I Need Help, Please!

[Ryan]

Hi everyone!

I thought I'd ask for some help here, as you all seem to be very knowledgeable on these issues.

I'm from Nova Scotia and I would like to join a political party, and get involved in politics in our nation. I believe this is very important. Problem is, I don't know which one.

I've read all the websites and the ideas of the Liberals, PCs, the Alliance, and the NDP. I watch the news and CPAC often, but I can't join or support a party based on the rhetoric alone. I need cut-through-the-crap help, and this seems to be the place to get it.

Fiscally, I'm quite conservative. I believe in chopping the debt because it's important not to pass our financial problems to our children. I believe in a balanced budget, and, if possible, tax cuts for ordinary Canadians. Socially, I'm a little progressive, I guess. I don't support same-sex marriage, per se, but civil unions don't bother me. I think we need to let people be independent and have freedom and dignity and be responsible for themselves, but that we must find ways to chop crime and fix the problem of poverty and homelessness. I think we need to make sure all young people can get a good education, including post-secondary, and that our seniors age gracefully. However, I think this all needs to be kept within budget restraints.

I'm a little stuck here. I'm not the biggest fan of the Liberals, the PCs seem a little hapless, the Alliance looks a little too far to the right for me and the NDP, a little too far to the left. And I'm not really interested in tiny little groups like the Freedom Party, Christian Heritage Party, Canadian Action Party, etc.

So, can anyone help me out here? Thank you very, very much!

[Craig Read]

1. Move to the US.

2. Join the CA.

3. Join the group that wants 1 East. Atlantic Province and the ending of regional subsidies.

[Cameron]

Hello Ryan, and welcome.

Here is a site, it's all you need. Join the better party.

http://www.pcparty.ca/doc/510/

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear Ryan,

You sound like almost everyone I know, and hardly any of them affiliate with any political party. They all seem to be the same once they get into power anyway. The US is even worse for that, because lobby pressures dictate policy, at least as much as money can buy, at any rate.

Perhaps, as a lot of right wingers think, you could start your own party. Call it "The Responsible Anarchist's Party". The platform would be :no taxes, user pay systems, no gov't regulation of industry, and everyone can be trusted to behave like a gentleman. It promises more of what people actually want, yet is just as unbelievable.

[westcoast99]

Fiscally conservative, Socially progressive.

The answer is clear, Ryan. www.pcparty.ca

Join the PCs.

[dnsfurlan]

I think Ryan already has a pretty good idea of the issues and parties. I'm surprised he would need our help.

[Ryan]

I think Ryan already has a pretty good idea of the issues and parties. I'm surprised he would need our help. 

No, that's not true. I know what I personally believe in, but I need other peoples' opinions on what party to join. This is the first time I've become interested in joining or even supporting one specific party (I'm fairly young) and my thinking is that it's always good to get other opinions.

Thanks to everyone who has submitted their suggestions so far. I guess the PCs are sounding pretty good right now.

[Ryan]

Fiscally conservative, Socially progressive.

Join the PCs.

That was my original thought. I remember reading somewhere that one of the "unofficial" PC slogans was "socially progressive, fiscally conservative," which seems to match my ideology.

Interestingly enough, I live in a very strong PC area (my MP is an extremely prominent Tory, as is my provincial MLA). They've never really done much to piss me off (not lately, anyway).

[dnsfurlan]

I'm curious. How can someone with such a firm grasp of the issues and parties never been involved in politics before? You seem to have done an awful amount of research without having any political motivation or orientation. Its uncommon to have someone so well-versed yet so undecided. What's your real name, Plato? Rene Descartes? Jean-Jaques Roussea? Your purity would make all the great philosophers very proud, I would imagine.

[Mr. Chater]

WELCOME to the PC's

http://www.pcparty.ca

[Pellaken]

you sound like a PCer to me.

[Black Dog]

Ryan, my advice to you: don't bother. All parties are equally useless.

[Rob1963]

Ryan, I want to echo what has been said by others here, namely that your views are most closely reflected in the PC Party. I would urge you to join and get involved. You will meet a lot of interesting people and a lot of opportunities to get to know your community. (last part applies to all parties, I expect)

[dnsfurlan]

Ryan, I want to echo what has been said by others here, namely that your views are most closely reflected in the PC Party. I would urge you to join and get involved. You will meet a lot of interesting people and a lot of opportunities to get to know your community. (last part applies to all parties, I expect)

Well, Ryan may not have a PC Party to go to anymore.

Word is that of the fourteen points Harper has put on the table, thirteen have been agreed upon by both sides. The only remaining issue is the selection process of a new leader. The Alliance prefers one member, one vote. The PCs prefer a delegate system.

But I don't think this looks like a deal-breaker. What does is further PC intransigence. For a party that sees itself as so tolerant it doesn't seem to be very open to people who have other ideas of what conservatism means for this country.

Again, lets hope the ideologues don't allow their narrow-mindedness to sabatoge genuine efforts at building a movement to oppose the Liberals.

[Craig Read]

It depends - i would not classify the Fed Tories as right of centre. They are left of centre. Not one policy program they propose is right of centre.

They are trying to appeal to the Liberal vote.

[westcoast99]

Word is that of the fourteen points Harper has put on the table, thirteen have been agreed upon by both sides. The only remaining issue is the selection process of a new leader. The Alliance prefers one member, one vote. The PCs prefer a delegate system.

Where did you hear this? If true, it's a great day for democracy in Canada.

Hope you're right. Edited August 12, 2015 by Gugsy

[dnsfurlan]

Here you go: Progress reported on Alliance-Tory merger talks

However, I am reading some other clips on Google News Canada that the reports on the talks are wildly conflicting. Some say good. Some say not so good.

I also heard about the thirteen points on the Bourque message boards. And the PCers over there don't seem to like it much - at least a good portion of them. Lets hope they don't speak for the silent majority that seems to be pushing this to fruition.

[westcoast99]

I fail to see why MacKay would be talking to the press about the process of "choosing the next leader of the new party" (as he said in the video report) if there was not plans for a merger.

Edited August 12, 2015 by Gugsy

[dnsfurlan]

If these reports are true, then I don't see how you can't somehow create a leadership convention where the spirit of the two parties can somehow be preserved. Maybe you can have delegates where the weighting of votes isn't nearly as Orwellian as what is happening at the Liberal convention. Surely there can be some system that can send delegates based on some democratic form of selection. The problem with delegates is that the rules set up for their selection can be arbitrary. But something like this can't possibly act as a deal-breaker.

Did the Ontario PCs have a convention with delegates?

[westcoast99]

If these reports are true, then I don't see how you can't somehow create a leadership convention where the spirit of the two parties can somehow be preserved. Maybe you can have delegates where the weighting of votes isn't nearly as Orwellian as what is happening at the Liberal convention. Surely there can be some system that can send delegates based on some democratic form of selection. The problem with delegates is that the rules set up for their selection can be arbitrary. But something like this can't possibly act as a deal-breaker.

Did the Ontario PCs have a convention with delegates?

They had a convention, but not with delegates. It was a 1 member 1 vote system where PC members voted at local headquarters for the person of their choice.

It was very unorganized with very low voter turnout. I like the delegated convention the PCs had federally.

[Mr. Chater]

heh...well sure we have it all done and all...13/14 is not bad i tell you. But the biggest problem/conflict of all.... the LEADER. This is the person in which will leader them through victory or failer..who becomes the leader...who knows.

[dnsfurlan]

Maybe things don't look so good after all?

According to this story, Tory-Alliance merger talks head in opposite directions according to leaders the version presented by the Alliance, which is loosley based on on the thirteen points story, is not accurate. This story even suggests that there has developed some amount of tension in the negotiating sessions.

Frankly, its hard to make out exactly whats going on with all of this.

There seems to be a whole lot of jockeying going on on a number of fronts, perhaps even including the media.

Harper and the Alliance are giving the appearance that the talks are going extremely well. Mackay is suggesting that some of Harpers remarks are plain false. And its really hard to get a read of what is actually going on inside the negotiating room.

Does anybody really know what in the world is going on here?

[sir_springer]

Ryan...

Been there, done that.

The only "conservative" party in Canada is the Canadian Alliance.

Visit their website, read through their policy statement.

And you tell me what is "right wing" about any of it.

More importantly, do some research on both MacKay and Harper, starting with reading some of the speeches put forward by both.

Also, if you go back a few pages on this forum, you should be able to find a post titled something like "Harper on Conservatism", in which I copied in an essay authored by him. It's an incredible piece of work, and highlights the amazing brilliance and intellect of this man.

Frankly, MacKay isn't even remotely in the same league as Harper...nor, for that matter, is Martin.

Do your own due dilligence, partner.

Don't let the Liberal's media mutts make up your mind for you, nor anyone else.

I have been following federal politics for over 35 years now...

And I can tell you with certainty that, at the end of the day, the only difference between the Liberals and the PCs is in the spelling. For forty years now, when the Liberals weren't hell bent on ruining this country through asinine spending and absolute bungling of everything they touched, the PCs were there doing it instead.

For the first time in living memory, this country finally has a choice between "liberals" and "conservatives", not just merely the pretence of a choice.

[Mr. Chater]

this merger talk is really screwing up everyones idea of what is going on. Especially that last remark linked to the Ottawa news Something is going on..good or bad..who knows. People acually said that they would probably merge by next week between wednesday - friday..but nothing look like it's going to be that soon.

Also Springer, although it looks like Ryan is a right wing, if you look at his views and thoughts, they are not that far right as the Alliance is. The alliance is too far right for this guy. That is what i think anyways.

[RScott]

Does it really matter what Party???

Political parties are not the decision makers of the goverment. They are mere puppets and it's the rich and the established that pulls the strings. The money backers, large corporations people of Vast Influence in this province who dictate policy for governments.

Thers is no democracy only a perception of democracy for the people. It has always been this way and will always be this way. There is no government for the people by the people. Yes it's true we all get the chance to vote in the puppets every four years but we don't get to pull the strings, thats for the people of influence, vast corporations and money backers. After all it is themselves they wish to perserve a way of life for and they do it by pulling the strings of the puppets of government to benfit themselves and perserve their way of life.

So Think about it, Does it really matter?