What has gone wrong here? Why is Justin Trudeau screwing up the one clear promise he made to the Liberal Party? Did we so artlessly choose someone who does not understand the role of party leader? How worried should we be?
What is wrong when Justin Trudeau tells potential Liberal candidates how to think while excusing sitting Members of Parliament? As leader, the party caucus is his responsibility. He appoints the party’s house leader and that person is responsible for discipline within the caucus. The house leader tries to keep all the MPs singing from the same song book.
But in open nominations, the leader and his underlings stay out of the riding decisions. They have a right to opinions should they care to express them. They can do that as long as the party makes the ultimate decision. That is democracy.
If the party screws up and sends some turkey to Ottawa who is at odds with the rest of the party’s caucus so what? In that circumstance the leader has the option of having one less caucus member. If the member does not agree with a party stand, he or she can go elsewhere. That is how it works in a democracy.
Why would any liberal want a caucus of sheep like the present Conservative caucus in Ottawa? Letting the Prime Minister’s Office run the party as well as the caucus is a recipe for bad government, poor leadership and a dearth of initiative and ideas.
What Justin Trudeau needs to understand is that the Liberal Party is not a party of ideologues. Liberals are reformers. They are free spirits and they believe strongly in the individual rights of all in society. They do not have to feel the pain to support those who suffer. Liberal men support the rights of women. Nor do they believe you have to be gay or lesbian to support same-sex marriage. You just have to believe in our Canadian rights and freedoms.
So free the ridings Justin—it is the liberal thing to do!
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Copyright 2014 © Peter Lowry
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