The Written Word
for August 1,1999

I’m looking for something and I’m wondering of anyone out there can help? Perhaps you’re looking for the same thing – and like me, in vain. I’m looking, you see, for a political party – a federal political party mainly but it could be for B.C. as well.

In this political party I’m looking only for three things.

First, I’m looking for a party that believes in good fiscal management. Not just good fiscal management after the damage has been done, largely by themselves, like the Federal Liberals but one that has a sound outlook all the time. I am not looking for a party that will never borrow money in an emergency but one that can see the difference between an emergency and bad handling of money. I suppose in many ways I’m looking for a government such as we had under Bill Bennett Lo! those many years ago. I know that I would say that having been a part of that government for five years but I scarcely feel disqualified on that score. It was a good government that delivered good social services and balanced its budget. It constantly looked for better management in areas it spent money and looked there first before it simply borrowed money to write cheques.

I’m looking for a government that cares about people. Not a party that pretends it does like the Federal Reform Party but one which never loses as its philosophical lodestone that people often need help and that society at large must provide that help, ungrudgingly. A party which while it believes in the market system, knows that this system has many casualties – especially with globalizatoion - and that some of these casualties simply were never cut out to be part of that system in the first place … a party that understands that despite anecdotal evidence trotted out by rightwingers, most people on social assistance don’t want to be there. But I want a party that really means these things – is committed to them – not one which simply writes nice things down on its party mission statement, trots them out at election time but which in fact only really cares about the successful.

When I make that statement I must make it clear that I don’t want a party so committed to these principles that they forget that the money to be spent on social commitments must be earned. The NDP are without doubt the best in the world at articulating concerns and fingering their worry beads but they think that somehow there are corporations out there that, if they only footed their share of the bill, could solve things. They have never understood that money from corporations comes mostly from ordinary taxpayers, be they shareholders, often through pension funds, or consumers – both of which are at the business end of the cost pass-through initiated by taxes.

I’m looking for a party that has no religion – one that can, for example, debate the question of gay rights on an intellectual and practical basis, not on some obscure verse in Leviticus. There is a decent, logical case to be made for treating gay couples differently than married couples in some respects but it has never been heard because of the tiresome religious prattlings of the Reform party. In short I suppose I’m looking for a fiscally prudent party that really does care for 100% of Canadians, even those in trouble with the law.

I am also looking for a party – and this is by no means the least of my concerns - that is philosophically committed to major reforms to our system of government. I put this concern as high as the others because we cannot afford to see our country slip, day by day, into a one man dictatorship held by a slim thread to democracy through elections every four years or so. We cannot afford to see a country where all the concern, hence the money, is poured into one region because it threatens secession … a policy that simply encourages other regions to look down the road to other political arrangements. The reforms I talk about cannot be cosmetic exercises such as more free votes but real gut wrenching reforms that go to the very root of our system. That’s what the word radical – an honourable political word – means and I’m looking for a radical party.

In looking for a party which is fiscally responsible, that truly cares and is dedicated to real reform I’m not looking for some magic or a miracle, No party will be anywhere near perfect. I’m simply looking for a party whose philosophical commitment is such that you’ll rarely hear the following three utterances

"I’m in favour of good fiscal management, but …"

"I’m in favour of helping people who need help, however …"

"I’m for reforming the system, however …"

Perhaps, after all these years of being involved in politics at every level I’m just a dreamer. But doesn’t this country also need some solid dreaming now and then?