The Big Shift

For almost its entire history, Canada has been run by the political, media and business elites of Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. But in the past few years, these groups have lost their powerand most of them still do not realize its gone. The Laurentian Consensus, the term John Ibbitson has coined for the dusty liberal elite, has been replaced by a new, powerful coalition based in the West and supported by immigrant voters in Ontario. How did this happen?Most people are unaware that the keystone economic and political drivers of this country are now Western Canada and immigrants from China, India and other Asian countries. Politicians and businesspeople have underestimated how conservative these newcomers are making our country. Canada, with its ever-evolving economy and fluid demographic base, has become divorced from the traditions of its past and is moving in an entirely new direction.In The Big Shift, Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson argue that one of the worlds most consensual countries is becoming polarized, exhibiting stark differences between East and West, cities and suburbs, Canadianborn citizens and immigrants. The winnersin both politics and business will be those who can capitalize on the tremendous changes that the Big Shift will bring.

Autorentext

DARRELL BRICKER is chief executive officer of Ipsos Public Affairs, the world's leading social and opinion research firm. Prior to joining Ipsos, Bricker was director of public opinion research in the office of the prime minister of Canada. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Carleton University. He is the co-author, with John Ibbitson, of several books, including Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline and The Big Shift: The Seismic Change In Canadian Politics, Business, and Culture and What It Means for Our Future. He lives in Toronto with his family.