Most Recent Update: It was reported in today's Financial Post (5-10-21) that in 2019 the renowned George Will had this to say: "Conservatism is a state of mind, its point is to bring people together who share that view and then try to persuade others to approve of their policies. If the voter has no taste for those conservative ideas then it will not form Government ...so be it. The country though will be the worse for it".
UPDATE: In her article in today's Ottawa Sun columnist Candice Malcolm astutely points out that "the media began pumping out stories in support of the failed CPC Leader...now that Erin O'Toole has lost ...the media suddenly love him." She goes on to state that "the media is wrong...do not listen to them."
A case in point - Malcolm notes, is Sport's Journalist Matthew Sekeres who wrote 'Harper grew on people, O'Toole could too. Gotta convince cities that the fringe of their party won't shape policy'.
Malcolm correctly points out that "by fringe of the party" Sekeres was referring to the majority of Conservative Members who are, well conservative".
MY COMMENT - Right On Candice.
I CAN'T.
Why, I would love to sign it is due to the fact that ...as per the title of this Blog, I am a real conservative...in other words both fiscally and socially conservative. In this week's election, Mr. O'Toole showed himself to be neither.
I can understand what he tried to do ...that is appeal to the 70% of Canadians who are progressive that is to say left of centre but I cannot condone giving up one's principles whatever your reason for doing so.
Okay, given that, why will I not sign The Petition ?
It all has to do with your mother. Last year, she was visiting Scott at his home in Bowmanville- which is located just around the corner from where Erin O'Toole resides. Anne had taken our 2 granddaughters to a nearby park and in due course found herself in the midst of a gang of youths in their late teens and early twenties. They were seriously fighting one another and your mum wisely made a bee line back toward Scott's...girls in tow.
On route back, she came across Mr. O'Toole walking his dog and though she recognized him did not make that apparent but she did warn him not to go to the park which was the direction he and his dog were headed. Rather than turn away or head back to the safety of his home, O'Toole stuck out his jaw rolled bank his shoulders and headed toward the fray. His military experience coming to the fore.
Anne never heard what came of his intervention but she was so impressed with his courage and civic sense of duty. Bottom-line the guy is a decent enough fellow. He just is not cut out for today's politics and in fact I often wonder who is ?- certainly none of the other current party leaders come to mind.
What Canada needs is a Conservative Party that is true to its roots and a Leader who can explain to Canadians at large why it is in their interest to vote for us. We have not had that for eons so no wonder the Progressives rule.
In some future blogs I will deal with the issues that have given countless of our Tory Leaders great difficulty and will suggest how they should have handled them.
Before I go though is it not of passing interest that the Media has joined the bandwagon to replace O"Toole while giving a pass to all of the other Leaders who should also be subject to this type of scrutiny?
As I See It...
'K.D. Bell'
