Oops, it's been a while!

I have to apologize that I have not been posting my political comments on here, I have been working hard at work, and trying to just absorb as much as I can of the Australian life. I have taken out a membership with the Australian Liberal Party, who would be the equivalent of the Conservative Party of Canada. It has been quite fascinating. The leader of the LPA (Liberal Party of Australia), Malcolm Turnbull has been having backbencher challenges, with a lot of criticism over his leadership, similar to that of Ontario PC leader John Tory. From Liberal Treasury Minister Peter Costello has been rumored to want the leadership, as well as many people are advocating he openly challenge Turnbull.

Mr. Turnbull has taken the party to the left, accepting man-made global warming as fact, and actually criticizing the Labour Government for abandoning its GHG reduction targets. He’s also said he’s against work choice legislation that the Howard Government had implement to help liberalize the labour force to be more mobile and competitive.

Peter Costello is of the Howard Conservative persuasion. Peter Costello is also my MP! So I am having fun following the drama. Now onto Canadian politics!

On John Tory losing his by-election bid:
The voters of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock showed the common sense that many in politics lack, and did what PC Party members were too afraid to do, and voted against John Tory. I have to say I was relieved, because now the PC party can get on with re-invigorating the party, with some great grassroots policies. Remember your membership is like a giant focus group for the province for your party. Listen to them!
I hope the party now sees the fallacy in putting personality ahead of policy, and trying to win over the likes of the Toronto Star editorial board with left-wing red Tories as leaders. To the PC Party – WHOEVER the Toronto Star endorses as PC leader in the upcoming leadership race, that better be the LAST person party members should support. Vote for a person that likes capitalism, free enterprise, and limit government.
Oh and drop “Progressive” from the PC Party name. “Progressive” is a left-wing term.

On Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s handling of the economy and address the Manning Centre for Democracy conference on Thursday:
- I understand Prime Minister Harper is head of the government in a minority parliament and needs to compromise, but where has the compromise been from the opposition? Why is it that conservatives are always the ones that must compromise? I never remember the far-left MSM punditry demand that former Prime Minister Paul Martin needed to compromise with Harper. Harper has sold conservatism down the drain. Government has expanded massively under Harper; in every area, conservatives want to see reduced, from healthcare, to equalization, to government run/funded culture programs. What I think has happened are the worms in the public service, as well as opportunist faux conservatives have surrounded him in the PM. These people are more interested in preserving their own jobs than on implementing tried and true (and proven to work) conservative principles.

Yet, Harper has the audacity to criticize libertarians at the Manning Centre conference, and use the typically intellectually lightweight argument of “well it would be worse under the liberals”. It is a cheap excuse for abandoning principles he has fought for all his life. If Harper were a true leader, he would stop the pandering and do what he believes is right, which is be a conservative. Once again, we have a conservative leader trying to suck up to the left-wing press gallery, and left-wing special interest groups. One of the tenets of conservatism is to be skeptical of power, and all conservatives should be speaking out against policies that any political party (conservative or otherwise) implement that are not conservative. I know I will not donate to the federal Conservative Party or the Provincial PC party until I hear a leader say free enterprise is good, that a free citizenry is good.

On the bright note, Liberals have not gotten a bump in the polls under Michael Ignatieff (who the media keep trying to spin into being a Trudeau or Obama – PUKE!). Their fundraising is still in disarray and aren’t ready to fight an election anywhere soon, despite all of Ignatieff’s tough talk.

I’m sorry Mr. Harper but Conservative principles are more than tax cut goodies to hand out during boom times to get elected - show Canadians how great conservatism is, that free market principles are the best means to get the country out of the recession.