Christy Clark, a shift to the right for the Liberal Party of Canada?

In the wake of the announcement of Justin Trudeau’s departure, the former Liberal Prime Minister of British Columbia, Christy Clark, appears as a potential candidate to run for the leadership of the federal party. But which side of the political spectrum is she really on?

At 59, the former prime minister has been fueling rumors for several months about her intention to make a leap into federal politics and replace Justin Trudeau at the head of the PLC.

In reaction to Justin Trudeau’s departure, Christy Clark spoke on X in French, saying always liberal and impatient to elect a next leader to grow the party.

However, the Liberal Party of British Columbia, which she maintained at the head of the province between 2011 and 2017, did not completely reflect the ideology of the Liberal Party of Canada, as explained by Nicolas Kenny, political analyst and professor in the history department at Simon Fraser University.

Further to the right, he was more associated with the Conservative Party of Canada, just like the former prime minister, in the minds of voters.

Christy Clark herself has already been tipped to lead the federal Conservative Party after the resignation of Andrew Scheer in 2019. She also followed the race for the Conservative Party in 2022, where she gave her support to Jean Charest.

While at the head of British Columbia, she also maintained close ties with Conservative Stephen Harper, who was then Prime Minister of Canada. She notably attended a hockey match with him in 2012.

Faced with the strong polarization of society and the decline in popularity of Justin Trudeau, the candidate could bring a wind of change to the party, according to Nicolas Kenny.

It is a question of identity for the Liberal party: does the key to a certain success in the next elections depend on a refocusing or a turn to the right? It will be up to liberal activists to decide.

Liberal strategist Mark Marissen, ex-husband of Christy Clark, presents her as a potential centrist candidate: It’s funny, some say it’s on the right, others say it’s on the left, if people say that it usually means we’re somewhere in the center.

Deja vu for the come back kid

Little known in federal politics and having never sat in Parliament, Christy Clarke does not have the same support as figures like Chrystia Freeland or Mark Carney. The map of l’outsider could still be useful to play, explains Nicolas Kenny.

The parallel between the current context and that of Christy Clark’s accession to power also makes his message particularly selling, according to the political analyst.

When she took over the reins of the provincial Liberal Party, after the resignation of Gordon Campbell, in 2010, the party was indeed very unpopular in the polls. She then managed a surprise comeback and got the Liberals re-elected in 2013, despite being 20 points behind the New Democratic Party in the polls.

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She came back from nowhere and won the election. She introduced herself as come back kid [candidate de la résurrection]comments Nicolas Kenny.

She can say to activists: trust me. I have already achieved such a feat.

Anthony Housefather, the Liberal MP for Mount Royal, Quebec, said Monday that she would be a candidate formidable in the race for leadership, as someone who was elected premier of the third largest provinceciting his charisma and intelligence.

Although they have not always seen eye to eye in the past, members of the British Columbia political class have also welcomed his possible jump into federal politics to represent the PLC.

One of the challenges we had was the emphasis on Quebec and Ontario, to the exclusion of Western Canada and British Columbia. Ms. Clarke will highlight these provincial issuescommented British Columbia Premier David Eby.

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The leader of the British Columbia Conservative Party, John Rustad, said he had a very good relationship with the former Prime Minister and be certain that they would be able to work together, even if he supports the Conservative Party of Pierre Poilievre.

A sales message… in French too?

The issue of Christy Clark’s bilingualism remains one of her biggest challenges, according to Nicolas Kenny. However, the march is not impossible: others have done it before, starting with Stephen Harper, when he ran for the Conservative Party of Canada.

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Last year, sources close to Ms. Clarke told - that she had made two trips to the Cégep de Jonquière, in Quebec, to learn French.

However, would accelerated learning be enough to ensure spontaneity in debates and convince voters?

It’s part of Christy Clark’s trademark, this easy approachability. If she doesn’t have it in French, it will be difficult for her to play one of her best assets in her political arsenalthis Nicolas Kenny.

Quebec is an essential territory for seeking seats. If Ms. Clark does not master French enough to enter into dialogue with Quebec voters, it will be difficult.

History has also shown that the transition from a French-speaking leader to an English-speaking representative has not helped the Liberal Party of Canada, adds Mario Canseco, president of the research and analysis company Research Co.

With information from Benoit Ferradini