Conservative Party of Canada
The new Conservative Party of Canada was formed by the merger of the historic
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the relatively new Canadian
Alliance party (formerly the Reform party). Its leader is Stephen Harper.
The joining of the two parties was an attempt to "unite the right" and
stop splitting the conservative vote at the federal level.
See Unite
the Right.
Although the Conservative party is the new kid on the block, we can look at the histories of the two parties that formed it to get a sense of where it
might go in the future.
The party has posted an "Interim Policy Document" on its website  to
outline the policies on which the two "sides" of
the party agree. It has also issued a pamphlet to its campaigning members that outlines, in broad strokes, the party's platform.
The party's policies are based on the belief that the primary responsibility
for a person rests with the individual and his or her family. The
document places a significant emphasis on individual rights, particularly
the right to own property and run businesses with little
interference from government.
The party hasn't been specific so far on health care. It has said that Canadians should have "reasonable" access to health care regardless of ability to pay, and that decision-making on health-care spending should be the exclusive domain of the provinces.
On aboriginal affairs, the Conservatives are adamant that self-government
should fit within the structure of the Canadian Constitution and Charter
of Rights and Freedoms. The party doesn't want aboriginal government
to be another level of government outside of existing government structures.
The party also says that "institutionalized multiculturalism as a
taxpayer-funded program has run its course."
Its fiscal policy is, not surprisingly, conservative. It plans what it
calls "broad-based" tax cuts, and says it will introduce legislation
that would require the government to bring in a balanced budget each year,
barring exceptional circumstances. It also plans legislation to require
a certain annual payment on the national debt, currently $510 billion.
The Conservatives are also pledging to get tougher on criminals. They
would try violent or repeat young offenders as adults if they are over
14. They plan a national sex offender registry, and tougher sentencing
legislation.
At the same time, the party would replace the current firearms
legislation, including the much-criticized gun registry, with an unspecified replacement — what it calls
a "practical firearms control system." For more on the gun registry see
our in-depth feature on gun control. |
