Many people are criticising Conservative governments in Canada for mishandling the pandemic.

Most cite these parties' ideological commitment to *conservatism* as their major failing.

This isn't entirely accurate or fair. (Thread)
Canada is home to several variants of conservatism. The two most pertinent to this conversation are old right toryism and new right neo-liberalism.
Toryism is a collectivist form of conservatism - one that views society as more than a sum of individuals. The term "social fabric" was coined by a tory (E. Burke) to capture this sentiment.
Tories are seldom shy to use the levers of the state to protect community values. They are also less likely to favour individual rights over communal norms.
Toryism remains strongest in Ontario and Atlantic Canada - regions that, generations ago - became home to Loyalists fleeing the individualist impulses of the American Revolution.
The prominence of toryism in their political cultures helps us understand why Conservative governments in Atlantic Canada were open to taking strong-state measures to control the spread of COVID-19.
At the other end of the country, a different strain of conservatism holds sway: neo-liberalism. Holding the individual at the centre of society, neo-liberals tend to value personal choice, competition, and other "freedom-based" values.
Neo-liberals and tories view collective action problems - like pandemic response - very differently. Tories won't hesitate to use the levers of the state to preserve community order. Neo-liberals insist that individuals choosing freely will maximize the public good.
In their responses to COVID-19, we have seen tories opt for collective responsibility through government action. Neo-liberals have chosen personal responsibility and public education.
Ideology is only one part of the policy equation. It's too simplistic to blame neo-liberalism for spiking case numbers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. But it's also too simplistic to suggest all forms of conservatism are unable to cope with collective action problems.

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More from @DrJaredWesley

22 Nov
(And to state the obvious: looking at Alberta through the eyes of Joe is wrought with issues intersectionality. It helps us understand why, for instance, the government fails to see the #shecession as a problem, let alone one worth solving.)
Or why they feel emboldened to hire curriculum advisors that seek to whitewash Alberta history, to create a War Room, to take on doctors & fill ICUs during a pandemic... Put simply: the UCP doesn't think Joe Albertan cares about those issues more than jobs and the economy. #ableg
The thing is: our research shows that Joe is not the median Albertan voter. Joe is who we think the average Albertan is. But he is not an aggregation of Albertan attitudes. He's a myth.
Read 8 tweets
22 Nov
A great question. I can offer a partial answer.

Governments are motivated by a host of factors, including their party's ideological principles, public opinion, and their sense of what the community will accept.

The latter is what many call "political culture." (Thread)
Political culture is the unspoken norms that guide politics in a particular community. These values define the boundaries of acceptability - of what's okay to say, think, or do.
In the case of pandemic response, political culture is embodied in our collective sense of "what Albertans will accept," whether it be mandatory masking, vaccination, or lockdowns.
Read 16 tweets
21 Nov
Public servants are a humble lot, serving the community without asking for credit.

But the time will come when we'll need to tell their stories of sacrifice & selflessness during this pandemic.

My DMs are open. Tell me stories so I can share anonymously. #ableg #COVID19AB
"Was moved back into office in July so that GOA can lead by example on showing it’s safe with proper PPE, etc. We have Skype meetings now with people from other cubicles on the same floor but still have to go in when everyone on my floor can work from home. Pointless!"
"Have been working 6 days per week, 3 weeks out of each month for 8 months. No overtime pay. Forced to come into the office, even though I could work from home. Been denied vacation 3 times. And being told my boss wants my pay cut by 4%."
Read 11 tweets
27 Oct
Not quite. Here's a thread on the central position of "prosperity doctrine" in Alberta conservatism. #ableg
While those with a stronger sense of faith tend to be conservative, not all Alberta conservatives are Christians a smaller number yet could be considered highly religious.
Yet, it is a strain of Protestant Evangelism that has left an indelible mark on Alberta conservatism.
Read 17 tweets
18 Oct
Policy 11 is the clearest definition of two-tier healthcare I have seen in a Cdn major party platform (and I've reviewed over 1000). It's the only one I know to use the term "Private Tier" explicitly.

This is not the same as a "mixed" or "hybrid" systems. (Thread) #ableg
All universal healthcare systems allow some private provision of services, including Canada. This means Canadians with employer-provided insurance and deeper pockets get better care. This is unequal, but not the "tiered" system promoted in Policy 11.
Most mainstream parties frame this hybrid system as a necessary evil, emphasizing the importance of preserving the public component.

Policy 11 promotes the virtues of the private component, and calls for a new/expanded "Private Tier".

This is not the status quo.
Read 15 tweets

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