Yesterday via twitter I announced that I would be blogging about a solution for Canada’s social conservatives. Then I ended up busier than a beaver running all over the city. So now here is my chance on a Jon sports night, Oilers, baseball and other sports on, so if this choppy you will know something has distracted me.
Social conservatives have become a bit of dirty word in Canada, sort of like liberal.
Speaking of liberals can I just post this little logo for their reaction as of late…
Their silly appeals for studying the Alliance policy and their even more ridiculous fiscal conservative ad certainly has them running around crying so far. Seems the one MLA Alliance party has struck a nerve.
Now back to my point.
Social conservatives have been waiting a long time for a government that appeals to their way of thinking. Heck, I was pretty stridently social conservative myself at one time and I understand how frustrating it is to feel like a pariah of national politics.
On the other hand over time I have also come to understand the reality of politics in Canada. Because of this status, social conservatives are hemmed in on all sides, losing almost every battle they fight.
So I just want to make a statement that I think will help both the Wildrose Alliance and social conservatives at the same time.
As a part of the Reform oriented (see UFA oriented) platform the Wildrose has given social conservatives a lifeline. Not in some policy that will end all the gay marriages, abortions or any other social conservatives concerns. No they should be politically wise and stay away from the discussions if all they become is traps.
Now what the Alliance gives you, and to be honest gives to say the Green Party advocates of peace and love, is citizens initiatives. These initiatives can become the ground which social conservatives can fight for their beliefs without creating rifts among social moderate fiscal conservatives.
Lets look at the actual policy from the last convention:
Institute legislation allowing the citizens of Alberta to call for a binding referendum on a matter of significant public concern upon the presentation of a petition signed by at least 10% of the total voters of the last Provincial election in Alberta.
For me it is a win win. The one stumbling block for most social conservatives is their concerns are given only mild expression by leaders of political parties. This give them a chance to fight their own battles on a ground of their making.
As an example lets look at Proposition 8 from the last election in California. The amendment to the California constitution banning same sex marriages.
In that frame of an initiative, no political parties were needed to take sides. Both interest groups got a chance to express themselves and the people decided.
Right now in Canada we do not have the ability to force our political parties to follow any policy they do not care about. Governments even more so like to sit in the middle and avoid anything too polarizing.
So citizens initiatives are the solution, and only one party in Alberta is proposing them.
The Wildrose Alliance.
Tags: Alberta, Politics, referendum, social conservatives, Wildrose Alliance
