Here’s the preamble:
The Liberal Party of Canada is committed to the view that the dignity of each individual man and woman is the cardinal principle of democratic society and the primary purpose of all political organization and activity in such a society.
The Liberal Party of Canada is dedicated to the principles that have historically sustained the Party: individual freedom, responsibility and human dignity in the framework of a just society, and political freedom in the framework of meaningful participation by all persons. The Liberal Party is bound by the constitution of Canada and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is committed to the pursuit of equality of opportunity for all persons, to the enhancement of our unique and diverse cultural community, to the recognition that English and French are the official languages of Canada, and to the preservation of the Canadian identity in a global society.
In accordance with this philosophy, the Liberal Party of Canada subscribes to the fundamental rights and freedoms of persons under the rule of law and commits itself to the protection of these essential values and their constant adaptation to the changing needs of modern Canadian society. The Liberal Party of Canada recognizes that human dignity in a democratic system requires that all citizens have access to full information concerning the policies and leadership of the Party; the opportunity to participate in open and public assessment of such means, and such modifications of policies and leadership as they deem desirable to promote the political, economic, social, cultural and general well-being of Canadians.
To realize this objective, the Liberal Party of Canada strives to provide a flexible and democratic structure whereby all Canadians can obtain such information, participate in such assessment and militate for such reform through open communications, free dialogue and participatory action both electoral and non-electoral. This Constitution sets forth the institutions, systems and procedures by which the Liberal Party of Canada, in co-operation with its provincial and territorial associations and electoral district associations, works to implement these ideas on behalf of all its members.
So let us boil this down:
The core principles that the Liberal Party of Canada stands for are:
1. Individual Freedom
2. Responsibility & Human Dignity
3. Political Freedom
The Liberal Party of Canada is bound to:
1. The Constitution of Canada
2. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms
3. The Rule of Law
The Liberal Party of Canada is committed to:
1. Equal Opportunity
2. Official Bilingualism
3. Multiculturalism
4. Preserving the Canadian Identity
It seems to me that the issue at hand is not determining what the Liberal Party of Canada stands for as there should not be much disagreement among Liberals on what I outlined above, and if there is I would question why one would have joined the Liberal Party of Canada in the first place, the issue at hand is determining how to articulate and actually stand up for those principles, and the policies that come from them, to Canadians. I joined the Liberal Party because of its stand on national unity, on federalism (the non-asymmetrical version), on health care, on multiculturalism and most of all on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I believe we have lost the support of Canadians because we have lost the ability to articulate what those principles are and what they mean in real terms. If the Liberal membership is not clear on what they are, which seems to be the case, how are we supposed to appeal to the Canadian public? It should be clear to all from the results of the last three elections that we are doing the opposite.
It should not be that difficult to take the core values outlined above and articulate what they mean in a coherent and understandable way. And it should be possible to formulate new policy that is clearly connected with these principles. The work of the Liberal Party is not done simply because we have repatriated the constitution; instituted a Charter of Rights and Freedoms, official bilingualism and universal health care; and worked tirelessly for National Unity. It is a tremendous legacy but I hope Liberals are not involved in politics simply to protect that legacy and not look ahead. The Liberal Party of Canada will only survive if it can establish an agenda for the future, one that is based on its core principles, one that does not betray what it has long been committed to and which attracted people to it in the first place, and one that promotes the political, economic, social, cultural and general well-being of Canadians.
The Liberal Party of Canada cannot stand for these principles some of the time it must stand for them all of the time. It must put its values front and centre and demonstrate where others are losing their way. The centre of Canadian politics is not some hybrid of NDP and Tory policies it is one predicated on individual freedom, responsibility, human dignity, and political freedom. When the Liberal Party of Canada remembers what it is supposed to be and begins to stand up for these principles again in a real, sustained and consistent way it will earn back the trust and support of Canadians as it restores its credibility on the national stage.
