Canada ping.
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Posted on 05/11/2006 1:41:37 PM PDT by Heartofsong83
Think rural, federal Liberals told Last Updated Sat, 06 May 2006 17:34:30 EDT CBC News Federal Liberals have to shed their image as the party of big business and big cities, according to some Liberal delegates meeting in Toronto this weekend.
The Liberals won only a handful of seats in rural regions, such as southwestern Ontario, in the last election. Most of the party's seats were captured in Canada's three largest cities: Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.
Much of the work at the party's annual meeting of its Ontario wing has been devoted to rebuilding its base outside of Canada's largest cities.
That is not going to happen unless the party changes, said Tom Manley, who lost to Conservative Guy Lauzon in the eastern Ontario riding of Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry.
"There's a fear and anger out there in rural Canada," he said, rhyming off areas where Liberal policies are out of sync with rural voters, including firearms registration, land-use regulations and limited support for farmers.
Paul Steckle, the MP for the Ontario riding of Huron-Bruce and the only Liberal from an agricultural riding west of New Brunswick to be re-elected, also stressed the importance of rural policies.
"I can tell you that unless we're prepared as the Liberal Party of Canada to go forward with an agricultural policy where food security becomes as important as national security, we will never move forward."
Only one of the 11 leadership candidates, Nova Scotia MP Scott Brison, is from a rural riding.
Guy Chaplin from Renfrew, Ont., said that makes it all the more important for the party to pay more than lip service to rural issues. His own riding voted Conservative in the past two elections, after years of electing Liberals.
"Essentially in rural Canada, if you don't come knocking, take the trouble to knock on their door, they won't take the trouble to vote for you," he said.
All candidates under one roof
All 11 of the party's leadership candidates descended on Toronto Friday night, looking to win over a large gathering of Ontario party faithful.
About 1,400 party members attended as the candidates came together for the first time. Each had three minutes to make their pitches in English and French.
Many of the hopefuls predicted an election within a year and a swift return to power for the once-unbeatable party.
Former Ontario education minister Gerard Kennedy said the Liberals need to spare the country from another Harper election victory.
"We cannot let Stephen Harper do to Canada what (former premier) Mike Harris did to Ontario," he said.
Hockey legend and former minister Ken Dryden said Liberals need to adopt a positive attitude in order to prevent another Harper election win.
"We have to win. Not maybe win, not like to win. Win."
The Liberals will hold their convention to choose their new leader in Montreal in December.
The only agricultural Liberal is a social conservative who is against the gun registry, pro-life and pro-marriage, yet he still only won by about 600 votes.
Yet except for Scott Brison (who is openly gay himself), EVERY one of the candidates for the Liberal leadership comes from the three largest urban areas - mostly Toronto.
Liberals finally admitting they're the party of big business?
I'm shocked... /not
Canada ping!
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
Canada ping.
Please FReepmail me to get on or off this ping list.
None of the 11 candidates have any real interest in rural, or Western, politics in Canada. All are really interested in the same urban, hip, progressive vote.
Memo to Steckle: maybe you should cross the floor to the Conservatives? Someone like you will NEVER win the leadership of today's Liberal Party.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
Anyone have that pic of John Kerry hunting deer with a shotgun?
Liberals hate farmers. They just tend to zip along the 401 between Toronto and Montreal or Ottawa and ignore everything else they see. They never go out west, except perhaps flying to Vancouver.
If Canadian farmers are as conservative as Australian farmers the Liberals have no chance.
Which they now are. That is why the Liberals are pandering to the big cities, especially ultra-liberal Toronto.
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