CKNW Editorial
for July 28, 1999

The Reform Party of Canada has reached an interesting crossroads.

I have supported this party editorially the last two elections. This has been with considerable misgivings as I have never felt comfortable with what I see as a mean streak in the party when it came to French Canadians, homosexuals, welfare recipients, refugees – indeed anybody not quite like them and not very strong. I’ve never felt at all comfortable with the right-wing agenda which drives the party. But then I did feel that Reform was abundantly right on constitutional issues and, though I thought their policy sloppy and ill thought out, I agreed with the need for Reform.

As long as Reform was to be a regional party – and that’s how it was seen in 1993 and 1997 - there was no need to worry about domestic issues.

Now I see myself having two problems with the Reform Party.

If they are to seek allies so as to gain power in Ottawa, they must, it would seem, water down their constitutional position. They have already started to do this by weasel words (such as their support for the never-to-be-heard-of-again Calgary Declaration) or pretending that somehow they can meld with conservatives without anyone ever noticing that there is a yawning gulf between what Reformers have talked about and what Joe Clark stands for.

I cannot support the Reform Party on its constitutional stance if it is to be watered down in a sea of semantics or in fact moves into the Joe Clark type of thinking. If that’s what’s to happen – may my mouth be washed out with soap – I might just as well vote Liberal.

Moreover, if the Reform Party becomes part of a bigger national unit that adopts Reform’s social policy, I can’t support them on that account. Mine is the position I suspect of many middle of the roaders in B.C. who have been prepared to overlook the dark and grubby side of Reform because they so obviously couldn’t gain power and so obviously were right on constitutional matters.

Reform cannot win the big banana unless it captures Ontario. It can’t capture Ontario, it would seem, unless it is eaten alive by that province in the bargain. If it does change so as to present itself to Ontario and east, it loses the very essence of what made it popular in the far west – it’s rebelliousness and its zeal for reform.

Frankly, I don’t think the country is well served by Reform becoming a patch quilt party seeking, if not to please all, at least to offend no one.

Looking ahead to the next election, if the Reform Party and the Conservative Party don’t do a deal first, there will likely be a hung parliament. If that happens, there’s a very good chance that the Reform Party would have to participate in any government that resulted. I for one would far and away rather see the Reform Party as representing my regional interests (as no Liberal MP nor any senator can do) than trying to win office.

I do not believe that the country can survive with the western part of the country permanently estranged and denied influence. I also don’t believe, based upon long experience, that being represented by a so-called national party does us any good. What’s the profit in us giving up a voice that can make trouble for centrist politicians if we merely join those same centrist parties just to get power by diluting our principles?

I say to Preston Manning – stay true to your first principles. Even if you do get to power in tandem with the Tories, we’ll still get screwed by Ottawa. There is a much better chance of BC being heard with you in opposition than as part of a government that simply goes from day to day appeasing Quebec.