Daily Blogger - Friday, May 30th, 2008
Posted on 30 May 2008 by Jack
Barrel Strength | On the Viral Eruption of “New Reform”
On the pages of Facebook and Blogging Tories I have spotted postings by keeners on the notion of a resurrected Reform Party of Canada and actual moves to make the paper Reform Party of Ontario into something with warm bodies.
Of the latter I have little to say other than it might be wise to make good first on an attempt to take down John Tory before embarking on a twenty-first century peasants’ revolt beyond 905 and 416. If the provincial Progressive Conservative label is tainted from the last vote, I rather think that slimwhitman.on.ca is a poor choice for horse-switching.
But for the millennials who are contemplating the federal voodoo of raising Reform from its grave, I have to ask: what the hell part of seventeen years of brutal, pointless political civil war do you not understand?!
Many, including your correspondent, suffered through frustration at the ballot box, broken friendships, unbearable stress, wasted opportunities and years of needless, wanton Liberal oligarchy just to get back to square one and arrive at a winning coalition.
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Popularity: 13% [?]
May 30th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Agreed. The focus should be on keeping the more left-leaning Red Tories from regaining influence in the Conservative Party. While some Reds, like Hugh Segal and Marjory LeBreton have been supportive and useful, the majority of them have been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the post-Harper era when they can float another Belinda and finally regain control of the party. Conservatives need to make sure the Reds are ALWAYS completely outnumbered and outgunned, in every influential party organization, and every riding association across the country.
May 30th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Move too far to the right and the CPC will be banished to the Albertan backwoods. The Cons need to accept that Canada is not America and even in America dogmatic warmongering / dog-eat-dog capitalism etc is coming under increasing scrutiny.
The Cons would be best serve running on a platform of equality of opportunity and balancing the books. The latter will be easy enough, given the high oil prices. Toss some senate reform to the west, a few more industrial breaks to Quebec. Publicly clean up one of Mayor Miller’s (many) gaffes and put the CPC name all over it - that won’t win 416 Toronto hearts and minds but it likely will make an impact on the outer GTA and the rest of Ontario (who aren’t terribly different from the ROC)
May 30th, 2008 at 11:29 am
The Reform party of Canada is a nonstarter. That’s not going to happen, and almost no one I know who is sane wants it to happen. I’m a former member, and I respect what that party stood for, and I will not support its recreation under any circumstances.
Reform party of Ontario? That’s a different story. As has been pointed out in other blogs, John Tory will lose the next election anyway, even if he wins he will not govern significantly differently than McDimwitt, and so there’s less to lose, and hopefully a conservative soul to regain.
Hard to believe that only a decade ago we had a real conservative premier here…. those days seem gone forever.
May 30th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Rather than sowing the seeds of discord by pitting Red Tories against former Reform members, let’s try to remember this is the CONSERVATIVE party, not the TORY, not the RED TORY, nor the REFORM party.
The Conservatives have far better things to do than conduct squabbles among themselves. Leave the party bickering to the Liberals.
May 30th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
one question… in what tangible way is John Tory going to lead Ontario differently than McDimwitt?
So far, his only differentiating feature was the idea of faith based schooling!
What rational conservative can support that kind of a leader?
May 30th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
As many of you know, I worked in the Harris government. An ontario Reform Party will split the conservative party just like it did federally. Mike Harris did everything in his power for their NOT to be such a plan.
If anyone is considering this — you are guaranteeing a Liberal government indefinitely. You may think Tory is no different than McGuinty, then get a different leader, not a different party.
May 30th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
John Tory is the problem. I don’t think there is a chance in hell he’d win and election in Ontario.
May 30th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Tory is like Joe Clark (and he has to go).
May 30th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Reform Ontario, eh? Reform is an impatient response to a difficult problem which must be solved; how to dump Tory. It would be better to work within the party but, like the leadership “review” which Tory conducted, it will be difficult to effect change.
If Tory was honourable, he would have tendered his resignation as leader the morning after his disastrous election loss. He did not. Those within the party who seek his ouster should keep that in mind.
May 30th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Keener here. Tory is a joke. The PC are a joke.
If people want high taxes and more government they vote Dipper or Liberal. If the PC have similar policies they will never win. Change the name to the CPO and get serious abut being an alternative. Harris won because he ran as a CONSERVATIVE. Don’t believe the media who hate him. He wasn’t supposed to win the first time he did. It was grassroots cons that voted him in. They feel neglected now. If a Reform movement is needed so be it. Hopefully it won’t take 10 years for the PC’s to come to their senses and seek a merger.
May 31st, 2008 at 11:42 pm
My response as posted on the thread that started all of this may be found here.