Parti bleu
The Parti bleu (French for "Blue Party") was a political group that contested elections in the Eastern section of the Province of Canada. The Blue Party was ideologically located on the political right, and was defined by its support for the Catholic Church, and later for supporting confederation.
Parti bleu | |
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| Founded | 1854 |
| Dissolved | 1867 |
| Preceded by | Reform Movement (Upper Canada) |
| Merged into | Conservative Party of Quebec, Liberal-Conservative Party |
| Headquarters | Montreal, Canada East |
| Ideology | Conservatism Ultramontanism Quebec nationalism |
| Political position | Right-wing |
| Colours | Blue |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Conservatism in Canada |
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The party was formed in 1854 by conservative members of the former Reform movement, following in the tradition of Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Francis Hincks. The first leader of the Blue Party, George-Étienne Cartier, was the Premier of Canada East. The Parti bleu held majorities in Canada East uninterrupted from 1854 to 1867, and often formed coalition governments with the English-speaking Conservatives from Canada East, and the Liberal-Conservative Party from Canada West. Their main electoral challenge came from the Parti rouge, a secularist left-wing party. After confederation in 1867, the party was dissolved, and members became part of the Conservative Party of Quebec at the provincial level, and the Conservative Party of Canada federally.