Conservtive Convention - June 2011

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www.iPolitics.ca

Thursday, June 9, 2011

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Bring  on  the  Party Toasts,  tussles,  and  talk  of  2015 BOB PLAMONDON CONSIDERS THE QUESTION THAT HAS DIVIDED THE CPC SINCE ITS START

TONY CLEMENT OFFERS A SNEAK PEEK AT STRATEGIC REVIEW

PRESTON MANNING HELPS TO EXPLAIN WHY STEPHEN HARPER WON A MAJORITY

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THE MORNING BRIEF

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

The Morning Brief Good Thursday morning to you and, to Conservative Party convention delegates, welcome to Ottawa.

Today is the day many Conservatives have been dreading for nearly a year — the release of the audit of last year’s G-8 and G-20 summits. The report, which is expected to reveal multimillions in waste and shoddy controls over funds, will be delivered by interim AG John Wiersema. It is unlikely to pack the punch of Sheila Fraser’s infamous “every rule in the book” comment, but he has many on tenterhooks all the same. Watch iPolitics.ca for full coverage of the report.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper wasn’t sitting around fretting over the AG’s report last night. Instead, he was in Boston watching as the Bruins beat the Canucks 4-0.

The PMO said Harper will pay $1,000 toward the cost of the government Challenger aircraft that ferried him and others to the Garden for the game.

Far from Boston, Defence Minister Peter MacKay is in Brussels for NATO

meetings. He is scheduled to brief reporters this morning on the state of the mission over Libya. iPolitics.ca will be on the call, so watch our website for an update.

Statistics Canada releases its international trade figures for April today, along with the new housing price index for the same month.

Heritage Minister James Moore, who was also in Boston for the game, is back in Ottawa to roll out the Canada Day 2011 program, including the visit

by Prince William and Kate Middleton, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Former Canadian Alliance leader and Harper government cabinet stalwart Stockwell Day will open the 2011 Conservative Party convention this evening with a keynote address.

Former Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla is in court today for a motion in her alleged abuse of a former nanny.

Ontario’s Economic Development and Trade Minister Sandra Pupatello will today make a funding announcement aimed at making the tool and die

sector more competitive.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark and NDP leader Adrian Dix will take turns addressing the First Nations Summit in North Vancouver.

Another day, another honorary degree for Craig and Marc Kielburger, co-founders of Free the Children, this time from Laurier University.

Ryerson bestows an honorary degree on Phil Fontaine, former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

Schedule Today

Noon to 6:30

All events at the Ottawa Convention Centre.

Registration: Main foyer, ground floor.

After registering, make way for the welcome reception in the Parliament Foyer on the third floor.

4 p.m. to 6:30

And finally, Winnipeg MPs Kevin Lamoureux and Pat Martin showed Manitobans that they won’t have to wait for the season to see some scrapping. Lamoureux wore a Winnipeg Jets jersey into the House of Commons Wednesday, prompting Martin, a NewDem, to accuse his Liberal counterpart of being a fair-weather fan — joining the parade rather than leading it … or raining on it.

Canada Hall, third floor: Warm-up show featuring live music from Ottawa talents.

The Morning Brief is a daily bulletin delivered to your e-mail each morning.

For a free trial, go to www.ipolitics.ca.

Make way for the Hospitality Suites.

6:30: Opening ceremonies

Canada Hall, third floor: Lyndon Slewidge will sing O Canada, then John Baird will open the show.

Watch for Jason Kenney, followed by a keynote address from Stockwell Day.

9:30:

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Learn More about how Canada’s Forest Products Industry Creates Jobs and Prosperity At: www.fpac.ca

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

Word on the Hill

The life of the Party

Post-election, pre-convention, iPolitics.ca hit the Hill on Budget Day 3RVW HOHFWLRQ FRQYHQWLRQ PL[HV “Everyone loves a winner,” he said. to talk to 50 random strangers about the state of the nation. Here are toasts, tussles, and talk of 2015 “Everyone will be energized, and it makes you want to work that much the results of our most unofficial poll. Legwork by Devon Black and KATHLEEN HARRIS harder to keep what you earned. That’s Kyle Hamilton.

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onservatives from across Canada are gathering in the nation’s capital to celebrate the big win, extend gratitude to the campaign ground troops, and begin the grunt work of charting course for the next four years.

Last month’s majority election victory set a jubilant tone for the three-day Conservative Party of Canada policy convention, where thousands of delegates and members will tussle over everything from foreign policy to tax relief.

Scott Lamb, president of the North Vancouver electoral district association, said there’s a great mood of optimism. “There’s a sense of a very positive future for the party and the country as a whole,” he told iPolitics. “In politics it’s always an uneasy road to follow with ups and downs all the time. But right now, things are very, very good.”

Lamb said the vibe is high not only due to the majority win, but also because of the decimation of the Bloc Québécois.

The Conservative Party is well-positioned to recruit and maintain members and also to raise funds — drawing on its populist roots that have relied more heavily on lots of small individual donations rather than big contributions from corporations or unions, Lamb said. That capacity is especially important as the government moves to end taxpayer-funded subsidies to political parties.

“They may not be large, but we get a lot of them, from a broad spectrum of Canadians,” he said.

Conservative strategist Goldy Hyder said party members are highly motivated to build on momentum with one eye on the next election.

part of the message that will come out of this weekend: Let’s not forget what got us here.”

Hyder said the convention is a time to toast the election victory – a “great achievement” as the first Tory majority in 20 years – and show appreciation for the ground troops. He believes much of the Conservative Party’s success has come by tapping in to the inherently conservative values of long-established and new Canadians: hard work, less intrusive government, the importance of family and community, and the emphasis of Canada’s prominent place in the world.

“What this government has done, what this party has done, is taken a very pragmatic approach to conservatism and successfully maneouvred itself in to occupy more and more of the centre of the political spectrum,” Hyder said. “So much so, that there are some Conservatives yearning to see it back more on the conservative right – particularly on the fiscal side.”

Matt Richardson, founder of the ‘Blue Youth’ group in the Northumberland Quinte West riding, said the Conservative Party is also growing in popularity with younger Canadians.

“I think to youth, what’s appealing is that the messaging is clear, and it’s a party of action,” he said. “They are also not afraid of making controversial decisions instead of going with the wind.” The Conservative convention — the first since the fall of 2008 — will feature workshops, ministerial speeches, and hospitality suites. Prime Minister Stephen Harper will deliver the keynote address at the new Ottawa Congress Centre Friday night. kathleenharris@ipolitics.ca

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

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ith a stable majority government for the next four years and the Liberal Party still reeling from the election results, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party is calling on supporters to dip into their wallets to help the party counter a new foe.

In a letter sent out in the past few days, Conservative Party President John Walsh is urging supporters to help the party counter a “hailstorm� of negative attacks from the media, pundits and the “opinion elite.�

Walsh says the party had to fight off attacks during the last election and expects them to continue. “During this election campaign, we faced an onslaught of negative attacks like never before from the media, from pundits and from anti-Conservative

lobby groups and union executives,�

Walsh wrote in the copy of the letter obtained by iPolitics.

The problem, said Walsh, is that a Conservative government jeopardizes their interests. “The fear among the opinion establishment is that if our government is successful, and Canadians see the benefits of lower taxes, sensible and lessinterventionist government and more personal freedom, the Conservative Party of Canada will continue to win future elections,� he wrote. “Quite simply, smaller government means less power for the left-leaning, opinion establishment and they will fight every step of the way. We saw their tactics last time and they will be even nastier and more desperate next time.�

Walsh calls on supporters to become Conservative Party Partners so the party can promote Harper’s low tax, job creation plans and “educate Canadians on the benefits of less government and a stronger Canada.�

That plan includes five key priorities: creating jobs through training, trade

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and low taxes; supporting families with the party’s Family Tax Cut and more support for seniors and caregivers; eliminating the deficit by 2014-15 by “controlling spending and cutting fat;� making streets safe with new laws to protect children and the elderly and defending Canada by developing Canada’s North, cracking down on human smuggling and strengthening the

armed forces.

However, Walsh warns “the antiConservative opinion elite� will fight the Conservatives “every step of the way.� “Your support now will help us counter the hailstorm of negative attacks that are already raining down on our democratically elected government.�

The letter does not say how the party plans to counter the groups it identifies as a threat.

The letter comes as Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has tabled a budget that calls for the $2 per vote public subsidy that parties receive to be phased out.

The move means parties will be more dependent on raising money directly from potential supporters with letters such as Walsh’s.

In recent years, the Conservative Party has been far more successful than any of its rivals in raising money through direct donations to the party.

Conservative Party spokesman Fred DeLorey has not yet responded to a request for an interview. elizabeththompson@ipolitics.ca

Le saviez-vous?

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

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anadians are increasingly adopting conservative values as their own, according to a new report by the Manning Centre. Its post-election poll found more people favour self-reliance, private initiative, and balanced budgets, across party lines. “They just don’t think these big government solutions work,� Preston Manning said at the report’s release yesterday morning.

The public’s conservative leaning helps to explain Stephen Harper’s majority victory, Carleton University’s Andre Turcotte said. “Either by design or by surprise, the Harper government tapped into something that was in line with what people wanted from the government,� Turcotte said. “People really want a government that concentrates on things that are relevant to them.�

This includes an emphasis on basic needs, such personal security, and policies they can relate to, like tax breaks for their childrens’ activities. “There’s a clear message here,� Turcotte said. “Just focus on things that are immediate problems, and don’t try to be too visionary.�

Manning says this is where Stephen Harper comes in. “He is cautious, he is incredimentalist, he is skeptical. Those personal characteristics certainly resonate better than if he was a grand visionary.�

The budget is a prime example of donothing success, Harris-Decima pollster Allan Gregg said. “This budget, which everyone just said was kind of a big yawn, basically hit the public opinion bull’s-eye.

Because that’s basically what people wanted right now, is a big yawn.�

But the Conservatives shouldn’t adopt the “natural governing party� title just yet.

Manning said while the party’s policies may resonate with more and more Canadians, the emerging trend is a double-edged sword. As these values normalize, the public will identify them less as Conservative Party values.

This means in the future, the successful party will be the one that best explains — in plain language — how they will operate and achieve those objectives. “The dispute now is not so much about the goals, but is your plan better than their plan,� Manning told iPolitics in an interview.

The Canadian brand of conservatism is different from the U.S. variety, the study found. It’s not a Tea Party style rejection of government. It’s a unique strain, combining free market principles, moderation, and social justice.

One area where Canadians split from conservative thinking was on the importance of the military to the national interest. There was a 30 per cent decline in military support this year, compared to the 2010 study. The

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As well, despite the overall conservative trend, only 50 of the 1,000 survey respondents said the best thing about the election was Harper’s majority. “The first thing that came to their mind was, ‘I really didn’t like the election campaign,’� Manning said. That was the response of more than onethird of those surveyed.

This high level of disengagement has the study authors worried.

In the new Parliament, Canadians said they want to see their Members of Parliament represent them, and hold the government to account, particularly on their No. 1 issue — the economy.

Currently, more than three-quarters of respondents said the government doesn’t share their views on the important issues. “It’s the old democratic story,� Manning said. “If you can align yourself where your people’s heads are at, you’ll be able to do well electorally.� sonyabell@ipolitics.ca

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

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THE CANADIAN PRESS

We might expect the Conservative Party National Convention that begins today would be nothing but a celebration of electoral triumph.

Instead, a nasty fight is brewing that may expose a rift between the old Progressive Conservative clan and the western-based populists from the Reform Party.

The issue that divides is how the party makes decisions, including how it chooses a leader. Should each riding get the equal say, or should decisions be made on the basis of one-member one-vote?

Both sides are gearing up for what might be a nasty fight on the convention floor. iPolitics is providing context to the conflict by providing excerpts from iPolitics columnist Bob Plamondon’s bestselling book, Full Circle: Death and Resurrection in Canadian Conservative Politics.

We begin today with a behind-the-scenes account of how the merger between the Alliance and PC Party in 2003 almost came apart over Orleans 10_5x4_5 Ad 06-2011 copy.pdf 1 6/7/2011 3:20:05 PM the issueDArcy of -leadership selection.

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hen the emissaries of PC and Alliance parties met in the summer of 2003, they accomplished far more than anyone thought possible.

Without stress or rancor, they quickly agreed on the party name, a party constitution, and a timetable for a leadership race. There was only one issue that caused tempers to flare and had the potential to keep the parties apart.

Stephen Harper believed in onemember, one vote on leadership selection. Peter MacKay believed each constituency — whether it had 10, 100, or 1,000 members — should get the same number of votes, or delegates, to elect the leader.

Harper contended it was a matter of basic democratic fairness. MacKay argued that giving each riding the same influence was fundamental to building a national party, and entirely consistent with how governments are elected in Canada.

Under MacKay’s “equal-weight system,� leadership candidates would be forced to establish networks and members in every region and riding in Canada in the same way national political parties must be relevant in all parts of the country if they want to form government.

Under Harper’s system, leadership candidates would go wherever party members were most plentiful. Alliance negotiators argued that in some Quebec ridings the membership rolls of the Alliance party were non-existent, and Tory membership numbers were anemically low. In fact, one of Alberta’s 28 ridings might well have more members than the entire province of Quebec with its 75 ridings.

MacKay saw riding equality as a necessary founding principle for a party that wanted to form a national government. “Regionalism is the root cause of

how we got ourselves in perpetual opposition,� argued MacKay. When the merger emissaries reached a stalemate, the leaders intervened.

Harper suggested various compromises, but MacKay would not budge. “This is my stepping-off point,� MacKay told Harper. “The party will respect the equality of ridings or there will be no merger.�

Just before the 2003 Thanksgiving weekend Harper spoke with MacKay and offered to accept the equality of ridings, but with a formula that would be determined only at the party’s founding policy convention. Again, MacKay said no. Both leaders decided to take the long weekend to reflect.

Harper understood that MacKay was not bluffing. Either he accepted MacKay’s rules or the merger was off. John Weissenberger, Harper friend and conservative activist, recalled that, “It was better to get a deal than to get a deal that was good for us. It was a calculated risk to accept the PC party rules.�

As Harper and MacKay met via conference call for the final negotiation session, they arrived at the section of the document that dealt with leadership selection, Harper paused. “I have been thinking a lot about this.

We have made a lot of progress,� said Harper. “This is a very historic decision,� MacKay replied. Signalling that he was accepting all MacKay’s conditions, including the equality of ridings in party decision-making, Harper said, “We should do this.�

In the end, MacKay got everything he had asked for at the negotiating table. But Harper won as well, with a merger and a leadership contest, even if it meant he would have to campaign in regions of Canada where he was weak.

Read part two in tomorrow’s edition.

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

Open letters to the prime minister We invited business leaders to tell us what they’d most like to see during the Conservative government’s majority mandate. What follows is a sampling of their replies. For full commentary, go to iPolitics.ca. Watch for more letters in the Friday edition of the iPolitics guide to #CPC2011.

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Get this right and the rest will fall into place.

Colin Robertson Vice president Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute President of the National Capital Branch of the Canadian International Council

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1. Lower taxes on those businesses that are investing in new products, new technologies and the skills of their employees. Maintain currently legislated targets for reducing corporate tax rates.

2. Extend the two-year straight-line depreciation for investments in manufacturing and processing machinery

and equipment. The Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance encourages companies to invest in technologies that are essential in improving productivity and environmental management.

3. Encourage innovation and the commercialization of new products and technologies. Canada’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax credit should be fully refundable and the processes for application and approval should be simplified. Tax credits should be considered to encourage workplace training, new market development and improvements in productivity, energy efficiency, and environmental management. Better ways to transfer knowledge from research labs to businesses need to be found.

Jayson Myers President & CEO Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters

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Education is the most urgent matter and the one that holds the greatest potential and promise. Our people are the fastest growing population in the

country, yet our youth are more likely to end up in jail than to graduate high school. We must not accept this.

This Parliament will face both the greatest urgency and the greatest potential to address our issues.

Shawn A-in-chut Atleo National chief Assembly of First Nations

.HHS LW VLPSOH To be effective, you need to simplify.

We have plenty of suggestions. Here are our top three: 1. Put the World Trade Organization file to the side. There won’t be a deal this

year and likely not for years to come.

2. Your first priority is the perimeter initiative with the United States.

There’s an opportunity here to make real progress on issues that affect Canadian businesses every day. Seize it.

3. Work with your officials, your provincial counterparts, and others on a possible end game for negotiations with the European Union. A deal is possible and even probable.

Phil Rourke Executive director Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CTPL) Carleton University/ University of Ottawa

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

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THE CANADIAN PRESS/ SEAN KILPATRICK

KATHLEEN HARRIS

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n a speech to public service executives yesterday, Treasury Board President Tony Clement said every department and program must go under the microscope to find cost savings and productivity gains. The sweeping review to trim five to 10 per cent of program spending is “business as usual” in the private sector and will become par for the course in the federal public sector as the government seeks to work “smarter, better and faster,” he said.

“What we are doing is expanding the scope of our review such that ministers and deputy ministers have the latitude to re-imagine their business models entirely,” he said. “We are encouraging departments to develop a full range of options in areas such as administrative and program efficiencies, business consolidation, and user fees.”

Some of those changes could require

legislative or machinery tinkering, Clement said, without providing details on where new fees might be imposed.

During the operational and strategic review, officials must ask the “hard questions” about whether the program is valuable, efficient, and cost-effective, Clement said. “Is this a government priority, and is it affordable during a period of fiscal restraint? Are we achieving value for money? These are some of the questions we must ask ourselves in making our determinations.”

Calling his speech a “sneak peek” at the details of the operational and strategic review that will be released in coming weeks, Clement said the broad quest for $4 billion in annual program spending cuts will involve 67 government departments and agencies. Each one will be asked to develop both five and 10 per cent savings scenarios that consider wages, salaries, professional service contracts, and grants.

Insisting the review’s success rests on a “strong and respectful partnership” between the government and the public service, Clement praised senior bureaucrats for leadership and innovation and for delivering the government’s massive stimulus package quickly and with accountability.

Savings that come from the operating review are to be announced and booked in next year’s budget, but NDP leader Jack Layton is demanding details now on what Prime Minister Stephen Harper has “up his sleeve.” The government should look to subsidies to oil companies, tax havens, and corporate tax giveaways to save money before stripping away valued public services, he said.

“Instead, we have cuts to environment, to fisheries, to defence, to the National Gallery. It speaks to the government’s priorities,” he said. “The corporate fat cats get the gold and Canadians gets the coal.”

Many tax watchdogs have denounced user fees as taxes by another name.

Peter Coleman, president of the National Citizens’ Coalition, said he is not opposed to charging new or raising existing federal fees for certain services, such as cost-recovery for government research provided to private-sector firms or a modest fee for a hospital visit to remind users there are heavy costs attached.

Coleman also suggested there is much room for savings by consolidating government departments and limiting loans to corporations.

“Clement and the Conservatives have an opportunity to look at this from a business perspective: What do we need, what do we not need, where do we need to spend more in today’s economic environment, and where are we just wasting money without getting any value for it?” kathleenharris@ipolitics.ca

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

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he Conservative Party has confirmed that computer hackers accessed names, and email information of individuals who donated online.

“In some instances, the first four and last four digits of the credit card were taken,” the party said Wednesday in a release. “But no useful credit card information was taken and our internal database was not hacked.”

“We are very disturbed by this hacking and will continue our internal investigation,” the party said. It added that it will work with authorities on the case.

The release stated that the hacker — or hackers — who tampered with the Conservative site on Tuesday may be linked to recent hacks on Sony, Nintendo, and PBS gaming servers. The Conservatives said they will review practices and make necessary changes to prevent future hacks.

On Wednesday, a Twitter user named @LulzRaft claimed to have hacked the site and posted a link to a list titled “Conservative Donation Contributors - A Small Sample.” The list posted

features more than 5,600 names and emails, including parliamentary and PMO-based email addresses.

“The Conservatives said no contributor data was accessed,” tweeted LuzlRaft. “I wonder where this sample came from then!”

Brian Mitchell, a partner at Mitchell Gattuso Lawyers in Montreal and a past Conservative party executive member, is on the list. When informed of the hack, he said he was not concerned. “It’s public information who donates to a party, so I’m not worried,” said Mitchell. “I’m Conservative and proudly support the party.”

Mitchell said he’s confident the party will act quickly to clear up any problems with website security.

It was yet to be determined whether or not the released names are from a Conservative mailing list or an actual donors’ list.

Conservative spokesman Fred DeLorey had said the hack was limited to the party website and did not affect any party databases that hold personal information about the party’s members.

On Tuesday morning, hackers posted a fake press release on the Conservative

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website reporting that Prime Minister Stephen Harper had been airlifted to a Toronto hospital after choking on a hash brown. The PMO was quick to respond with news of the prime minister’s good health — just not before the story travelled far and wide on Twitter.

MyHusky.ca was also hacked Wednesday, offering a discount related to the hash brown headlines. “Due to yesterday’s Harper hoax, we feel it is necessary to show Conservatives that we care. So today, June 8, we will be providing free gas to all Conservatives. Just use the coupon code ‘hashbrowns,’” the site said until it was removed by Husky. megwilcox@ipolitics.ca

KYLE HAMILTON

In a campaign-like swing through Ottawa on Wednesday, Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak accused the premier of having hidden plans for tax increases. “The McGuinty team probably has their next round already planned,” he warned. “They just don’t want to tell you until after the next provincial election.” For more on Hudak’s speech, check out iPolitics.ca.

YOUR GUIDE TO THE CONSERVATIVE CONVENTION 2011

www.iPolitics.ca

Good Friday morning to you,

Friday, June 10, 2011

OFF TO A GOOD START

Stephen Harper will have just about an hour to bask in the adoration of delegates at the Conservative convention before he’ll want to make way for hockey. Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals goes tonight at 8 p.m., exactly an hour after the prime minister is scheduled to address the party faithful.

The convention got off to a rousing start last night with headline speeches from Stockwell Day and Jason Kenney.

Day, who retired in March, said the Conservatives aim to get government “sufficiently off the backs and out of the pockets of Canadians, and let Canadians run with their own vision.” (See page 3.)

Today at 8 a.m., party president John Walsh kicks off the policy workshops.

In the afternoon, the National Council holds candidate speeches while Conservative MPs will hold a forum to discuss individual projects. Later, in the main event, Harper is expected to celebrate the party’s election victory, while focusing forward on the economy and government spending.

Harper’s speech is expected to lift the party from the gloom of the damaging auditor general’s report that accused the government of misleading Parliament last year over $50 million in spending on the G-8 and G-20 summits. It also comes amid a pre-summer stock market swoon and this morning’s release of employment figures for May. Statistics Canada will also release figures for labour productivity, compensation, and unit labour cost for the first quarter of 2011.

One of the highest levels of unemployment is among students, which Human Resources Minister Diane Finley hopes to alleviate with the Canada Summer Jobs program, which she will unveil today.

Postal strikes continue today with walkouts in Quebec City. (continued on pg. 2)

THE WORD ON THE HILL A GUIDE TO THE CAN CON COLOUR CODE DAY’S NIGHT TAX BREAKS, RED TAPE, AND RESOLUTIONS OPEN LETTERS TO THE PM

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011 (continued from pg. 1) Also in the Quebec capital yesterday, Le Journal de Québec, a Quebecor newspaper, waded into the provincial debate over taxpayer funds being used to fund 90 per cent of a new $400-million arena to enable it to bring the NHL back to La Vieille Capitale. The newspaper reported a Leger poll showing 83 per cent of Quebec City residents want a new arena and 54 per cent want public funds to pay for it.

Rumours that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is likely to be made head of the International Monetary Fund is “Grade-A bullshit” insist her top spokesman, Philippe Reines. The story emerged yesterday afternoon after Reuters quoted three unnamed sources that a deal was close.

Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich lost 11 key campaign staff over what they termed philosophical differences. The consensus appears to be the workers didn’t believe Gingrich was willing to work hard enough to win.

To start your day with The Morning Brief in your email, go to www.ipolitics. ca and sign up for a free trial.

Your guide to today’s events 6:30 a.m - 6:30 p.m. Registration 7 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Breakfast (Parliament foyer) 7 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Interfaith breakfast hosted by John Walsh, president, CPC National Council (Trillium Ballroom) 8 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. Welcome (Canada Hall) 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Constitution Handout Ballot drop off outside room 206/208 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.

Policy Workshops: Economic Development (Room 205/207 Gatineau Salon 1) Canada’s Social Fabric (Room 213/215 Ottawa Salon 1) Role of Government, Taxation, and Crime (Room 214 Ottawa Salon 1) 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.

Constitution Workshop (Room 206/208 Gatineau Salon 2) 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. C-Vote Presentation (Room 209)

9 a.m. - 10 a.m. Pundits Panel (Trillium Ballroom) 10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Break 10:30 a.m. - noon Policy and constitutional workshops: 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. “State of Canada’s Conservative Movement” featuring Preston Manning and André Turcotte (Trillium Ballroom) 10:30 a.m.- noon C-Vote Presentation (Room 209) 11 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Growing Your Donor Base - EDA Fundraising (Room 202) Noon - 1:30 p.m. Buffet lunch (Parliament Foyer, 3rd floor and Trillium Ballroom) Noon - 5 p.m. Alternate Upgrade registration 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Constitution Workshop (Room 206/208 Gatineau Salon 2) 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. Ministerial

information sessions: Economic Development (Room 205/207 Gatineau Salon 1) Canada’s Social Fabric (Room 213/215 Ottawa Salon 1) Role of Government, Taxation, and Crime (Room 214 Ottawa Salon 1) 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. C-Vote Presentation (Room 209) 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. National Council candidate speeches (Trillium Ballroom) 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Workshop on Outreach to Cultural Communities moderated by Jason Kenney (Room 205/207 Gatineau Salon 1) 4 p.m. Break (no dinner provided for delegates) 4 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Keynote address reception and entertainment 6:30 p.m. Evening program (Canada Hall, 3rd floor) 7 p.m. Keynote Address: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Main Stage, Canada Hall)

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James Baxter, Editor and Publisher Susan Allan, Executive Editor Ian Shelton, Web Editor Jessie Willms, Graphic Designer REPORTERS Elizabeth Thompson, Kathleen Harris, Eric Beauchesne, Alex Binkley, Sonya Bell, Colin Horgan, BJ Siekierski, Meg Wilcox, Emily Senger, Devon Black Kyle Hamilton, Photographer COLUMNISTS Lawrence Martin, Don Newman, Bob Plamondon, Alex Wood WEB TEAM Adam Miron, Jean-Benoit Lesage, Ellen Burch ADVERTISING SALES Jim Anderson, Deputy Publisher David Evershed Matthew Dyer Brent Mooney, Chief Financial Officer Head Office: World Exchange Plaza 45 O’Connor St, Suite 530 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1P 1A4 Phone: 613-216-9638 MISSION: iPolitics is independent, non-partisan and committed to providing timely, relevant, insightful news coverage to those whose professional or personal interests require that they stay on top of political developments in Ottawa and the provinces.

Bring on the debate, Day says Conservative statesmen look back, press forward KATHLEEN HARRIS

T

he new face of Parliament will present Canadians with a stark choice for the best path ahead for the country, says Conservative stalwart Stockwell Day. Speaking to a boisterous crowd of party faithful gathered in Ottawa for a three-day Conservative Party policy convention, the former federal cabinet minister said a Conservative majority government with a “socialist” NDP Official Opposition gives electors a wide diversity of perspective.

“It is on these principles that Canadians for the next four years will be able to see clearly articulated debate on which set of policies is going to bring the most prosperity to the most Canadians,” he said. “The Liberals were always able to camouflage that.”

Day, who was fêted for long-time public service, said the NDP has been bold in its positions: raising taxes, increasing

regulations, and hiking deficits. By comparison, the Conservative push is for lower taxes and less government intervention.

“Our vision is get government sufficiently off the backs and out of the pockets of Canadians, and let Canadians run with their own vision,” he said to thunderous applause.

Evoking an observation from Winston Churchill comparing the two systems, he noted that while the downside of conservatism is that the wealth was distributed unequally, the downside of socialism is that the “misery is shared equally.”

Day accused Liberals of having a sense of entitlement and mainstream media of making personal attacks on politicians. He also criticized all those mocked young new NDP MPs for their “youthfulness,” and said any single mother working to support a family should be applauded, not mocked.

Thousands of Conservatives have travelled from coast to coast for the convention — the first since members gathered in Winnipeg in 2008.

Citizenship and Immigration Minister

Jason Kenney said much has changed since those years. Outlining the party’s transformation from its “bleak” days of division to a wide party that welcomes aboriginals and new Canadians, Kenney said the party’s success rests with tapping the values of all citizens that are inherently “conservative.”

“We don’t think only of our rights — we are mindful of our responsibilities,” he said. “We don’t mistake relativism for tolerance, and we’re not afraid to call certain barbaric cultural practices what they are. We seek unity in diversity and we know it can flourish only when supported by our common values. As Conservatives, as Canadians, our heroes are not protesters or celebrity activists. Our heroes are the practical visionaries who united our country — the immigrants who left everything behind to help build it, the brave soldiers in every generation, including our own, who have laid down their lives to defend it.”

Prime Minister Stephen Harper gives Friday’s keynote address Friday evening. kathleenharris@ipolitics.ca

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011

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FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011

87 pages of resolutions, one word cloud WORDLE.NET

Tax breaks, red tape, controversial social issues top Conservative resolutions ELIZABETH THOMPSON

S

pecial tax breaks for small business and home caregivers, less red tape, and amending the Constitution to enshrine property rights are on the agenda this weekend at the Conservative convention in Ottawa.

Also to be discussed are some potentially controversial issues including recognizing the right of religious institutions to refuse to perform same sex marriages, refusing to legalize assisted suicide or euthanasia and one resolution from Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s own riding on sexual exploitation and prostitution.

Party members will also debate whether law-abiding citizens should have a right to use force to defend themselves and resolutions widening the definition of who qualifies as a dangerous offender.

Until now, much of the attention has been on a proposal to shift voting in future leaderships to one member one vote — a proposal that is more likely to benefit the much more numerous Reform Party side of the Conservatives over the Progressive Conservative side of the family.

However, delegates will also be debating dozens of resolutions put forward by riding associations across the country, resolutions that risk influencing the Conservative government’s future direction.

Some are already in the process of being implemented by the government, such as a tax credit for volunteer

firefighters.

In many ways, the 87-page book of resolutions provides a glimpse into the current priorities and the preoccupations of grassroots Conservatives across the country.

In some cases, the resolutions already have the support of several ridings. For example, 17 Ontario ridings are backing a resolution lauding small business as the backbone of the economy and calling on the federal government to encourage that success and help them face foreign competition.

“The Conservative Party supports, therefore, the reduction of the income tax paid by such small businesses either by increasing the small business tax credit, by increasing the small business income limit or by some combination of similar methods. The Conservative Party will consider the economic and practical feasibility of special provisions that result in increased, full-time and long-term employment and in increased exports or increased imports.”

The question of property rights and the principle that “no person shall be deprived of their just right without the due process of law and full, just and timely compensation,” is also on the agenda. The resolution calls on the federal government to seek provincial agreement to enshrine the principle in the Constitution.

The resolution going into the convention with the backing of the largest number of ridings, 20 Ontario ridings, is a proposal included in this year’s

budget.

“The Conservative Party recognizes the value of the home caregiver and supports tax relief for families who provide homecare.”

The resolution does not spell out who has to give or receive the homecare or the circumstances in which the tax break should apply.

Eliminating red tape, a popular theme for Conservatives, is there as is breaking down interprovincial barriers in areas such as the recognition of professional qualifications and energy transmission.

While the Conservatives have traditionally favoured relaxing foreign ownership rules to allow more competition, a couple of resolutions would allow the government to scrutinize large deals involving the natural resource sector. There appear to be fewer concerns about foreign competition, however, in other areas of the economy such as telecommunications and the Internet.

Several resolutions deal with developing the Arctic — from developing tourism and mining to ensuring a strong military presence and buying more icebreakers.

Several ridings are calling for a national palliative care strategy. However, the same ridings have also put forward a second resolution calling for the Conservative Party to not support any legislation to legalize euthanasia or assisted suicide.

A resolution from Conservative MP Mike Lake’s riding of Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont would amend the party’s position on family and marriage to define marriage as “the union of one man and one woman.”

Instead of saying the party supports the freedom of religious organizations to determine their own practices, the resolution would “support the

freedom of religious organizations to refuse to perform unions or allow the use of their facilities for events that are incompatible with their faith and beliefs.”

Harper’s riding of Calgary Southwest has proposed a resolution opposing “the normalization of prostitution” and calls on the Conservative Party to “develop a comprehensive strategy to address and prevent the legalization of keeping a common bawdy house, living off the avails of prostitution and communication for the purpose of prostitution.”

Andrew Scheer’s riding of Regina Qu’Appelle wants to see more rights for victims of crime to turn on their aggressors.

“Our party believes that the justice system should have greater recognition for the rights of law abiding citizens who use force to prevent criminal actions aimed at them,” says the riding’s resolution.

There is far less sympathy, however, for immigrants, permanent residents ,or refugee claimants who abuse the system or are disloyal to Canada.

One resolution from Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s riding of Calgary Southeast, which seems to be inspired by the case of Omar Khadr, would invalidate the citizenship of anyone who takes up arms against Canada and subject them to a trial for high treason when they are returned to Canadian jurisdiction.

Others call for faster refugee claims hearings to curb the influx of “bogus and unqualified” refugee claimants.

One, from the Montreal riding of Hochelaga on foreign affairs policy includes a proposal to keep those who enter Canada illegally in detention centres near the Canadian border. elizabeththompson@ipolitics.ca

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011

Word on the Hill

What’s in the bag? CPC swag

Post-election, pre-convention, iPolitics.ca hit the Hill on Budget Day to talk to 50 random strangers about the state of the nation. Here are the results of our most unofficial poll. Legwork by Devon Black and Kyle Hamilton.

Do you think the election results give Harper a clear mandate to push Conservative priorities?

What do you think of rogue page Brigitte DePape’s protest during the Speech from the Throne?

DEVON BLACK

C

onferences are all about meeting people, getting stuff done, and learning new things Conferences are also about free stuff.

Mark Gebriel, delegate from Chatham-Kent-Essex, offered iPolitics a sneak peek inside the swag bags at the Conservative Party Convention.

If you’re not there, here’s what you are missing out on: Item one: The bag. It’s a plain black shoulder bag, emblazoned with the Conservative Convention logo. It also features a transparent pocket, presumably intended for a business card. We suggest filling it with something more interesting — a stylized image of your favourite MP, perhaps?

The biggest content of the bag?

Paper. Policy floor resolutions, a copy of the party constitution, a convention program, ads for things to do in Ottawa. We understand the Ottawa Convention Centre has a great recycling system, which is good news since most of this stuff won’t be packed for home.

Fans of “Inception” have something to look forward to, as the swag bag is really a bag within a bag. (What we’re trying to say is that one of the items in the swag bag is a tote.)

Last but not least, there’s an invitation from the Conservative Party’s National Council President, John Walsh, to hang out at his “Hospitality Suit.”

“The only thing Liberal is the way we pour our drink,” the invite says. ” Maybe keep an eye out tonight at the end of the prime minister’s “speec.”

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011

Been there, got the T-­shirt …

BBQ apron … bobblehead

DEVON BLACK

N

ear the entrance to the Ottawa Convention Centre is a small table that will see a steady stream of traffic this weekend: The merchandise table.

Beyond the standard convention fare — tote bags, bumper stickers, water bottles — are Conservative-branded items designed to meet many needs.

Take the Conservative combination lock USB drive ($23), for example.

Given the recent LulzRaft incursion on conservative.ca, it’s never been more important to protect digital information.

For the fashion-forward Conservative, there is a wide array of T-shirts — including a pink ringer ($13).

Watch out, ladies: You may think he’s

coming back for you, but he might only be coming back for your style.

Also on offer, vintage pieces: Check out the “Dion’s Tax on Everything” Tshirts straight out of 2008. At $15, you can be sure you won’t be “tricked into paying more.”

And now that summer’s here, time to stock up on backyard party supplies.

Pick up a pack of Conservative balloons (100 for $25), then get ready to Stand Up for Canada beside your barbecue in a Conservative apron ($10).

Top seller at the table? The Stephen Harper bobblehead.

“If we were charging people who touched the bobbleheads we’d be rich,” said the individual manning the table.

Who knows — maybe a new business model is in order.

@Tony X 2 Seeing double?

At the Conservative Party Convention yesterday, iPolitics.ca snapped this photo of Treasury Board President and Prolific Tweeter Tony Clement modelling a rather unique portrait.

With the magic of Photoshop, iPolitics graphic designer Jessie Willms created the image for the first-ever iPolitics print edition.

“I’ve read every one of Tony Clement’s tweets from the last month-anda-half,” she said. “A photo of Tony Clement holding a portrait of Tony Clement made up of Tony Clement’s Twitterfeed. It’s pretty meta.”

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011

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The  Big  Blue  Tent 'XULQJ WKH ¿UVW SRVW PHUJHU PHHWLQJ RI WKH &RQVHUYDWLYHV an  attempt  to  change  the  party’s  constitution  exposed  the  fragility  of  the  merger.  Even  today,  fractures  remain The Conservative Party is divided over how the party makes decisions, including how it chooses a leader. Should each riding get the equal say, or should decisions be made on the basis of one-member one-vote? Both sides are gearing up for what might be a nasty fight on the convention floor.

Yesterday, iPolitics columnist Bob Plamondon provided a behind-thescenes account of how the merger between the Alliance and PC Party in 2003 just about came apart over the issue of leadership selection.

Today, in an excerpt from his bestselling book, Full Circle: Death and Resurrection in Canadian Conservative Politics, he tells the story of a 2005 meeting that tested party unity.

Scott Reid

BOB PLAMONDON

D

uring the first post-merger meeting of the party in 2005, an attempt to change the party’s constitution exposed the fragility of newly merged Conservative Party of Canada.

At its first post-merger convention in Montreal in 2005, Conservative Party unity was tested over the issue of the equality of ridings.

Scott Reid, one of Harper’s emissaries in the 2003 merger discussions, took the lead on two proposed constitutional amendments. The first was to amend the party’s byaws to allow a one-member, one-vote system for electing the leader. The second would link the number of delegates a constituency could send to a convention with the number of party members.

That was enough to bring Peter MacKay to his feet. With the ink barely dry on the 17-month-old party constitution, MacKay was flummoxed that a fundamental provision of the agreement he had signed was up for discussion. An indignant MacKay told delegates he would never have agreed to

merge had the equality-of-ridings provision not been included: “This is about ensuring that every region of the country has an opportunity to build this party, to demonstrate to the country that we respect every region equally.�

Later, MacKay defended the intensity of his outburst, telling the press, “This was a decision I felt impacted on our ability to present ourselves to the country as ready to govern. I was upset. I am not denying that. And I was emotional about it because I was very involved in the bringing together of these parties and one of the things we insisted upon was the equality of ridings, and we made concessions to get there ‌ I am not apologizing one little bit. I felt strongly about it.â€?

Reid’s amendment may have been divisive, but not illegitimate. The MacKay–Harper agreement stipulated that the party’s first convention would be used to review the constitution. More specifically, Section 6 of the merger agreement stipulated that, “The system used to elect the first leader need not be used for later leadership elections and the membership of the Conservative

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How  should  the  party  make  decisions?  The  question  has  divided  the  Conservative  Party  since  its  start

Party of Canada could select an alternative method of electing future leaders.� To MacKay this opened the door to a delegated convention, rather than the adopted system where each riding was entitled to an equal number of points under a preferential ballot. To Scott Reid it meant the possibility of the one-member, one-vote system that he had proposed as a Harper emissary in the merger negotiations.

Scott Reid’s motions made it out of the workshop, but by the time they got to the plenary session they were dead in the water. When Scott Reid addressed the 2,200 delegates, MacKay already had the convention on his side.

Reid took the brunt of the rejection,

Peter MacKay

THE CANADIAN PRESS

and some boos. Harper was not directly involved in the fracas and made no statements about it to the media, but he believed the motions had merit. One senior party official overheard him say, “I have no problem with the motion proposed by Scott.�

Whether Harper put Reid up to proposing constitutional amendments it is not known. In the end, Harper ceded to MacKay’s conviction and sent a signal through his spokesman that the motion should be defeated. But Harper was clearly miffed party unity had been tested.

It was simply too early in the new party to be revisiting issues that had been negotiated and agreed upon a year earlier. Former Progressive Conservative Party director Denis Jolette remarked that it was as if a motion had been placed on the floor to change the name of the party to the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. “People would have thought us a bit crazy.

Likewise, we didn’t think it was right to start changing a fundamental part of the deal we just negotiated. Why risk dividing the party?�

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<RXWK ZLQJ GHEDWH UXIÀHV &3& IHDWKHUV Delegates fear resolution could split the party KATE CHAPPELL A motion to create a youth wing of the Conservative Party of Canada is being dismissed as a destructive initiative that would “force youth into a sandbox.”

In reaction to Resolution C-114, a group of Conservative Party members created a website, www.noyouthwing. ca, which is calling on delegates not to support the constitutional amendment. According to fliers distributed at the convention, C-114 is being opposed by such notable MPs as Pierre Poilievre, Rob Anders and Lynne Yelich, plus Ray Novak, principal secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Campus Conservative groups from Carleton and Queen’s Universities are also opposed to the resolution.

Delegates in attendance on opening day appear to share the opinion that it would split the party.

“I believe that it is one of the strengths of the party, unlike some of

the other parties where they develop the youth wing and they’re not considered equals,” said Mark Thompson, a delegate from Ontario who is running for the party’s national council. “I see nothing wrong with having a youth committee, but it should be a committee within the master structure, just like we have committees for seniors

and other types of demographics.”

The resolution, which was tabled by party members from several B.C. ridings, calls for a youth wing with membership of those under age 30. According to the resolution, it would grant no special status or voting privileges to members. Rather, it would act more as an organizing and unifying force, and

would target university and college campuses to ensure continuity once the academic year is finished.

Similar motions were also rejected at conventions in 2004 and 2008.

“This is effectively a rehash of 2005, when the youth wing was voted out,” said Toronto delegate Daniel Strauss, who is 24.

“I most assuredly oppose the youth wing. The party doesn’t need two tiers of members, one that makes the real decisions and another that is just in a sandbox. I don’t believe that for the next six years of the life of the party, I should be relegated to the side.”

Andrea Kettle-Burelle, a 29-year-old constituency president for the riding of Hull-Aylmer, agrees.

“The youth should take action within the party, as members of the party,” she said. “It wouldn’t serve any purpose, and we already have campus clubs.”

If a youth wing were to start, it would divert the attention and resources of young people from participating in campaigns and would turn them against one another as they vied for power to run the youth wing, opponents claim.

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FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011

Open letters to the prime minister Dear Stephen Harper …

Invited to tell the prime minister what they’d most like to see from a Conservative majority government, business leaders and industry organizations were only too happy to write.

You’ll find all of the letters we received on our website. What follows is a sampling of the replies: Simplify the tax system One might wonder why a national organization serving thousands of professional accountants and business leaders would be a strong advocate for tax simplification, as an overly complex tax system requires the expertise of professionals who can navigate all its twists and turns. The answer is simple.

Tax simplification is in the public’s best interest — it is good for taxpayers, businesses, and government, as well as Canada’s economy. Our members — CGAs in business, industry, and private practice — overwhelmingly tell us it is the No. 1 issue they want governments to tackle. You might say it’s because CGAs look beyond the numbers to see the implications and opportunities they reveal.

CGA-Canada challenges the prime

minister and the new cabinet to look at how Canada’s tax regime could be simplified and streamlined in order to help build a strong, competitive 21st century economy.

Anthony Ariganello, CPA (Delaware), FCGA President & Chief Executive Officer The Certified General Accountants Association of Canada

The way to the future Canada’s citizens and its businesses have great hope that your government can fulfil its commitment to deliver the economic benefits of a stable majority, including completing our economic recovery, creating jobs and laying the foundation for a brighter economic future. Above all, we need to avoid becoming complacent about Canada’s

relatively positive global economic position. The opportunity to build greater prosperity is enormous, but we will place ourselves in economic peril if we do not address our lagging productivity.

Perrin Beatty President The Canadian Chamber of Commerce

CETA matters The negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the Canada and the EU will be one way to build a prosperous Canada.

CETA matters. It matters not only to business including the 50 companies that Rx&D represents. It also matters to every Canadian — all governments within Canada, every research centre, every hospital, university and patients.

And particularly it matters to our youth.

Why? Because if the talks succeed, Canada would become one of the only countries in the world to have signed a comprehensive trade deal with both the United States and the 27-nation EU. The EU is Canada’s second largest export market. NAFTA and CETA combined would provide our relatively

small economy of 33 million people with privileged access to a market of almost 1 billion prosperous consumers.

Russell Williams President and CEO Rx&D

Listen to your elders There was unprecedented attention paid in this election to issues that resonate with older Canadians — and for good reason: they remain the most politically engaged and committed voters. CARP members indicated in our polling that they wanted a Conservative majority but wanted the promises offered by the Opposition. So a word to the wise: a decisive majority is not a blank cheque — even from the most loyal voters.

Every party made promises to address pension reform, caregiver support, poverty among pensioners, and elder abuse. With such consensus, Parliament should be able to move quickly on these pressing issues.

Susan Eng Vice-President for Advocacy Canadian Association of Retired Persons

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011

Tory blue? It’s only the start

OLIVE

Speaking of convention staff, they’re wearing olive-green badges. If you’ll indulge a colour metaphor, these olive-clad foot soldiers aim to keep the convention running with military precision.

Your guide to the Can Con colour code DEVON BLACK | PHOTOS BY KYLE HAMILTON

You’re in.

You have a swag bag, a copy of an iPolitics print edition, and a Stephen Harper bobblehead. Even better? You have landed a convention badge: Your ticket to all the policy workshops and hospitality suites you can handle.

Question is, what’s with the colours? Convention attendees are decked in red, green, even orange, badges. Has the opposition infiltrated the proceedings?!

Fear not. iPolitics has cracked the colour code. Read on for your complete guide to the 2011 Conservative Party Convention badges.

BLUE

First up, in friendly Conservative blue: The delegates. These illustrious individuals have been elected to represent their Electoral District Associations (EDAs), and are the only convention participants eligible to vote. There are as many as 10 delegates from each riding. The EDA president is usually one.

If a 10-person contingent is selected, at least one of the delegates must be a youth member (under the age of 23).

GREEN

Green badges are for observers. Registering as an observer is one of the few ways members of the general public without a Conservative Party membership can get in. It’s not cheap: A pass costs $1,050 — and there is no earlybird discount!

GREY

ORANGE

Convention volunteers earn orange badges, but even without that helpful hint they’re easy to spot. Most of them are sporting stylish, light blue Conservative Party T-shirts, and they’re stationed strategically throughout the convention centre checking badges, offering directions, and helping out convention staff.

In grey? The alternates. If an EDA elects 10 delegates, they can also elect five alternates. In the event a delegate gets lost in Ottawa’s maze of one-way streets or falls into the Rideau Canal, it will be time for the alternate to shine.

Grey is also the colour for memberobservers: Conservative party members who want to observe the proceedings. (See? It was a tough code to crack!) Member-observers don’t get to vote during the proceedings, but they do get to sit in and watch.

RED Last up are the media, in red. Media don’t get access to workshops or presentations, but we do get our very own filing room — complete with a television tuned to Sun TV.

YOUR GUIDE TO THE CONSERVATIVE CONVENTION 2011

Canucks 1 Bruins 0

www.iPolitics.ca

Saturday, June 11, 2011

‘WE STILL HAVE MORE TO DO’ PM Harper focuses party on 2015, vows to woo Quebec from NDP ELIZABETH THOMPSON

P

rime Minister Stephen Harper moved Friday to shore up the Conservative Party’s support in Quebec, promising to work harder than ever to win seats in the province in the next election.

Speaking to more than 2,000 delegates to his party’s convention last night, Harper said he would have liked to have won more seats in Quebec and pledged to practise open federalism and work to help families, workers, and seniors.

“We will roll up our sleeves and work harder to gain the confidence of all Canadians. And we will work harder than ever to gain the confidence of Quebecers as well.”

While only five of Quebec’s 75 ridings elected Conservatives, those five MPs will be listened to, Harper promised.

Four of the five were named to cabinet, Christian Paradis, Denis Lebel, Steven Blaney, and Maxime Bernier.

The fifth, Jacques Gourde, was named a parliamentary secretary.

Harper predicted Quebec’s affection for the NDP will end quickly.

“In the next election, once the honeymoon with the NDP has ended, Quebecers will turn to our party, the only one which lowers taxes and income taxes. The only one that manages the economy prudently. The only one that believes in a confident, autonomous and proud Quebec nation within a strong, united, independent, and proud Canada — the Conservative Party of Canada.”

While Harper won a majority government in the May 2 election, the Conservatives lost more than half its Quebec caucus to the NDP tsunami that swept the province. Moreover, 23 candidates failed to garner more than (continues on pg. 5)

MACKAY VS. REID, ROUND 2 LESSONS FROM CPC HISTORY THE PAGE VS. THE PM, ROUND 2 POLICY, PARTIES, PROTESTERS WORD ON THE HILL TWEETS FROM THE FLOOR THE MORNING BRIEF

Behind this newspaper is a website: iPolitics.ca — informative, insightful, influential.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Good Saturday morning to you, Stephen Harper struck a comfortable balance between celebration and dedication to the work ahead, including winning back support in Quebec.

“We will roll up our sleeves and work harder to gain the confidence of all Canadians,” he said. “And we will work harder than ever to gain the confidence of Quebecers as well.”

But Harper also cautioned party members against expecting the Conservatives to veer away from their dedication to slowly and steadily changing Canadian society.

“By saying what we will do and doing

what we say, one step at a time we are moving Canada in a Conservative direction and Canadians are moving with us.”

Following the plenary sessions, Harper will address the party again this afternoon at the closing ceremonies, which begin at 4 p.m.

By then, the Conservatives are expected to have voted on resolutions aimed at pressing for family-friendly tax relief, a range of social conservative motions, and a contentious motion to change how the next leader will be chosen.

Brigette DePape, the so-called rogue Senate page with the “Stop Harper”

sign, took aim at the prime minister again headlining a protest at the Conservative national convention. “We’re here today because we know the real security threat to people in this country is Stephen Harper and the Conservative agenda,” she said.

That’s not the biggest threat facing us, according to Robert Gates, the U.S. Secretary of Defense. In one of his final speeches, Gates questioned the viability of NATO, saying its members’ penny-pinching and lack of political will could hasten the end of U.S. support.

On penny pinching, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has decided to deepsix meetings with his provincial counterparts, which had been scheduled for

later this month. Officials said bureaucrats had been overstretched by this week’s reintroduction of the March 22 budget so couldn’t get the meeting together in time.

The release of Sarah Palin’s emails from her first two years as governor of Alaska was 24,199 bits of nothing much.

Question Period The Musical! debuts Sunday at the Ottawa FringeFest. The “fun and funky musical comedy about Canadian politics and Parliament, will also be staged next weekend and on June 25.

Have a great weekend and safe travels.

The most important email of the day.

Wake up to the iPolitics Morning Brief.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

MacKay welcomes defeat of leadership resolution, though it’s still headed WR FRQYHQWLRQ ÀRRU SONYA BELL

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onservative delegates will vote Saturday morning on a constitutional amendment that would significantly change the way the party elects Stephen Harper’s successor.

Ontario MP Scott Reid put forward the motion calling for a new weighted election process. The current system gives all ridings equal say at leadership conventions, regardless of membership size. Reid’s balanced leadership motion is being promoted to delegates as a compromise between the current system and a one-member, one-vote system.

“It’s a hybrid. We’re trying to get the best of both,” balanced leadership spokesman Philip Joannou said.

If Reid’s motion is adopted, the number of votes a riding association gets at a leadership convention would vary depending on membership size. Every riding association would be guaranteed 100 votes to put toward a new leader, even if it has fewer than 100 members. The maximum number of votes is 400, for associations with 400 or more members.

The balanced leadership resolution was voted down in a heated first-round debate Friday.

Peter MacKay, who is firmly behind the current system, welcomed the outcome.

“It was soundly defeated so the membership has pronounced itself again,” MacKay said. “Why change a formula that works?”

However, because the proposal has the 100 signatures required to push

Quebec MP Pierre Poilievre says the leadership debate is one worth having. ‘We’re all adults, we can debate it,’ he says.

for a full membership vote, it will go straight to the convention floor Saturday morning, despite its defeat today.

Joannou said the first-round outcome was disappointing, but his side is undeterred. A lot of people are receptive to change, although there is a hardened group that’s opposed, he said.

The group against the proposal tends to be delegates from Quebec and Atlantic Canada, who fear the shift will constitute a Western takeover of the party. For these smaller riding associations, an even more dangerous idea comes from Jason Kenney’s Alberta riding association, which is advocating a one-member, one-vote system. But it has less support than Reid’s weighted election proposal.

Reid’s work on the weighted election motion began before the convention,

with his team contacting riding associations across the country to ask for their support in Ottawa.

In a letter distributed to delegates Friday morning, high-profile ministers John Baird, Diane Finley, Jason Kenney, and Gordon O’Connor asked Conservatives to “join the growing number of delegates who support balanced leadership.”

The proposal will encourage smaller associations to sign up more members, but make sure larger associations don’t drown out their voices, the letter says.

The balanced leadership campaign has been very visible throughout the convention, with many delegates sporting blue-and-white balanced leadership buttons. Reid also hosted a hospitality suite at the Westin Hotel where pamphlets and buttons were

distributed to delegates.

Reid’s team also got copies of the party’s founding agreement into the hands of delegates, where a highlighted passage clearly states that the system used to elect the first leader does not need to be used for future leadership elections.

An alternative method can be decided by the party membership.

The issue stirs up old wounds between the Reform/Alliance and Progressive Conservative camps, but Quebec MP Pierre Poilievre said the debate is worth having.

“If someone put it forward through the democratic process the party has in place, and the members are smart enough, we’re all adults, we can debate it,” Poilievre said Friday. sonyabell@ipolitics.ca

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

that Canada can be a world leader in generating jobs and investment in life sciences and the knowledge economy?

Innovation is A!itude — Canada has the right ingredients for success: smart, highly motivated and highly trained people in every province as well as some of the best research and learning institutions in the world.

But we also need be!er tools, including world-class

Canada is currently negotiating a comprehensive trade

intellectual property protection that can help us turn

agreement with the European Union (EU) that would

innovative ideas into the next generation of new life

put us in the unique position of being the only country in

saving or life enhancing medicine. These new cu!ing edge

the world to have favoured trading status with both the

medicines will also help by reducing surgery, hospital visits

Europeans and the U.S.

and other health costs.

An internationally competitive intellectual protection We want Canada to be one of the leading places where

regime for Canada is part of the discussions. A deal with

more new medicines and vaccines are developed to treat

the EU will preserve and create jobs in life sciences and

and prevent cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and

provide a $12 billion boost to the Canadian economy while

other conditions.

increasing our bilateral trade by 20 %.*

By opening the doors to innovation, we improve the quality of life of all Canadians.

www.optimizinghealth.org

www.actiononinnovation.ca

www.agwest.sk.ca

www.ipcouncil.ca

www.bcbc.com

www.alzheimer.ca

www.raredisorders.ca

www.montreal-invivo.com

*h!p://www.international.gc.ca/media_commerce/comm/news-communiques/2009/386908.aspx?lang=eng

www.bioatlantech.nb.ca

www.fccq.ca

www.bioquebec.com

www.lsam.ca

www.chamber.ca

www.lifesciencesbc.ca

www.ceocouncil.ca

www.lifesciencesontario.ca

www.occ.on.ca

www.canada-europe.org

www.canadapharma.org

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011 (continued from pg. 1) 10 per cent of the vote, meaning they won’t be able to have a portion of their expenses reimbursed by Elections Canada — something that could cost ridings thousands of dollars.

Quebec was the only part of the country where any Conservative candidate failed to reach the 10 per cent threshold.

In the corridors to the Conservative convention Friday, delegates from Quebec were still grumbling that the party hadn’t really made Quebec a priority in the election campaign and hadn’t done enough to support its candidates.

Some lay the blame on the party’s decision shortly after the 2006 election to ally itself with the provincial Action Démocratique Party, a decision that strained the Conservative Party’s relations with Quebec Liberal Leader Jean Charest’s government which has a far larger political organization than does ADQ. One of the chief architects of that strategy, Harper’s director of communications Dimitri Soudas, has announced he will be leaving the PMO in early September.

Taking the stage to a standing room only audience, Harper said Canada is becoming more Conservative.

“By saying what we will do and doing

what we say, one step at a time we are moving Canada in a Conservative direction and Canadians are moving with us.”

Harper pledged to re-equip the military and defend Canada’s national sovereignty but said that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to establishing Canada’s place in the world.

“We also have a purpose and that purpose is no longer just to go along and get along with everyone else’s agenda.

It is no longer to please every dictator with a vote at the United Nations,” he

said to a standing ovation.

“And I confess that I don’t know why past attempts to do so were ever thought to be in Canada’s national interest. Now we know where our interests lie and who our friends are.

We take strong, principled positions in our dealings with other nations – whether popular or not and that is what the world can count on from Canada.”

Harper also suggested that Canada’s position now counts for more.

“These views matter, not just because

we now have the tools to act but also the capacity. Because we are no longer in the middle of the pack but among the world’s top performing economies.”

Harper said his government will move to adopt Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s budget as well as ending the Wheat Board’s monopoly, introducing Senate reform legislation, changing the representation in the House of Commons and eliminating the per vote subsidy for political parties.

Within the first 100 days of the election, the Conservatives will introduce and pass an omnibus crime bill, he promised. However, the measure that got one of the biggest reactions from party faithful was the pledge to scrap the firearms registry in the fall.

The Conservatives aren’t a party of entitlement, said Harper, adding the party has the next four years to prove to Canadians that they can trust the Conservatives.

“If we stay faithful to our commitments and if we stay focused on serving Canadians, in four years time people will say, ‘Conservatives can be trusted; Conservatives know what they are doing; Conservatives are the people — the only people –— who deserve our vote.” elizabeththompson@ipolitics.ca

Le saviez-vous?

Ceci n’est pas qu’un arbre.

C’est la source de la principale exportation canadienne en Asie.

Pour savoir comment l’industrie canadienne des produits forestiers crée des emplois et de la prospérité, visitez le www.fpac.ca

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

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SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

The Page vs. the PM: Round 2

Rogue page leads protesters in march to CPC convention

BJ SIEKIERSKI

A

week after interrupting the throne speech and gaining international media attention, Brigette DePape took aim at the prime minister again — this time with throngs of protesters in a march to the Conservative national convention.

Many groups, including the striking Canadian Union of Postal Workers and the Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement, cheered her on.“My name is Brigette. Some of you may know me as the rogue page,” she said, standing atop a bench in Ottawa’s Dundonald Park.

“Others know me by the title given to me by the Honourable Jason Kenney:

Lefty kook,” DePape said. “Still others know me as a potential security threat. We’re here today because we know the real security threat to people in this country is Stephen Harper and the Conservative agenda.”

Many protesters held imitations of her “Stop Harper” sign, and Jo Wood, a member of the Raging Grannies, said she was carrying hers to say “thank you” to DePape.

Dan Sawyer from the group Under Pressure lead the rally.

After telling the protesters the rally would stop near Citizenship and Immigration, outside Heritage Canada, the Israeli embassy, and the Ottawa Recruitment Centre for the Canadian military, he gave Canada’s newest cause célèbre a rousing introduction.

“One last speaker before we leave the park — and I think you folks might have heard of her — there was thing last week…in the Senate,” Sawyer

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“When we started organizing this march, the message that Brigette DePape — rogue page — put forward through that action and through her media statement is exactly why we wanted to bring people together in the streets today,” Sawyer said. “We do believe that we do need a Canadian Arab spring.”

DePape followed up on that notion in her speech.

“Since my action, I was honoured to receive a message from young activists in Egypt,” she said. “It was passed on by a group of Canadian activists who had travelled there. They were cheering in Cairo when they saw photos of my action with the message to Stop Harper. And they confirmed our call

to bring the spirit of the Arab spring here.”

She also declared her support for postal workers whose strike she said “is an important part of the broader fight against the Harper agenda.”

Canadian Union of Postal Workers vice-president Lynn Bue spoke before DePape’s address.

“Our struggle is one about the future of working people and public services in Canada,” she said.

DePape, though, was clearly the centre of attention. And as the rally was getting antsy to move, she gave the crowd the rallying call they expected: “When I say, ‘Stop!’ you say, ‘Harper.’” bjsiekierski@ipolitics.ca

VIDEO PORTRAITS: Why are you here? It’s a question 9 activists answer online at iPolitics.ca

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Under suburban Green?

Tory blue Manning Centre analysts explain why Conservatives must reach out to bread-­ and-­butter Canadians BJ SIEKIERSKI

I

f you’re a blue collar tradesperson, an affluent Green party supporter, or just plain “ordinary,” the Conservative Party of Canada should be targeting your vote.

That was the message senior Manning Centre analysts Nicholas Gafuik, André Turcotte, and former Reform party leader Preston Manning himself delivered to the Conservative convention Friday.

The lesson was pulled from the results of a poll the centre conducted right after the election. (For more on this, see Sonya Bell’s story in the June 8 edition.)

That poll helped answer an important

On Friday morning Preston Manning briefed Conservatives on the votes out there to win.

question for Conservatives, Gafuik explained.

Pointing to a map outlining support for conservative Toronto mayor Rob Ford in the 2010 municipal election, Gafuik asked why those Torontonians who supported Rob Ford did not support the Conservatives en masse in the federal election.

“This gives us an opportunity to get a sense of: Where do people live? Who are they in terms of who are the next groups of people we should be reaching out to and talking to?” he asked.

Those in attendance weren’t left

wondering: “The kinds of people we think we should be reaching out to: blue collar and tradespeople, Conservative-oriented Greens — that’s an interesting one, the people who vote for the Green party in suburban affluent areas have a very similar profile to Conservative supporters — and then the other one is the ordinary bread-and-butter Canadians.”

But just who are these “ordinary bread-and-butter Canadians?”

“The people who just want to get the work done: get the roads fixed, get the constituency repairs taken care of.”

When it came to audience questions, John Koury the Conservative candidate for Nanaimo-Cowichan wanted Manning’s opinion on proportional representation.

Koury, who won 38 per cent of the riding on May 2, lost to the NDP’s Jean Crowder.

He said he would roll his eyes when the issue was raised during the campaign, but in reflecting on his loss, he appeared to have doubts.

“The NDP was going around talking about proportional representation versus first past the post. And it seemed to be an emphasis on this particular candidate’s plank. So, I was wondering, is there any correlation with the research that you’re doing with the democratic process in terms of first passed the post versus proportional representation?”

Manning told Koury the NDP’s stance on proportional representation is hypocritical.

“On the PR thing, John, if I was at a debate with an NDP on that, and particularly a federal NDP who was arguing for proportional representation, I’d say if that’s such a good idea, how come no provincial NDP government which has been in a position to change the electoral laws of that province has implemented it?”

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

When  delegates  tweet:  #cpc11:  #beentheredonethat Amusing  #cpc11  delegates  are  getting  their  Parl  Hill  pix  in  front  of  a  blue  screen  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  a  7  min.  walk! @jenditchburn

Word  on  the  Hill Post-election, pre-convention, iPolitics.ca hit the Hill on Budget Day to talk to 50 random strangers about the state of the nation. Here are the results of our most unofficial poll. Legwork by Devon Black and Kyle Hamilton.

Mercilessly  attacked  by  small  angry  bird  en  route  to  #cpc11  Tory  convention.  I  blame  How  long  do  you  think  the  pledges  for  civility  in  the  House  of  John  Baird.

Commons  will  last? @CBCTerry

A day  4

I  wonder  if  there  are  any  bacon  hospitality  suites  at  #CPC11  this  morning? @ArmourJim

THAT  IS  DEFINITELY  TRUE  HOSPITALITY  SUITES  GUARENTEE  (LIQUID)  A week 9 SATISFACTION.  RT  @ acoyne:  @nspector4  There  Excited  to  see  how  strong  our  DUH QR GLVVDWLV¿HG &3& new  kungfu  (c-­vote)  will  be  delegates.

A month 19 #cpc11 @INFOALERTBOT @RyanHastman Health  Minister  Aglukkaq  Rode  the  shuttle  from  the  not  big  on  #CPC11  motion  parking  lot  to  #Ă&#x20AC;\(,$ by  @PMJAMacdonald  &  I  to  with  two  kids  screaming  classify  scoth  &  champagne  A year 12 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Disneyland!  Disneyland!  as  nonprescription  Disneyland!â&#x20AC;?.  #cpc11  is  my  pharmaseuticals.

Disneyland! @tuppercharles @StevenDollansky Q. What could be better than attend-

Lisa  Raitt  (minister  of  labour)  says,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;a  woman  in  Labour  always  delivers!â&#x20AC;?  #CPC11 @jordanpaquet

ing the CPC convention? A. Following

Permanently 2

CPC convention tweets. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe us? Go to iPolitics.ca and check out the report from Ellen Burch.

Everyone knows the only reason to sit through a day of dreary

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policy is to enjoy the delight that is the hospitality suite. Who had the best at the Conservative Convention? Go to iPolitics.ca and check out the reviews from Meg Wilcox.

While youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there, check out her report on the much-hyped Fabulous Blue Tent.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Delegates urge Harper to expedite tax relief for families KATHLEEN HARRIS

C

onservatives want to use their majority clout to implement family-friendly tax policy and ease reliance on government programs, say some delegates at the convention in Ottawa.

Nicole Charbonneau Barron, a delegate and former candidate from suburban Montreal, said much discussion revolves around measures that lend financial support to struggling families and Canadians in need, while encouraging people to take more personal responsibility.

“Everything in the Conservative Party is coming to help the family — this is the goal,” she told iPolitics. “You have to put some of the responsibility to the people. We have to ask more of some people so we can help those who can not help themselves. This is the spirit.”

The pressure is on Finance Minister Jim Flaherty as he heads into the CPC convention.

Charbonneau Barron said there is also a determination to tackle the debt and rein in government spending, in contrast to the other political parties that are “more socialist.”

Fellow delegate Ellen de Grandpre said while there is a strong will to reduce taxes and get the federal finances in order, there is also broad understanding that cutbacks can’t come so fast that they will ravage valued public services.

“You can’t just make drastic tax reductions in one area,” she said. “You still need money for programs. It’s nice to say you want taxes cut and you want them cut now, but you have to be sensible about the repercussions in areas the government is also responsible for.”

Calgary West delegate Wilmer Doerkson sees much room for acrossthe-board tax cuts — even during uncertain economic times.

“If you lower taxes for business, they’ll create more jobs. If you lower taxes for individuals, they’ll go out and buy more things,” he said.

Doerkson said any civilization that lowers taxes is progressive, insisting raising taxes only “kills the golden goose.” He takes Harper on his word that the government will slay the deficit by 2014 and expects he will also make good on a pledge to cut government spending.

“We’ll get it under control. We’re a majority government now,” he said.

The March federal budget projected balanced books by 2015-2016, but this month’s retabled version accelerates the deficit reduction date by one year to 2014-2015.

Dave Quist, executive director of the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada, said there are hopes and expectations that come with the Conservatives

moving from minority to majority power. He welcomes midrange plans for family-income splitting, which Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced would be implemented once the deficit is wiped out.

“Obviously we’d rather see it sooner rather than later, but we’ll take at least an acknowledgement and the hat tip that they’re going to move on it at least as a positive sign,” he said. “And we’ll be there to continue to remind them and make sure they don’t forget about it.”

Quist also praised the sprinkling of tax credits that benefit Canadian families, but hopes for even more measures that strengthen traditional families, such as education around the societal advantages of marriage versus cohabitation. kathleenharris@ipolitics.ca

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

The most important lesson from Conservative history?

Disunity and division are a guarantee of failure ... which is to say it’s time to move on BOB PLAMONDON

“Let there be no splits.”

These were the sage words of Sir John A. Macdonald when he sought to build a grand political alliance that ended up winning six of Canada’s first seven elections. But, this morning, Conservative factions are expected to engage in open warfare in a plenary session over the issue of the equality of ridings in selecting the party leader.

For his part, Macdonald was never one to burn bridges. He would not back someone into a corner who he might later want to call upon for support. Treating people respectfully, especially minorities, was how he built the alliances necessary to win and hold power.

Since the days of Macdonald the Conservative Party have often failed to heed Macdonald’s dictums. Division and disunity have been a Tory disease, which made them an opposition party for much of the 20th century.

Preston Manning reflected on the Tory penchant for self-destruction in his memoirs: “I wondered whether the Conservatives had been born under an unlucky star, with a congenital inability to govern themselves, let alone the country.” When a lowly opposition, or a majority government, the Tories have often been their own worst enemy.

We might think that having recently won a decisive majority government, their first since 1988, that Conservatives would take time to celebrate their accomplishment before returning to their divisive ways. But the rancour over the equality of ridings threatens to fatally disrupt party unity and undermine their prospects of sustaining and advancing their political fortunes.

Conservative MP Scott Reid, as well as cabinet ministers Jason Kenney and John Baird, are taking this moment of party triumph to launch a civil war.

While Tories at their national convention may believe they are debating the equality of ridings in party decisionmaking, the real issue is unity and respect among the component parts of the Conservative coalition.

This convention floor is dominated by delegates who come from riding associations where the Tories are strong — where membership lists are robust and there is money in the bank. The ridings at the opposite end of the spectrum, mostly from Quebec and Atlantic Canada, are not as well represented. It is these weak ridings who would be most diminished by the movement to end riding equality.

“…rancour over the equality of ridings threatens to fatally disrupt party unity and undermine their prospects of sustaining and advancing their political fortunes.”

Along the way, the messy public debate has created resentments and bad blood on all sides. The consequences could be more severe and long lasting if the motions that reward the stronger riding associations with more clout were ever passed. In this circumstance, we can expect that delegates from Quebec and many small ridings will leave the convention feeling like second class citizens. Some may disengage, leaving the Tory party in worse shape in the very ridings where they have the most work to do.

Had Harper not agreed to the equality of ridings in 2003, there would have been no merger. Changing course today, at least as far as the old Progressive Conservative clan is concerned, would be a broken trust. Relationships will be shattered. Other divisions, such as on social policy, will be accentuated. The unity of cabinet, at least among ministers who have taken a strong stand on the equality issue, will be weakened and rivalries established. All this over an issue that will not have any practical significance until Harper resigns as party leader.

This is the third consecutive Conservative meeting where forces have clashed on the convention floor over riding equality. But it may be the first time that lavish hospitality suites have been organized over an issue with the party’s constitution. Those advocating change hosted an extravagant party

at the Westin Hotel Friday evening, replete with an open bar and gourmet treats that one experienced hotelier estimated could have cost over $30,000. This is a far cry from Reform Party meetings that were typically held in church basements where a hat was passed to cover costs. Whoever picked up the tab for the spread on Friday night has not been disclosed, but it’s worth asking where this fits under the laws governing political activity.

Macdonald used to say that when you treat people like they are part of a faction, as opposed to embracing them within the mainstream, they become factious. Stephen Harper recognized this fact in pre-merger days when he wrote, “If co-operation is ever to work, the fragments of Canadian conservatism must recognize that each represents an authentic aspect of a larger conservative philosophy.”

The approach to resolving this difference of opinion, over three conventions, has been anything but respectful and cooperative. The protagonists prefer a messy fight on the convention

floor to a resolution by more positive and respectful means. The reality is the Tories have more important problems to address, such as making themselves attractive to Quebecers.

It seems peculiar that the decisive issue of the 2011 convention is a proposal that could alienate the few Quebec Tories who are trying to make a difference.

The Conservative legacy for the past century is incessant internal debates, personality conflicts, and regionalism. The most important lesson Conservatives can learn from their history is that disunity and division are a guarantee of failure. While convention delegates may debate the relative theoretical merits of one-member-one vote, the real issue being played out is party unity. Following electoral triumph they look old school by creating divisions that may never heal.

Bob Plamondon is the author of three national bestsellers, including, most recently, Blue Thunder: The Truth about Conservatives from Macdonald to Harper.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

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SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011 James Baxter, Editor and Publisher Susan Allan, Executive Editor

Letter from the Editor

Ian Shelton, Web Editor

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Thank you for taking time to pick up one of the print editions of iPolitics.

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Today

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Today 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Registration 7:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.: National Council Election (Rooms 205, 206, 207 & 208 Gatineau Salon) 8 - 9 a.m.: Breakfast (Parliament Foyer) 8:15 a.m.: Doors open to Canada Hall 9 a.m. Program begins 9:05 a.m. - 9:35 a.m. Conservative Fund report, Hon. Irving R. Gerstein, (Canada Hall, 3rd floor) 9:35 a.m. - 10 a.m. Maple Leaf Awards, Laureen Harper, (Canada Hall, 3rd floor) 10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Break 10:30 a.m. - Noon Constitution Plenary Session (Canada Hall, 3rd floor) Noon - 1:30 p.m. Lunch 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Policy Plenary Session 4 p.m.: National Council election results (Canada Hall, 3rd floor) 4:05 p.m: Closing ceremonies 4:30 p.m. Formal portion of convention concludes

James Baxter Editor

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