The Globe and Mail is describing it as the Alliance getting its clocks cleaned:
The Conservatives first policy convention saw a motion to allow for recall of MPs crushed by a majority of delegates. Attempts to water down official bilingualism were booed off the floor. What were once bedrock tenets of a western-based party crumbled under a pragmatism of a new party eager to appeal to enough voters to win seats across the country and form a government. "There's an understanding in this room to get things done," said British Columbia MP Chuck Strahl. "Right from the first resolution to the last, not one of them will happen until we get on the other side of the House." Despite a determined plea from former MP Elsie Wayne against abortion, more than 3,000 delegates voted 55 per cent in favour of a motion endorsing the government "not to support any legislation to regulate abortion." That won't prevent individual Conservative MPs from presenting private members' bills that would be voted upon freely. Also removed from the party's platform were planks calling for the creation of a citizens' assembly to adopt proportional representation, holding elections on fixed dates, referendums for constitutional amendments and general referendums for issues of national importance.So, after ten years of Preston Manning's Alberta revivalist populism beating its head against the wall, has it all been for nothing? If the Tories are left with a policy platform that is stripped of any of the Reform Party's substance and have given resounding approval of a leader who is not bound to follow the direction of the party and is known for a mean grudge-holding streak...have we not just come back full circle to the Mulroney era?
Comments
Flea - March 20, 2005 8:39 PM
The rest of this supposed pragmatism makes the party's continuing commitment to oppose equality for gay Canadians - despite the court decisions of seven provinces - all the more striking. I am sickened by the whole enterprise.
Alan - March 20, 2005 9:23 PM
You're right - and the weirdest thing is if they had not refused to respect the constitution they would have ended up essentially standing for all the same things that the Liberals do. It was such a weird outcome but in line with my belief that they only stand for getting into power. But they are politicians in the wilderness...still trying to figure out what went wrong about 1989 that got them to this point.
Ben - March 20, 2005 9:24 PM
The convention involved all agreeing to take half a loaf. This type of compromise was inevitable, if the party wished to survive to fight another election.
I don't like the position against gay marriage, not one bit, but given that I don't see the CPC as having the guts to use s. 31 of the Charter on it, I think that gay marriage is/will be an established fact in this country.
We have the political party we have, not necessarily the one we want. Given that the alternatives are the Liberals and the NDP, I know where I'll be voting. Well, if I get to vote in the next election. May already be living abroad by then.
Marian Evans - March 21, 2005 2:52 PM
I think we're going to hear a lot about this new moderate Tory party in the news.
Flea - March 21, 2005 7:28 PM
Well, not everybody agreed to take half a loaf. Conservatives who happen to already be married and gay, or have the right to make that choice, get exactly nothing. In fact, what little they have is taken away.