis of a broad‑based movement.
From Opposition to Governance
In the 1990s, Canadian conservatives had become experts at opposition, turning critique into a habitual stance where being right mattered more than building a governing alternative. This “labour of the negative,” as Roger Scruton described it, risked trapping the movement in endless criticism without constructive vision. Winds of Change shifted the focus from merely attacking bad ideas to pursuing pragmatic winning, leading to a season of grown‑up governance and electoral success.
The Pyrrhic Victory of Fusion
Crediting the conference with inspiring the 2003 merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party, the movement achieved a structural unification that seemed to deliver victory. Stephen Harper, addressing Civitas early that year, called for a “conservative coalition of ideas” blending economic and social conservatism—a Canadian fusionism. Once in office, however, pressing economic demands dominated the agenda, and fusionism gave way to economic determinism. The Conservatives adopted the prevailing “second neoconservatism” paradigm, a mix of neo‑Wilsonian managerialism and assertive foreign policy, sidelining the broader social‑cultural vision originally championed.
Theory Versus Practice
Political theory and political practice operate on different planes. While lofty ideals of friendship and homonoia provide moral guidance, governance demands concrete action and purpose. The tension between theory and practice can never be fully closed; practitioners must often set aside idealistic notions to achieve electoral success. Yet, doing so risks proving that ideals—and the idealists who uphold them—are dispensable once victory is secured, a dangerous precedent that erodes the movement’s moral foundation.
The Cost of Victory‑Driven Compromise
The imperative to win led the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) to pursue a simple path of fusion and coherence: unite under one banner, avoid internal clans, and sidestep ideological contradictions. This strategy cooled the movement, alienating regional factions such as Western conservatives and East‑Coast Tories who felt excluded. Moreover, the single‑minded focus on governance left populist energies unmanaged. Preston Manning likened populism to wildcat well drilling—dangerous, high‑pressure, and high‑risk. Ignoring it does not make it disappear; anti‑elite, anti‑establishment passions remain a volatile component of Canadian conservatism that must be acknowledged and channeled rather than suppressed.
Unity of Purpose, Not Uniformity of Thought
The ultimate lesson from Winds of Change is that unity within the Right must be understood as unity of purpose, not uniformity of thought. A coalition can thrive when its members share a common goal—effective governance, national prosperity, cultural vitality—while retaining latitude to disagree on specific policies. Friendship and mutual respect enable the coalition to absorb internal tensions without fracturing, preserving the movement’s capacity to adapt and endure.
Civitas and the Revival of General Ideas
Emerging from the Winds of Change spirit, Civitas was conceived as “a society where ideas meet,” marrying the British tradition of club‑based dialogue with an openness to general ideas—a stance contrary to Alexis de Tocqueville’s observation that the English resist abstract thought. Clinton Rossiter’s 1955 critique of North American conservatives similarly noted their aversion to political theory unless under direct attack. Civitas seeks to prove these critics wrong by fostering an environment where conservatives can engage with broad philosophical concepts, thereby enriching their practical politics with deeper reflection.
Lessons Remembered and Forgotten
The conference left three enduring lessons: friendship matters; the Right is inherently a coalition; and the pursuit of doctrinal purity begets failure. These insights recall a habit of mind described by Roger Scruton—that conservatism, since the Enlightenment, has been a work of rescue, preserving what is valuable amid change. Revisiting the ethos behind Winds of Change—its emphasis on political friendship, coalition‑building, and balanced purpose—offers a solid foundation for renewing the conservative movement in Canada. By rekindling that spirit, conservatives can avoid the pitfalls of short‑term triumphalism and instead cultivate a resilient, inclusive, and principled Right capable of governing effectively while honoring its diverse traditions.