Small-l liberal
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In Australia
Typically, one who self-identifies as a small-l liberal in Australia professes admiration for some version of classical liberalism. They are in strong support of individualism, civil liberties and freedom of choice, with an essentially market-oriented approach to economics. Small-l liberals are social progressives to various degrees, with attitudes ranging from lukewarm to strong support for issues such as same-sex marriage, a republic and Aboriginal reconciliation. They support a moderate degree of government intervention in areas such as health and education. They can be distinguished from Labor supporters by their mistrust of trade union influence and their support for a deregulated industrial relations system.
Within the Liberal Party of Australia, social conservatism and monetarist economics are both in a position of dominance, leaving some small-l liberals to support groups such as the Australian Democrats who began their existence as split-offs from the Liberal Party. However, many who describe themselves as "small-l" are happily ensconced within the Liberal Party and co-operate closely with the conservative forces in that party. Peter Costello, for example, is viewed as supporting an Australian republic and an apology for the stolen generations, but has cultivated a successful political partnership with the monarchist and arch-traditionalist John Howard.
In Canada
In Canada, the Liberal Party has varied in political orientation, shifting rightwards and leftwards from the centre of the political spectrum. Small-l liberals (also known as left-wing liberals) may alternatively support the New Democratic Party. This style of liberal found their most well-known voice in Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister from 1968-1979, and 1980-1984.
In the Canadian province of British Columbia, the British Columbia Liberal Party is on the political right. This is due to its absorption of a large number of people from the right-wing Social Credit Party, who collapsed after the 1991 election due to scandal. Most small l-liberals in British Columbia support on provincial level the New Democratic Party or the Green Party.
See also
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