Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberal Party of Canada (French: Parti libéral du Canada), colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism, and sits between the centre and the centre-left of the Canadian political spectrum. Historically the Liberal Party has been positioned to the left of the Conservative Party of Canada and to the right of the New Democratic Party (NDP).

The party dominated federal politics for much of Canada's history, holding power for almost 69 years in the 20th century—more than any other party in a developed country—which resulted in its being sometimes referred to as Canada's "natural governing party". Over the last decade however the party has lost a significant amount of support, to the benefit of both the Conservative Party and the NDP. In the most recent federal election, held on May 2, 2011, the party had its worst showing in its history. The Liberal Party captured 19 per cent of the popular vote and won 34 seats, becoming the third-place party in the House of Commons for the first time.

On May 25, 2011, the Liberal Party caucus chose Bob Rae as their interim leader. The party is scheduled to select their next leader on April 14, 2013.