If anything, this recent Tory convention in Ottawa made visible some apparent weaknesses in the conservative party, internally and on questions of policy. From voting against the creation of a youth wing to rejecting a new leadership selection process, a process which would have given ridings with higher membership numbers more say in the process.
These things aren’t weaknesses in themselves, however, they reveal cracks in the Tory machine. The true weakness is dissent, the fact that conservatives can’t get along is a God send, or so to speak, for the opposition and for the ailing liberals.
Now many are saying that the N.D.P’s success in Quebec is temporary. This is true as long as we don’t continue seeing a youthful resurgence in voting in future federal elections. The more the youth vote in Quebec, the more left leaning the province gets, unless of course the youth are persuaded to move to the center.
This is our job, the liberals’. We must ensure that the youth in Quebec, and in Canada, align with us.
And since conservatives don’t have much of a representation in the eighteen to twenty-five age bracket, with no youth wing to do so, this slice of the electoral map will be split between the liberals and the N.D.P.
And the best way to woo the youth to our side is to create good jobs, high paying jobs, for them and then protect those jobs.
Also, a younger, nevertheless experienced leader wouldn’t hurt the liberals in this time of crisis.
Therefore, it is imperative that the Liberal Party of Canada stay in the center. The center is the only healthy alternative to a unified Canada. A left-right split can only sow discontent, division and roll back all of the Liberal achievements that have kept Canadians together for the past hundred years.
Let the Tories bicker and barter over what’s best for the future of their party. They may not realise it yet, but the Canadian peoples’ romance with the right will not be everlasting either.
So, we as liberals must be patient as these ideologue parties, the NDP and the Conservatives, battle each other into alienation with Canadians. We must wait and remain steadfast in our centrism, all the while crafting policies that will ensure the well being of all, from citizens on the left to the ones on the right.
This is why the Liberal party has been called Canada’s natural governing party in the past, because we are inclusive enough to care about everyone, not just a particular niche of the Canadian population.
