Thoughts of an Eternal Liberal
Why I can't Vote for Carney
A dear friend of mine forwarded this Substack from
"The Conservative Party I Voted For Doesn’t Exist Anymore." It delves into some detail about his disaffection with the Conservatives, beginning with Stephen Harper’s prime ministership (2006-2015). I believe he forwarded this to challenge my conservative bias, and possibly to shore up his Liberal tendency.With that said, here are my thoughts on Wayne’s Substack.
There is indeed truth in what Wayne presents in his confession. Stephen Harper, according to my discussions with people who worked in the Harper government, was somewhat controlling. He centralized a significant amount of power in the PMO, thereby reducing the caucus's independence. From what I understand, Harper did not silence his ministers, but they had strong guidelines to follow. His policies were clearly at odds with those of the previous Liberal governments’ economic and financial policies. The conflicts with the public service stemmed from policy differences that were in opposition to the preceding Liberal governments’ policy directions.
The conflicts that Harper had with the public service were to be expected. The bureaucracy in Canada tends to skew left-of-centre (or progressive) and was somewhat resistant to Harper’s conservative policies. This is as valid today as it was then.
As many of you who follow me on Substack probably suspect, I am the flip side of Wayne; I am a disaffected Liberal.
I am a proud Canadian. For me, that means I believe in Canada as a country that stands for respect of our history and our forefathers (while recognizing the imperfections of the past), for tolerance of the “other”, for respect for our laws and courts, for our aspirational compassion.
For me, being a proud Canadian means I do not believe in Canada as a POST-NATIONAL STATE - a country that has no core values. (I recognize others will have a different definition for “proud Canadian.”) - Mark Carney has not disavowed this policy.
I consider myself a small “l” liberal. I am a 1980s liberal. I believe in human rights, including civil, women’s, gender, racial, and religious rights. I believe in the rule of law, and I think it should be applied equally to all Canadians. I believe in freedom of speech, but not hate speech. I believe in the right to protest, but not intimidate and spew hate. I believe in legal immigration and a compassionate refugee program. I believe that we should all be environmentally aware and good stewards of the earth. I believe that we must prioritize the basic needs of our most vulnerable. I believe that we must ensure that our medical system is sustainable and optimizes the services it provides within the budget constraints.
I am a small “c” conservative. I am fiscally conservative. I believe that Canada must live within its means. I believe that we should work hard and maximize our human capital. I believe that our government should manage our economy so that our children and grandchildren do not bear an unfair economic burden. I believe that Canada’s immigration and refugee programs should encourage those who share Canadian values.
Do I agree with Wayne's view of Poilievre? To a point. Is Poilievre angry? Is he aggressive? Is he brash? Are his Tik-Tok spots irksome? Is he controlling? The answer is yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.
Do I think that Poilievre will cure all Canada’s ills? Do I believe that Poilievre will eliminate the budget deficit? Do I think that Poilievre will reintroduce anti-abortion or our gay rights policies? The answer is no, no, and no. Do I believe that Poilievre is being transparent with his platform and promises? No, but no less so than Carney.
Here is what I do know.
Carney’s Liberal team (Butts, Telford, Medicino, etc.) look a lot like Trudeau’s Liberal team.
Carney is a top-down executive. His PMO will be at least as controlling as Trudeau’s, which says a lot. Carney’s energy policies have been decidedly anti-carbon, and his refusal to jettison Bill C-69 indicates that will be his position going forward.
Carney’s back bench, indeed his front bench, were strong supporters of the POST-NATIONAL, anti-Canada agenda.
19 Liberal candidates have put the Pro-Hamas VotePalestine platform on their websites - and he has said nothing. When one of Carney’s Liberal candidates suggested turning in a Conservative candidate to the Chinese Communist government for their bounty, he said nothing. And that says a lot about his values and attitude to Canadians and Canada.
Carney, the savvy central banker with extensive experience, unveiled a platform that is estimated to increase Canada’s annual deficit by $55 billion over the next five years. I see this as irresponsible and a future tax for future generations.
Do I think that Carney’s Liberals are different from Trudeau’s Liberals? No. What I do know is that Canadians, before Donald Trump’s Tariffs and threats to Canadian sovereignty, were overwhelmingly ready to vote out the Liberals. Pre-Trump, Canadians were strongly inclined to vote the Liberals out of power because they were financially incompetent and borrowing excessively, promoting divisiveness through a vicitmization culture, putting progressive agenda items (green energy/anti-carbon, mass immigration, unaffordable housing, intolerant DEI) ahead of practical programs (energy and resource management, targeted immigration, affordable housing, public safety), and displayed political arrogance and hubris.
The Liberal party with which I grew up had an unqualified concept of nationhood and a vision for a tolerant, multicultural, and hopeful Canada. The Liberal Party today
Believes Canada has no core values, that we stand for nothing special. We are the first POST-NATIONAL STATE.
Supports and encourages victimization and anti-colonial bias against Canada’s history, norms, and traditions.
Embraces foreign interference in our electoral process, hence the acceptance of the promotion of Hamas-supported VotePalestine.ca by over 20 of its candidates and the tolerance of a candidate supporting a bounty on a Canadian citizen.
Suck the hope of our future generations by piling on debt through profligate spending programs with no serious plan to improve our economic fortunes.
Virtue signals but fails to live up to its international commitments - environmental, defence, law and order.
I am a Liberal. The Liberal Party I grew up with and believed in no longer exists. It left me.