Laurentian elite

[1] The term has been used to describe the belief that a general governing political consensus existed in Canada due to the influence of the Laurentian elite from Confederation until the early twenty-first century.

[2] The term is generally attributed to John Ibbitson, who wrote extensively about the Laurentian elite following the 2011 Canadian federal election (though he has shared the credit for coining it with University of Toronto academic David Cameron).

[2] He suggest that this gradual decline was due to infighting within the Liberal Party, immigration into the 905 region that shifted "Ontario's orientation toward the West", rising oil prices fueling economic and population growth in Western Canada, a weakening Quebec sovereignty movement, and a growing sense of patriotism.

[2] However, Ibbitson cautioned against the idea that Canada was becoming conservative by arguing that the values of the people who rejected the Laurentians were instead "realistic, pragmatic, cosmopolitan, global, forward thinking" and that progressive politicians should tailor to them.

[10] Conversely, Jared Milne writing for iPolitics took issues with some aspects of Ibbitson's description of the Laurentian elite, questioned if the 2011 election results would make indigenous people and francophone Quebecers feel less alienated in this country.