Red-Tory-Blue-Liberal Party?

UPDATE:

Where I include the line about a "bit of partisanship", I did not mean the current CPC, but the former Progressive Conservative Party, which was eliminated as a result of the merger between the PC and the Reform/Alliance party.

I apologize that the original text got a bit mangled, but there were several drafts, and it did not quite come out the way it was supposed to be.

So, for the record: I do not support the current CPC.

For the full and final version of this article, please refer to:<br />
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<a href="http://calgaryobserver.blogging.com/blog/_archives/2005/5/24/883626.html">http://calgaryobserver.blogging.com/blog/_archives/2005/5/24/883626.html</a><br />
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Thank you.

You may not realize it but there are a lot of people working to create what I think you are talking about here.

Like most Canadians, it would be difficult to categorize my political stripe. I might be able to call myself a red Tory or a Progressive Conservative or a left-wing right-winger. The labels have little real meaning.

That is why ideological parties such as the new Conservative Party and the NDP have little general appeal. The Conservatives and NDP are fighting class wars between the advantaged and the disadvantaged. That is simply not productive (although I must admit that Jack Layton has been showing some class recently). I would prefer to work in a party where if I have an idea it will not be shot down as socialist or capitalist. I like to work with people who have a variety of perspectives to come up with a moderate blend of good ideas.

That is why I have opted for working with the Progressive Canadian Party which is a diverse mix of Canadians who have one thing in common: we want to be inclusive and we want to help make things better for Canada and Canadians. We want to be a brokerage party rather than an ideological party. I is more difficult to create such a party, especially in a society where money is so central to promoting a message, but I believe that the hard work will be worth it.

Many people do not really understand that a principle is not necessarily something that is "good." When they hear people talk about a principled party many don't realize they are talking about an ideological party. Many would argue that a central principle of neo-conservatism is that "greed is good." The reason they want to cut taxes and cut government is that they believe it is morally wrong for governments, as representatives of the public interest, to try to control greed. As so-called Christians many of them seem to have conveniently forgotten about the sin of avarice.

The Liberals today, instead of trying to find the moderate position, are trying to be all things to all people. I believe the reason for this is that the structure of a political party in power too long collapses from the bottom up. A government formed through a brokerage system needs to get back to its roots in the party on a regular basis to re-engage the brokerage function.

We need a second brokerage party in this country to provide a true alternative. Is this making any sense?

"The Progressive Conservatives and the Alliance/Reform were merged under the new banner of the Conservative Party of Canada, which contrary to public opinion, is the closest we have right now to a centrist and mainstream party."

Come again.

Harper does not even think that Red Tories are real conservatives.

“rebalancing means there will be changes to the composition of the conservative coalition. We may not have all the same people we have had in the past. The new liberal corporatist agenda will appeal to some in the business community. We may lose some old "conservatives," Red Tories like the David Orchards or the Joe Clarks.

This is not all bad. A more coherent coalition can take strong positions it wouldn't otherwise be able to take - as the Alliance alone was able to do during the Iraq war. More importantly, a new approach can draw in new people. Many traditional Liberal voters, especially those from key ethnic and immigrant communities, will be attracted to a party with strong traditional views of values and family. This is similar to the phenomenon of the "Reagan Democrats" in the United States, who were so important in the development of that conservative coalition.”