Merger killed conservatism in Canada

Though the article appears by its title to be about Conservatives it's really about Liberals and how they stole ideas from both parties. And though I'm sure they didn't intend it as such, the article actually gives more support to Canada's NDP, at least if you are fond of our social safety net:

All of Canada’s social programs such as universal health care and old age pensions, originated with the CCF, the predecessor party to the NDP. When the CCF came up with a social policy that seemed to find favour with Canadians, the Liberals would adopt it, water it down to make it less socialistic, pass it into law, and then take credit for it. Most of what Prime Minister Paul Martin calls “Canadian values” are policies that originated with the socialists and passed into law by the Liberals. The CCF/NDP has had a tremendous influence on the shape of the country without ever coming close to holding power.

If the NDP can do that much without having held power federally, imagine what more they could do in government!

I don't entirely agree with the authors conclusion, however:

Currently Canada has no major small “c” conservative party and two centrist parties. Conservatism may not be dead in Canada but with Stephen Harper and the Conservatives, it is certainly on life support.

I don't see either the Liberals or the Conservatives as centrist parties - I see them both as right-wing parties and the NDP as the only left-wing party. Over the past 12 years they've been in power, the Liberals have balanced the budget by cutting social programs and then spent most of the surplus on corporate and personal tax cuts and debt repayment. The money spent on doing those things above is at least double the amount spent on new spending on expanding or adding social programs. That's obviously why the Liberals have been promising for 12 years a national daycare program and never delivered as but one example.