www.ChrisLaBossiere.com

If you watch this video (embedded below), you will see 8 minutes of hilarity as star-struck "Conservatives" speak at length on why they are standing in line to have Sarah Palin sign their copy of her book "Going Rogue". This video is produced by New Left Media, two obvious liberal citizens and a camera.

Like Ken Chapman, I AM NOT comparing Sarah Palin to Danielle Smith. Sarah Palin makes me want to move to Russia, just so I can live in her backyard and throw flaming bags of caribou dung over her fence. I mostly like what I see in Danielle Smith and frankly I think that she has a better political radar, communication skills, and more scrappy tenacity than our current Premier Ed Stelmach.

That said, I think there are many good reasons to question the motives of her party and it's insiders, and/or her political experience. This week, Smith was questioned by the public in an online forum sponsored by the Edmonton Journal, and was asked "where do you stand on gay rights?". Her response was so mystifying and evasive, it can only make you question the reason she evaded it. Smith said "Our party does not take positions on divisive social issues".  

There are only two possible scenarios behind this comment:

1) She is so naive to think that a party can simply ignore the basic human rights of an entire group of citizens, offend them by not standing up for them, and pretend that falls into some kind of safe label like "libertarianism". Same-sex marriage, and fair treatment regardless of sexuality is protected in Canada under the Human Rights Act and Civil Marriage Act.

2) She is fighting to hold onto the base of Social Conservative party members, and this serves as code for "I hear your concerns about sexuality, how it offends your religious beliefs, and your idea of family values. I am willing to foresake their vote and protection, to pander to your more active electorate".

It can't be anything but either of those, and since I am confident in Smith's intellect and understanding of something so basic as individual human rights in Canada, I can't help but think that the second scenario is more likely.

I am not going to get into her comments basically suggesting that the science behind Global Warming is largely unproven, or that she has spent all of her time talking to and about the Calgary based oil interests. I will forgo the issue about her promising to lead a transparent government, yet refusing to disclose her list of party donors. Believe it or not, in my mind anyways, these are all debatable from one perspective or another.

But as I have blogged about before, if you look at her parties policy on removing the troublesome hate-speech protections (Section 3 of the Alberta Human Rights and Multiculturalism Act), and yet refusing to remove the equally troublesome Section 9 (which ironically increases the risk of teachers being thrown in front of the same Human Rights Commission for free-discussion on religion and sexuality in the classroom), a section Smith herself said was redundant and unnecassary, I HAVE TO ASSUME that her party is the desired home of right-wing religious conservatives.

While watching the video below, I laughed at the truly idiotic response of the interviewed. But I am not naive enough to dismiss them as a non-political force. Nor am I willing to make the same mistake here in Aberta, and all the more reason I am questioning who is partying in the basement of the Wildrose Alliance Party's "Big-Tent-Basement". Sign me up for some good 'Ol Fashioned fiscal responsibility, and some 'By Gosh individual rights and freedoms, but I'll pass on the bullying of others because you think you can impose your religious belief on others.

I am sorry Ms. Smith, but I just can't give you a free pass on this one. You are throwing Libertarian and Big-Tent around as your catch-all defense of these issues. That's not leadership, that's politicking. Which might be fine for many, perhaps even the majority, but not good enough for me.

In two weeks the PC Association of Alberta will be having their Annual General Meeting in Red Deer. Interestingly, Red Deer is stuck between two cities with uniquely different identities. Not unlike the PC's who are stuck in much of the same situation. Feeling pressure from the right of the political spectrum from the Wildrose, a new progressive movement from the centre and the threat of a combined left with the Democratic Renewal Project. They are wise to start to think of themselves as the party of the centre-right instead of obsessing over the right exclusively. But they are wiser to start PROMOTING themselves as something to be excited to be involved with.

Promoting yourself in politics does NOT mean bashing your competition. That has been the domain of the Liberals and NDP, and it simply doesn't work. Promoting a party means promoting their vision. Of course we don't vote for vision as much as we vote for the leader who will be able to execute that vision. And as Shakespeare has so eloquently written, "ay, there's the rub".

As a voting delegate at the convention, I will question the leadership of the Party like everyone else. I have blogged before about how I would like to see more visionary leadership from the party, and I am still very concerned in this area. I will go with an open mind, as should all delegates, but it's time to start to get me excited about leadership. Right now the only alternative seems to be Ed Stelmach or Ted Morton. Who are the other leaders of the party that can bring together the right/centre? Maybe its Stelmach, but as a party should we be thinking about a new generation of leader? An exciting personality that can align the masses and launch a sustained offense? Does that person exist in Government today, or will this be an opportunity for a new-comer like Brett Wilson?

Here's hoping the discussion is robust, exciting and provides some direction for the Party.

Also, as I have mentioned before, I hope to promote this discussion on Twitter and I am promoting the use of #stelmach09 and #pcagm as hashtags to be added to your tweets. I also plan to be live-blogging from convention at www.LiveGov.ca. If you would like to participate by being a Moderator that day as well, let me know.