Jonathan Malloy

High discipline, low cohesion? the uncertain patterns of canadian parliamentary party groups

Canadian parliamentary party groups present a mixed picture of discipline and cohesion. Canadian House of Commons votes are tightly disciplined by party with less dissent than in Britain. Yet traditional Canadian parties have been quite ideologically heterogeneous, with cohesion based more on personal relationships and loyalties than shared ideological bonds. The arrival of new parties in 1993 has challenged this traditional pattern, but the differences between older and newer parties are more in degree than kind. This article hypothesises that these trends are linked to the fluid membership base of Canadian parties, which tends to reinforce central power. The result is disciplined and somewhat cohesive parties, but with a lack of ideological direction or consistency.

Bush/Harper? Canadian and American Evangelical Politics Compared

Religion and politics remain very complex issues in both Canada and the United States, and ripe for caricature and overstatement. While a Canadian Christian Right has arisen and finds some affinity with the Harper government, we should not assume that Canada will see anywhere near the visibility and influence of the American Christian Right. There is also some evidence of a new, more moderate American evangelical political presence, especially at the dawn of the Obama presidency, although we should be careful not to overstate this either. Differences between Canada and the United States may not be quite as large and clear-cut as they once were when it comes to evangelical Christians and politics, but the role of religion in public life and politics remains distinctly different in the two countries.

The executive and parliament in canada

Executive–legislative relations in Canada have long favoured prime ministers with strong legislative powers even by Westminster standards, although these are tempered by federalism and entrenched constitutional rights. Parliamentary parties are highly disciplined and defeats of government bills are virtually unknown. While parliamentary scrutiny of government is well established, its parameters and actual effectiveness are blurry. The appointed Senate can serve as a counterweight to executive power but it lacks sufficient legitimacy. Explanations and justifications for executive power include the need to craft delicate compromises for a diverse nation, complex leadership selection mechanisms that deter challenges of party leaders, and the historically high turnover of MPs and shortage of veteran parliamentarians, even in cabinet. The recent overthrow of Prime Minister Jean Chretien by Paul Martin shows executives are not invincible, but it remains to be seen how Martin will address what he has called a ‘democratic deficit’ in executive–legislative relations in Canada.

Between America and Europe: Religion, Politics and Evangelicals in Canada

While the United States and Western Europe are often presented as contrasting models of religion and politics, countries like Canada fit somewhere in the middle. This paper looks at evangelical Christian political activity in Canada, which features a modified version of American-style religious activism on a terrain closer to European politics, with parliamentary institutions, state church legacies and a largely secular political culture. It pays particular attention to developments since 2000 and links between evangelicals and the governing Conservative Party of Canada. It argues that, while these recent developments may signal a shift toward the American model, the Canadian case still suggests alternatives beyond a simple dichotomy between American and secular European models of religion and politics.

Political opportunity structures, evangelical Christians and morality politics in Canada, Australia and New Zealand

ABSTRACT Politically active evangelical Christian populations are found in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Yet their patterns of activism differ not only from the exceptional United States experience, but also one another. This paper applies a political opportunity approach to explain these variations, demonstrating how differences in denominational identities and linkages and political institutions shape evangelical activism, and illustrating these opportunity structures through an examination of the struggles over same-sex marriage in each country. This approach offers a variety of further avenues for the comparative study of ‘morality politics’ in different countries, moving beyond bilateral comparisons with the United States.