Dear Prime Minister Harper (Canada: nice conservative tribute & background!)

Dear Prime Minister Harper
Since we first worked together years ago, you have grown from being a man of policy to being a man of the people, too

Deborah Grey
Ottawa Citizen
Citizen Special
Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Dear Stephen:

Who'da thunk it? Do you remember sitting in my office on Parliament Hill back in the dark ages ... 1989? I remember when I first got elected -- not a clue about Ottawa, not a clue about Parliament.

I had just made Canadian history; the first Reform MP, elected to bring to Parliament better ideas about how our citizens are governed. I flew to Ottawa alone, wondering what in the world had happened to my life. I hired Linda and Jenny, who were terrific. But who would fill the shoes of "political adviser" and legislative assistant? Unknown to me, Preston Manning had called you and convinced you to delay your master's thesis for one year. Reform's brand-new MP was as green as grass and needed a whole lot of help.

My maiden speech: I thought, how would I ever get through it? You were brilliant at crafting it. But thanks for letting me have my way to speak about how important the political process is for people; real people. That speech could not have been only about policy -- you know that people always come first for me. Somehow, I did make it through that speech and when I got back to the office, I just wanted to collapse and have a cup of tea. You said I did fine, but then you were off on the next project that I needed to prepare for. Yikes! I remember wondering if I would ever figure out your intensity.

You left after that year and finished your master's thesis. Your continuing input to the party was invaluable. Your strategic sense was uncanny. You were oh-so-policy. Imagine my surprise when I heard you were running in '93.

That was quite a year for both of us. I married Lew in August, the election was in October and you married Laureen in December. That was a pivotal Parliament. The referendum came in '95. I remember chairing caucus and sitting there in awe, listening to you and Preston discuss the situation and ultimately coming up with the New Canada Act. You were proud, practical, patriotic, and oh-so-policy.

The Liberals howled, snorting about our plan, and then adopted it not long after. Ah, the Clarity Act, another great "Liberal" idea. We should have charged those potlickers with plagiarism!

After you left in '96, I had no idea if I would ever see you again, let alone work with you. I knew you were disillusioned with all things Ottawa, and the National Citizens Coalition seemed like such a good fit for you. There would be no more travelling and you could settle down with Laureen and those two darling kids, Ben and Rachel. I remember thinking that those two kidlets would help balance out your tendency to be oh-so-policy.

Seemingly out of the blue came the "draft-Stephen-Harper-for-leader" campaign. I could hardly believe that you would want to get back in the fray. But get back in you did, and your life has been one long campaign ever since.

You set yourself a goal to get us long-time Reformers and the Progressive Conservatives together. Yes, there were policy issues, to be sure, but mostly the project had to be oh-so-people.

How was this going to work? How could you do it when so many other attempts had failed? I watched your strategic mind go into high gear.

Wow. I saw you delegate, communicate and negotiate. Just when it looked like the deal was going to blow up, yet again, you dug in deeper. Your strong-as-steel resolve never wavered.

Finally, after long weeks and months, and a host of naysayers predicting our demise, it happened: The Conservative Party of Canada was born.

Immediately after the merger came the 2004 election. The ink was barely dry on the marriage certificate, we had not even had a founding convention, and you were just getting your feet wet as leader. Man, did those Liberals do a number on us! They tried it all -- scary ads, fear-mongering, dire predictions of what you would do as prime minister. Our team, as so many times before, ended up playing defence.

We needed to go on the offence, trumpeting our common-sense, practical policies. They pasted us and we didn't fight back hard enough.

On Election Day 2004, your team won 99 seats, up substantially from when you entered the campaign. Paul Martin went down to 135 seats and you would think he had just won a huge victory! We all knew this minority Parliament would not last a full term. Paul Martin had wanted the top job for so many years but, once he actually got it, he had no idea what to do with it. Also, the sponsorship scandal hung over the place like a dark cloud.

Then came Election 2006 -- the longest campaign in Canadian history. You came out of the gate on Day One and you were oh-so-policy. But that very same day, you were also oh-so-people. It was obvious to all Canadians that you were more confident in your leadership, your team and your vision for the country.

Your campaign was virtually flawless, the very antithesis of the Liberals'. They tried to paste us again, but it simply did not stick this time.

Your view of common-sense, practical policies that will help individuals, families and communities has ignited hope in Canadians right across the country. As a longtime Reformer, I am pleased with the way you have modified the message; our core values are still there, but more palatable to the entire nation. It really always has been about hope, hasn't it, Stephen?

Well, the West got in! I wish you well as you embark on this journey. Canadians have watched you and are giving you a chance to run our country. I know you will give it your all. You never do any less. I have watched you mature from a 29-year-old, oh-so-policy ideologue into a thoughtful, practical, oh-so-people family man and national leader. I will always value your friendship, Stephen.

Congratulations, Mr. Prime Minister! Love, Deb.

Deborah Grey served as a member of Parliament from 1989 to 2004. She is an author and professional speaker. She lives in Edmonton with her husband, Lewis.

Note to our American FRiends:
The Reform Party broke away from the former Progressive Conservatives in the late 1980's primarily over issues of authentic conservative philosphophy & Western alientation.
Preston Manning was its first Leader & Deb Grey its first elected MP.
Matters came full circle in early 2004 when the united Conservative Party of Canada was formed largely under the leadership of former Reformers.

CREDIT: Tim Fraser, The Calgary Herald
Deb Grey, with Preston Manning and Stephen Harper
at a reception in Calgary last year, says she has been
impressed by Mr. Harper's knowledge of policy since
he worked as her legislative assistant in 1989.

If there is anyone that deserves to be refered to as the Mother of the party is is Deb Grey. She does not pull any punches that are not deserved and her opinion is highly sought after.

3 posted on 02/02/2006 7:37:07 AM PST by styky (All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor)

Thanks for posting this with the picture. It's always good in the midst of the euphoria of the current time to remember how one got to where they are in. In this case, I for one will not forget what a gentleman and decent fellow Preston Manning is and what his contribution has been to this process. He had a grand vision, he stuck with it and while he is no long on the political scene in any kind of day to day obvious way, one can never forget the enormous role he has played. And you gotta love the style and honesty of Deb Grey.

Yes, Reformers were really the perfect party for a guy like me. A pleasant mix of both fiscal and social conservatism. They were much maligned for wanting to protect Canada from out of control immigration. Although I was not thrilled by the prospect of watered down fiscal or social conservatism, with Stephen at the helm, I know we will do OK.

Very nice synopsis.

My only small criticism is I wish Ms. Grey would stop saying Stephan this and Stephan that and always refer to him as Prime Minister in public.

I think it would just help to show he has earned that respect.

And after all these years I really like the sound of Prime Minister Harper. :0)

Oh, you had to bring up Max! We in Canada are no fan of him either. He made an uninvited trip to British Columbia to protest the expansion of coal mines here, because they would hurt his precious Montana environment. Perhaps if he cared more about the economic advantage of mineral exploration he could employ more of his state's citizens.

I always liked Deb Gray.

How sweet it is. When I saw him and his family up there on the stage, I was brimming with energy. This is a family man who knows what it is like for you and me.

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