PC-CA : Is There Enough Common Ground?

PC - CA : Is There Enough Common Ground?

Edmonton - Thursday, August 8, 2002 - by: Ron Thornton

united
right
As Joe Clark prepares to leave the stage and Stephen Harper once again welcomes a "united right" to come together, there remains some fundamental differences between the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance.

national
view
The greatest difference is in how members of these parties view our nation. They need a common vision as to what Canada is. Is it made up of equal regions, ten equal provinces, or two central powers dictating to the other eight? Are we truly one nation from the Pacific to the Atlantic, or are its important parts only found between the Lake of the Woods and Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon?

division
of
power
We need Parliament to dominate law making and confine the powers of a most intrusionary Supreme Court. What is there to prevent this body from interpreting our Constitution in such a fashion as to unilaterally reduce the voting age or the age of consent to 14?

role
of
parties
We need Parliamentarians who actually represent us rather than being puppets of their political masters. Do we embrace appointed officials, such as Senators, or do we believe government should be the function of elected representatives? Should we outlaw the practice of party leaders approving nominations, leaving the final decision on candidates to the local party membership?

regionalism
Our present governmental system has blessed us with the National Energy Program, questionable fishery and aboriginal policy, dictated social engineering under a right trampling Charter, with the spectre of a Kyoto inspired catastrophe on the horizon. How members of both the PCPC and the CA view these issues will go a long way in determining if those fundamental differences remain or if there is common ground to facilitate a political merger.

Ron Thornton


PC - CA : Is There Enough Common Ground?

Edmonton - Thursday, August 8, 2002 - by: Ron Thornton

united right	As Joe Clark prepares to leave the stage and Stephen Harper once again welcomes a "united right" to come together, there remains some fundamental differences between the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance.

national view	The greatest difference is in how members of these parties view our nation. They need a common vision as to what Canada is. Is it made up of equal regions, ten equal provinces, or two central powers dictating to the other eight? Are we truly one nation from the Pacific to the Atlantic, or are its important parts only found between the Lake of the Woods and Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon?

division of power	We need Parliament to dominate law making and confine the powers of a most intrusionary Supreme Court. What is there to prevent this body from interpreting our Constitution in such a fashion as to unilaterally reduce the voting age or the age of consent to 14?

role of parties	We need Parliamentarians who actually represent us rather than being puppets of their political masters. Do we embrace appointed officials, such as Senators, or do we believe government should be the function of elected representatives? Should we outlaw the practice of party leaders approving nominations, leaving the final decision on candidates to the local party membership?

regionalism	Our present governmental system has blessed us with the National Energy Program, questionable fishery and aboriginal policy, dictated social engineering under a right trampling Charter, with the spectre of a Kyoto inspired catastrophe on the horizon. How members of both the PCPC and the CA view these issues will go a long way in determining if those fundamental differences remain or if there is common ground to facilitate a political merger.

	Ron Thornton