After a failed federal election and a departing leader, it
is time for the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) to look inwardly and decide
how to proceed in the future. For too long conservatives have fought against
themselves and failed to win the last election which was handed to them on a
platter. Let the reflection begin.
When Stephen Harper left the party, although he had lost the
elections to a vacuous Trudeau, the party itself was in good shape. However the
choice of a new leader was hampered by the division between small ‘c’
conservatives and social conservatives. The party in a very narrow vote gave
the leadership to Andrew Scheer. In my opinion, Scheer never had the leadership
qualities required to lead the party. Given his role as the Speaker of the
House he did not have the qualities of a front bench Minister who had the
opportunity to fight against the opposition in the House. He continued his role
of House conciliator in the campaign and allowed Trudeau to define him instead
of the other way round.
The current CPC is still too embroiled in a definition of
conservatism. For those who still lament the ‘progressive’ side, they should
get over it. Progressive has nothing to do with progress. Instead we should
look at defining conservatism as being pragmatic and embrace what many see as a
new approach to conservatism.
New conservatism is to embrace economic policies that
reflect the new realities of the 21st century, as well as new mores
in society. This means that we must embrace pragmatic environmental policies
that address real environmental solutions and not focus on taxes and the
redistribution of wealth. The economic policies should focus more on making
family life more affordable; help make employment more accessible through a
focus on training and apprentices rather than expensive education at
Universities who have become bastions of indoctrination. Reduce the exploding
costs of the welfare state and instead focus on reducing and eventually
eliminating subsidies to corporations as well as placing caps on deductions and
eliminating boutique tax policies while lowering tax rates.
As for Canadian values they should be reflected in our
immigration policies, and move away from the disastrous approach to
multiculturalism. More importantly, let us address the elephant in the room in a
pragmatic way that will allow for a bigger tent party. Social values must not
be the center piece of the new conservatism. Instead we must value freedom of
speech and association. We can accommodate both sides. Conservatives, by
nature, are law abiding citizens, we therefore will guarantee that existing
laws will be respected and supported. By the same token we must understand that
there are others in the party who have religious beliefs that must be
respected. In a big tent party we can have both beliefs. While recognizing that
we have a duty to protect the LBGTQ community, we can also respect the
religious values of others. That also means that attending a parade is not a
prerequisite to lead a country.
Furthermore the CPC must recognize that Canada is a vast
country with a diverse population with different views and economic goals. The
Liberal government has succeeded in dividing the country between East and West,
and the CPC should focus in dismantling these barriers. One of the failures of
the party was the inability to make a breakthrough in the GTA, and Quebec,
Cities have become bastions of liberalism, because they are populated by the
liberal elite. The movement of population from rural to urban is rising, and it
will continue to affect the vote in large cities. The party must also attract
more women.
The next leader will have to address these issues in a very
short time, because with a minority government, an election could be called
within the next two years. The CPC must ensure that a new leader reflects the
new realities of the political environment. While I do not have any one in
mind, I will venture to seek for a bi-lingual female candidate, who can embrace
new conservatism ideas, while uniting the party. The leader must be able to
stand up for pragmatic conservative ideas, and not cower to the liberal media
desires of making conservatives look like Liberals. There are differences in
ideology, and a leader should clearly articulate them without fear.
Offense is the best form of defense. The last election was
lost because the CPC was unable to capitalize on the governments many mistakes.
Despite the possible problems experienced by Trump -impeachment, and Boris - a
Scottish separation, it would be wise to follow their example, because their
style and policies seem to be winning conservative support. It is imperative
that the next CPC leader ensures that there are no skeletons in her closet,
because ‘those who live in glass houses cannot throw stones’ and the next
election will be decided on how and who can throw the bigger stones.
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