Canada’s Secret to Resisting the West’s Populist Wave
Jason Kenney, then a Conservative member of Parliament, convinced Prime Minister Stephen Harper
that the party should court immigrants, who — thanks to Mr. Trudeau’s efforts — had long backed the Liberal Party.
TORONTO — As right-wing populism has roiled elections
and upended politics across the West, there is one country where populists have largely failed to break through: Canada.
But Canada’s points- and sponsorship-based systems, along with its geographic position, help communities feel a sense
of control over immigration so that, even as new arrivals change politics and society, backlash has been minimal.
“I said the only way we’d ever build a governing coalition was with the support of new Canadians, given changing demography,” Mr. Kenney said.
