If there needs to be one more reason to keep Justin Trudeau from interfering in local party nominations, his choices tell the story. MP Eve Adams? When that woman crossed the floor of the House of Commons, her 15 minutes of fame were already over. Police Chief Bill Blair? The Toronto Police Services Board no longer wanted him. Why should the Liberal Party? And that is just in Toronto. The Liberal Party leadership has to stop welcoming these rejects!
Liberals have the opportunity in this election year to build a stronger party: a party of change. And we saw in the Alberta election that Canadians are going to where change is offered. With the Alberta Liberal Party vacating its responsibility, we saw a tectonic shift to the New Democrats by Alberta voters. In the fall, we are going to see another major shift as the country seeks the change that is needed. And the party offering that needed change has to be the Liberal Party.
And what makes the Liberal Party a party of change?
Liberalism is a philosophy based on the freedom of the individual. It is in contrast to the collectivism of socialism and the subjugation of minorities under conservatism. Under liberalism, we are all free when we ensure that the individual is free.
Canadian liberalism is different from liberalism in other jurisdictions because it had its roots among Canadian reformers such as George Brown. If there is one lesson Canadian liberals have learned over the years is that when they think they are in power to rule, they fail. When they know they are in power to reform, they get things done.
How people such as MP Eve Adams or former Toronto police chief Bill Blair can be considered liberals is a very good question. Adams has never in her career demonstrated anything but self-serving conservative thinking. And Chief Blair in Toronto was the antithesis of liberalism. His police acted like storm troops and trampled the rights and freedoms of people caught up in their brutality. And he did nothing to stop it.
One person who is a very obvious and accomplished liberal is Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. If that lady would like to cross the floor and become a much more effective environmentalist, the Liberal Party should welcome her with open arms. She is not going to go anywhere with her Green Party in the coming election.
But Elizabeth May could bring her environmentalist platform to the Liberal Party. The Liberal Party needs that platform. We all need to be better environmentalists. And we all need to be better liberals.
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Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
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