Jason Kenney has thrown his hat into the leadership race for
the Progressive Conservative party of Alberta. This is a bold move considering
the treacherous environment of politics in Alberta, especially among
conservatives. No sooner after his announcement many naysayers have opined that
his decision is tantamount to the hijacking of the PCAA. Let us see whether
this is true or not.
Because there is no doubt that this blog will be deemed by
many to be biased, in the spirit of full disclosure I have served on Jason’s
constituency board, I have been a lecturer, confidant and adviser to Ric
McIver, I have served as a Director at large on
Rick Fraser’s Calgary –South East Board. I was also a member on
Redford’s Results Based Budget (RBB) Committees. So yes, I have been a biased PC member, until
I found out that a few PC elected members and constituency board members helped
and voted for Liberal candidates in the last federal elections. As a born small
‘c’ common sense conservative I could no longer continue as a PC member. I will
support Jason in his endeavour; because not only is he the right man but he
also has the right strategy to unite the right.
As for the assertion of naysayers and opponents of a
Kenney’s leadership that his decision is a hijacking of the party, it would be
wise to look at some recent PCAA history.
Peter Lougheed left a vacuum in Alberta’s conservative movement until
Ralph Klein’s premiership.
So let us examined the hijacking of the party: Klein was a
card carrying Liberal before becoming a PC. Redford was a ‘Clark’ progressive
more than a conservative, as was Jim Prentice. Over the years the PC party
became a gathering of closet liberals who could never be elected if they
declared their true colors. It was obvious that with so many disguised
conservatives that the party policies would gradually move to the left. Make no
mistake that after Klein fiscal conservatism disappeared, the provincial debt
increased, social programs and public sector jobs grew. The last straw was the
Prentice budget which removed the flat tax and ignored most if not all the
recommendations made by the RBB committees. Having moved to the left under both
Redford and Prentice, even long-time supporters deserted the PCs and the
electorate voted a socialist government under the NDP.
The Wild Rose party came into being because many
conservatives felt that they had been betrayed by the PCs. While many of the
members were fiscal conservatives, there also were many social conservatives,
who believed that their religious and cultural beliefs were being eroded by
social engineering legislation- especially on abortion and gay rights. To that
extent the WR were immediately branded as a party of bigots. Despite their many weaknesses the party was
still Albertans second choice. There is no hijacking of the WR if there is a
willingness to get together with a renewed PC to promote strong conservative
ideas and principles. In my opinion, members of both parties have more in
common than differences. The great divide seems to be on social issues, which
have hijacked any civil discussion about real issues. So-called progressives
have used social issues as a wedge among conservatives to detract from their
failures. There is nothing about progress among progressives. It is all about
pandering to get votes. True conservatives are law abiding citizens. I for one
believe that it is time to live and let live. Canada has laws that allow for
same sex marriage and abortions. While I am not a social conservative I would
accept that citizens are free to have their own beliefs. By the same token
citizens also have the right to disagree and have different views. Progressives
have hijacked the debate on social issues and made politicians the slaves of
their views. Today it seems that a politician must attend a gay parade as a
prerequisite for being elected. It is no longer allowed for conservatives to
disagree with any liberal views for fear of being labelled as racists,
xenophobic or homophobic.
Progressives in the PC party have already dismissed the idea
of a Kenney run for leadership, because he may be a social conservative and too
strong of a fiscal conservative. However we must consider the source of these
accusations. Leading the pack of opponents are Sandra Jansen , who campaigned
for Liberals in the last elections. Another is Thomas Lukaszuk, Redford’s
deputy Premier and failed PC leadership candidate. Then there is Stephen
Carter, former campaign manager for Liberal Mayor Nenshi, who has said that he
will work with any progressive who would challenge Kenney. As for Danielle Smith,
who jumped ship from leader of the WR to the Prentice PC party – it just sounds
like sour grapes. Looking at this list of Kenney’s detractors, who do you think
is trying to hijack a Conservative party?
Jason Kenney is opened to a merger with the WR if elected
leader of the PC party. If Brian Jean is willing we will then have two to
tango. An open election once the parties have agreed to get together will allow
members of a united party to elect a new leader. Then a united right party,
perhaps under a new name could replace the NDP at the next elections. Failure
to unite the right will see Alberta descend into the abyss of socialism, which
believe it or not was started by Progressive Conservatives.
So if there is a
hijacking of the Progressive Party of Alberta, ask yourself the question who
started it?
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