Rebuttal to Globe and Mail story by Kim Lunman

Joe Clark advocates relief for student debt in May 2002

Rebuttal to Globe and Mail story by Kim Lunman

Hamilton, Ontario - Monday, August 5, 2002 - by: Mark Alan Whittle

Key Tories call on Clark to step aside
By KIM LUNMAN Monday, August 5, 2002 - Page A4, Toronto Globe and Mail

OTTAWA -- Two weeks in advance of a leadership review to assess Joe Clark's performance, some key Progressive Conservatives, including a Tory MP, are calling on him to step aside before the next election to rejuvenate the party.

"The fact is, the Canadian public doesn't look at us as the government in waiting,"

New Brunswick MP Greg Thompson said.

"I'm hoping that Joe will step down. We can't generate any excitement or recruit any candidates. We're not moving ahead. We're dropping in the polls."

However, he said:

"I'm not involved in any kind of movement to dump Joe."

Mark Alan Whittle - Greg is completely off base here. I wonder where it is that candidates can't be found. Further, generating excitement involves Greg Thompson getting off his butt, rolling up his sleeves and start working for the Joe Clark Conservatives by talking positively about are leader in the present term. We all have history, as does Greg, and this should be put aside. By being negative he fosters the very same notion he vehemently denies. By carping like Paul Martin about the parties leadership choices, he is supplying the media with unproductive cannon fodder.

I wrote to Joe personally about many of the issues the party faces and he replied in kind. I would like to share a number of observations he puts forth.

"We need to build a broad national coalition, in the best traditions of the Progressive Conservative Party, drawing people from all across the country together. I want our party to be the leader in building partnerships for the future, for it is the future that we must look to."

"We have the right foundation in our values and our policies. We can - and must - preserve those elements of our identity that make us well-known, trusted and credible to Canadians. We have the breadth of support across the country. Now we need to deepen that support. We have the power to assemble the team that will give Canadians the confidence that we can win." -

Joe Clark Canadians, who are hungry for change need to hear about the Joe Clark Conservatives, of which Greg is a member, through positive reinforcement and getting Candidates selected and confirmed. That way they can get out in the public eye and talk governance. The public is waiting to see how the Joe Clark Conservatives and their declared candidates fair in the public eye. Waiting around and bemoaning perceptions of weakness and division only strengthens the governing Liberals. Why help them at all?

Mr. Clark, 63, faces an automatic leadership review by 1,300 delegates at the party's annual general meeting in Edmonton.

Mark Alan Whittle - In the same letter the Right Hon. Joe Clark spoke to me about the issue of leadership and his resolve to continue to lead with forethought and a deep understanding of what's necessary for the Joe Clark Conservatives to accomplish for Canada.

"I do not want the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party to be an obstacle to the election of a Progressive Conservative government. That's a position, which for better or for worse, I've taken ever since 1983, and I continue to hold it now." - Joe Clark

Mr. Clark, who was not available for comment yesterday, has said he still intends to seek the party's endorsement for his leadership at the convention and he plans to lead the Tories into the next election.

Mark Alan Whittle - More telling of Joe's commitment to the Party and to All Canadians of a like mind, or not, is the following observations he made to me in his letter. Only a high calibre leader would take the time to respond to the "little guy", indicative of a leader ready to govern Canada in a way the electorate can understand and support.

"We need to build a broad national coalition, in the best traditions of the Progressive Conservative Party, drawing people from all across the country together. I want our party to be the leader in building partnerships for the future, for it is the future that we must look to." - Joe Clark

The issue of leadership is expected to be discussed as Mr. Clark meets his caucus face-to-face at a meeting tomorrow. Mr. Thompson is the only member of that caucus to publicly call on Mr. Clark to step down now and call a leadership convention. Including Mr. Clark, there are 13 Tories in the House of Commons.

Peter Van Loan, past president of the Ontario and national PC parties, said he thinks Mr. Clark has enough support from members to hang on as leader.

"My view is the problems that we face are structural. A single change in party leader is not enough to solve them."

Mark Alan Whittle - Peter is exactly right here. A "new" face at the helm will make things worse not better. I'm surprised Greg Thompson hasn't twigged to this notion. The following advice from our leader should be taken very seriously. Each riding has to get their act together and get candidates affirmed and briefed on the talking points to be presented to the public for debate and consideration. Building electoral consensus should be the "Big Picture" goal. The sooner the electorate meet Joe's disciplined "storm troopers", the better. A giant wave of trust can be surfed to victory by building consensus for change for the betterment of Canada. All 13 caucus parliamentarians need to be true believers and throw their profiles and support to the new recruits (candidates) and assist them any way they can. This means actually rolling up sleeves and supporting community events to showcase Joe's "new" talent and future Parliamentarians. Only a fool would believe that the Joe Clark Conservatives (13) and many, many more candidates won't win election to office in the next federal election. To those in the know, it's a foregone conclusion we will win BIG!

"We have the right foundation in our values and our policies. We can - and must - preserve those elements of our identity that make us well-known, trusted and credible to Canadians. We have the breadth of support across the country. Now we need to deepen that support. We have the power to assemble the team that will give Canadians the confidence that we can win." - Joe Clark

Manitoba MP Rick Borotsik said there is no need for a new party leader and praised the former prime minister for a job well done.

"I've always supported Joe Clark. He's given us an era of stability," he said. "He is without question the best leader of the House of Commons and is a demonstrated statesman."

But some Tories privately concede Mr. Clark may have trouble garnering the support he needs in the vote to continue as leader. Mr. Thompson said Mr. Clark inherited a party that was at 20% in the polls and watched as it plummeted to 8% after the 2000 election.

[Mark Alan Whittle] - Give me a break Greg, this information is so old it's become fossilized. Recent polls show that there is a notion of momentum building in the hearts and minds of the electorate. Every credible polling company will tell us this. It's the foundation of faith and trust that our leader brings to the fore. The perception of the party as a whole needs to get in stride with what perceptions the electorate hold for Joe. This convergence must manifest itself through each and every candidate thrust in the public eye. They will need to be grounded in relevant talking points and policies that are top of mind subjects for electors. This is the political landscape the party needs to transverse to attain success. The following quote says it all.

"At our convention in Edmonton, we must make the decision on leadership and move forward. Only then can we begin immediately to apply our considerable energies to winning the next election." - Joe Clark

Last month, a group of influential Tories started circulating a letter asking that Mr. Clark step down to avoid an embarrassment. Heward Grafftey, a former cabinet minister in the short-lived Conservative government of Mr. Clark, has said he will run to lead the Tories if Mr. Clark loses the leadership review. Mr. Grafftey, 74, is the only Tory to so far declare leadership intentions.

Mark Alan Whittle - I remember playing the same role as Heward during the last municipal election here in Hamilton. I was in the race for Mayor with $750 dollars in my war chest and enough political hand grenades to light up any debate. I was a "straw man" candidate of sorts. Unlike Heward, I had all the right reasons. Important issues needed to be injected into the debate to allow the transparency and accountability to rise to the fore. My persistence paid off in spades, even though I later dropped out of the race to run in my own ward against the incumbent who was almost acclaimed. A much more important ideal needed to be addressed, like votes being put. Democratic values worth safeguarding. Give it up Heward your cover is blown.

Harvie Andre, an adviser to Mr. Clark who co-chaired his 1998 leadership campaign, has said he expected Mr. Clark to retire prior to the August convention.

"There's a great deal of affection for Joe," Mr. Andre said. "There's no organized movement to get rid of him. Most of us believe Joe will do the right thing at the right time."

Mark Alan Whittle - OK Harvie, we will all get right on that for you. We wouldn't want your unrealistic expectations to not be met would we. Perhaps you could start doing the right thing by keeping your personal observations from 1998 from souring your view of the Joe Clark Conservatives. Authority comes from putting in the sweat equity first before expectations can be met. What exactly have you done to help rebuild the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. What supportive letters have you written or community riding events have you partaken in to support the party? Is there anything to show for your expectations of authority within the party you so boldly claim you have? We will all await your reply.

Newfoundland Tory MP Loyola Hearn said the leadership issue must be addressed.

"Undoubtedly, you have to look at leadership because it's the leader that is ultimately accepted or rejected by the public," he said.

[Mark Alan Whittle] - This kind of fence sitting and narrow minded view of how much importance leadership is counterproductive. Over the years I have personally learned a great deal about the importance of loyalty and effecting change. Sometimes I had to bite the bullet, so to speak, in order for the common good to prevail.

In closing I would like to share the following personal salutation I received from the Right Hon. Joe Clark. I fell that I'm inclusive and part of this great party that will be governing Canada after the Liberals are defeated at the ballot box.

Dear Mr. Whittle, "Thank you for your recent e-mail. I appreciate your taking the time and the effort to write to me and share your thoughts on the current state of the political landscape in Canada."
Joe Clark

Mark Alan Whittle

References:

The full text of Joe Clark's letter can be read at:
http://www.mountaincable.net/~mwhittle/MAW/page49.html

Key Tories call on Clark to step aside By KIM LUNMAN Monday, August 5, 2002 - Page A4, Toronto Globe and Mail

Trouble In ToryLand, Ensign, August 4, 2002, Timothy W. Shire

Progressive Conservative Party of Canada Web site


	Joe Clark advocates relief for student debt in May 2002

Rebuttal to Globe and Mail story by Kim Lunman

Hamilton, Ontario - Monday, August 5, 2002 - by: Mark Alan Whittle

	Key Tories call on Clark to step aside By KIM LUNMAN Monday, August 5, 2002 - Page A4, Toronto Globe and Mail

	OTTAWA -- Two weeks in advance of a leadership review to assess Joe Clark's performance, some key Progressive Conservatives, including a Tory MP, are calling on him to step aside before the next election to rejuvenate the party.
	"`The fact is, the Canadian public doesn't look at us as the government in waiting,`"
	New Brunswick MP Greg Thompson said.
	`"I'm hoping that Joe will step down. We can't generate any excitement or recruit any candidates. We're not moving ahead. We're dropping in the polls."`
	However, he said:
	`"I'm not involved in any kind of movement to dump Joe.`"

Mark Alan Whittle - Greg is completely off base here. I wonder where it is that candidates can't be found. Further, generating excitement involves Greg Thompson getting off his butt, rolling up his sleeves and start working for the Joe Clark Conservatives by talking positively about are leader in the present term. We all have history, as does Greg, and this should be put aside. By being negative he fosters the very same notion he vehemently denies. By carping like Paul Martin about the parties leadership choices, he is supplying the media with unproductive cannon fodder.

I wrote to Joe personally about many of the issues the party faces and he replied in kind. I would like to share a number of observations he puts forth.
"We need to build a broad national coalition, in the best traditions of the Progressive Conservative Party, drawing people from all across the country together. I want our party to be the leader in building partnerships for the future, for it is the future that we must look to."

"We have the right foundation in our values and our policies. We can - and must - preserve those elements of our identity that make us well-known, trusted and credible to Canadians. We have the breadth of support across the country. Now we need to deepen that support. We have the power to assemble the team that will give Canadians the confidence that we can win." -

Joe Clark Canadians, who are hungry for change need to hear about the Joe Clark Conservatives, of which Greg is a member, through positive reinforcement and getting Candidates selected and confirmed. That way they can get out in the public eye and talk governance. The public is waiting to see how the Joe Clark Conservatives and their declared candidates fair in the public eye. Waiting around and bemoaning perceptions of weakness and division only strengthens the governing Liberals. Why help them at all?

	Mr. Clark, 63, faces an automatic leadership review by 1,300 delegates at the party's annual general meeting in Edmonton.

Mark Alan Whittle - In the same letter the Right Hon. Joe Clark spoke to me about the issue of leadership and his resolve to continue to lead with forethought and a deep understanding of what's necessary for the Joe Clark Conservatives to accomplish for Canada.

`"I do not want the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party to be an obstacle to the election of a Progressive Conservative government. That's a position, which for better or for worse, I've taken ever since 1983, and I continue to hold it now."` - Joe Clark

	Mr. Clark, who was not available for comment yesterday, has said he still intends to seek the party's endorsement for his leadership at the convention and he plans to lead the Tories into the next election.

Mark Alan Whittle - More telling of Joe's commitment to the Party and to All Canadians of a like mind, or not, is the following observations he made to me in his letter. Only a high calibre leader would take the time to respond to the "little guy", indicative of a leader ready to govern Canada in a way the electorate can understand and support.

`"We need to build a broad national coalition, in the best traditions of the Progressive Conservative Party, drawing people from all across the country together. I want our party to be the leader in building partnerships for the future, for it is the future that we must look to."` - Joe Clark

	The issue of leadership is expected to be discussed as Mr. Clark meets his caucus face-to-face at a meeting tomorrow. Mr. Thompson is the only member of that caucus to publicly call on Mr. Clark to step down now and call a leadership convention. Including Mr. Clark, there are 13 Tories in the House of Commons.

	Peter Van Loan, past president of the Ontario and national PC parties, said he thinks Mr. Clark has enough support from members to hang on as leader.
	`"My view is the problems that we face are structural. A single change in party leader is not enough to solve them."`

Mark Alan Whittle - Peter is exactly right here. A "new" face at the helm will make things worse not better. I'm surprised Greg Thompson hasn't twigged to this notion. The following advice from our leader should be taken very seriously. Each riding has to get their act together and get candidates affirmed and briefed on the talking points to be presented to the public for debate and consideration. Building electoral consensus should be the "Big Picture" goal. The sooner the electorate meet Joe's disciplined "storm troopers", the better. A giant wave of trust can be surfed to victory by building consensus for change for the betterment of Canada. All 13 caucus parliamentarians need to be true believers and throw their profiles and support to the new recruits (candidates) and assist them any way they can. This means actually rolling up sleeves and supporting community events to showcase Joe's "new" talent and future Parliamentarians. Only a fool would believe that the Joe Clark Conservatives (13) and many, many more candidates won't win election to office in the next federal election. To those in the know, it's a foregone conclusion we will win BIG!

`"We have the right foundation in our values and our policies. We can - and must - preserve those elements of our identity that make us well-known, trusted and credible to Canadians. We have the breadth of support across the country. Now we need to deepen that support. We have the power to assemble the team that will give Canadians the confidence that we can win."` - Joe Clark

	Manitoba MP Rick Borotsik said there is no need for a new party leader and praised the former prime minister for a job well done.
	"I've always supported Joe Clark. He's given us an era of stability," he said. "He is without question the best leader of the House of Commons and is a demonstrated statesman."
	But some Tories privately concede Mr. Clark may have trouble garnering the support he needs in the vote to continue as leader. Mr. Thompson said Mr. Clark inherited a party that was at 20% in the polls and watched as it plummeted to 8% after the 2000 election.

[Mark Alan Whittle] - Give me a break Greg, this information is so old it's become fossilized. Recent polls show that there is a notion of momentum building in the hearts and minds of the electorate. Every credible polling company will tell us this. It's the foundation of faith and trust that our leader brings to the fore. The perception of the party as a whole needs to get in stride with what perceptions the electorate hold for Joe. This convergence must manifest itself through each and every candidate thrust in the public eye. They will need to be grounded in relevant talking points and policies that are top of mind subjects for electors. This is the political landscape the party needs to transverse to attain success. The following quote says it all.
`"At our convention in Edmonton, we must make the decision on leadership and move forward. Only then can we begin immediately to apply our considerable energies to winning the next election."` - Joe Clark

	Last month, a group of influential Tories started circulating a letter asking that Mr. Clark step down to avoid an embarrassment. Heward Grafftey, a former cabinet minister in the short-lived Conservative government of Mr. Clark, has said he will run to lead the Tories if Mr. Clark loses the leadership review. Mr. Grafftey, 74, is the only Tory to so far declare leadership intentions.

Mark Alan Whittle - I remember playing the same role as Heward during the last municipal election here in Hamilton. I was in the race for Mayor with $750 dollars in my war chest and enough political hand grenades to light up any debate. I was a "straw man" candidate of sorts. Unlike Heward, I had all the right reasons. Important issues needed to be injected into the debate to allow the transparency and accountability to rise to the fore. My persistence paid off in spades, even though I later dropped out of the race to run in my own ward against the incumbent who was almost acclaimed. A much more important ideal needed to be addressed, like votes being put. Democratic values worth safeguarding. Give it up Heward your cover is blown.

	Harvie Andre, an adviser to Mr. Clark who co-chaired his 1998 leadership campaign, has said he expected Mr. Clark to retire prior to the August convention.
	`"There's a great deal of affection for Joe,"` Mr. Andre said. `"There's no organized movement to get rid of him. Most of us believe Joe will do the right thing at the right time."`

Mark Alan Whittle - OK Harvie, we will all get right on that for you. We wouldn't want your unrealistic expectations to not be met would we. Perhaps you could start doing the right thing by keeping your personal observations from 1998 from souring your view of the Joe Clark Conservatives. Authority comes from putting in the sweat equity first before expectations can be met. What exactly have you done to help rebuild the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. What supportive letters have you written or community riding events have you partaken in to support the party? Is there anything to show for your expectations of authority within the party you so boldly claim you have? We will all await your reply.

	Newfoundland Tory MP Loyola Hearn said the leadership issue must be addressed.
	`"Undoubtedly, you have to look at leadership because it's the leader that is ultimately accepted or rejected by the public,"` he said.

[Mark Alan Whittle] - This kind of fence sitting and narrow minded view of how much importance leadership is counterproductive. Over the years I have personally learned a great deal about the importance of loyalty and effecting change. Sometimes I had to bite the bullet, so to speak, in order for the common good to prevail.

In closing I would like to share the following personal salutation I received from the Right Hon. Joe Clark. I fell that I'm inclusive and part of this great party that will be governing Canada after the Liberals are defeated at the ballot box.

`Dear Mr. Whittle, "Thank you for your recent e-mail. I appreciate your taking the time and the effort to write to me and share your thoughts on the current state of the political landscape in Canada."` *Joe Clark*

	Mark Alan Whittle

*References:*
	The full text of Joe Clark's letter can be read at: http://www.mountaincable.net/~mwhittle/MAW/page49.html

	Key Tories call on Clark to step aside By KIM LUNMAN Monday, August 5, 2002 - Page A4, Toronto Globe and Mail

	Trouble In ToryLand, Ensign, August 4, 2002, Timothy W. Shire

	Progressive Conservative Party of Canada Web site