Friday, March 16, 2012

Coming Home

(or why some Federal conservatives don’t get it yet)
In British Columbia, since the CCF party (the precursor of the NDP) first showed enough strength to win, we have had a coalition on the right. This was the Coalition from 1941-1952, then the Social Credit until 1991 when the Liberal party took on the role of the coalition on the right.
This decision in 1941 led us into a period where liberals and conservatives alike had to sacrifice voting for a party that reflected their ideals and rather vote for a compromise party. Sometimes it was more liberal and sometimes more conservative. We put up with it because the advantage was a united front against the NDP.
 However, over the last few years, the BC Liberal Party has abandoned their conservative base and is currently window-dressing to appear to be continuing as the voice of the coalition, but only so that they will regain the conservative vote. Their policies and actions are no longer anything of the sort.
I for one am glad for this change. For 70 years we have been voting for a coalition that we only partially endorse, in order to block a party that we totally disagree with.  Now, both liberals and conservatives have the opportunity to vote for a party that they fully believe in. I am absolutely certain that voting FOR a party we totally believe in instead of always voting AGAINST the NDP will appeal to many more people who have become disillusioned with our previous choices. I am not afraid of the NDP party and I do not want another 70 years of compromise within the party that I support.
However, not everyone has made the leap yet to the new political order in BC. It is clear that the BC Conservative party does not intend to take on the coalition role. Meanwhile, the BC Liberal leadership is still pretending that they will. So those who still fear that only a single party can defeat the NDP, are putting their support behind the BC Liberals, even though they do not agree with their policies. This includes some members of the Federal Conservative Party of Canada. They will catch up to the rest of us in time. For now we need to hold to our ideals and wait. Time is proving us right.