The Conservative Party of Canada Celebrate Its 1st Anniversary!

December 8, 2004

Has it only been a year? The Conservative Party of Canada has accomplished more since its birth last December 6th than sceptics and even supporters had ever imagined. The rapid series of successes serve to prove that Canadians were ready for a united, conservative and competitive alternative to the governing Liberals.

In the first six to seven months alone, we built riding associations and the party executive from the ground up, we elected a leader, Stephen Harper, then, in the June 2004 election, we proceeded to knock the federal Liberals out of their comfortable, arrogant, majority position of power in Ottawa.

Since then, it’s only gotten better. The Conservative caucus of 99 Members of Parliament is comprised of an impressive mix from both of the founding parties, the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives, as well as many that weren’t previously associated with either party, but were drawn to the potential of the new Conservative Party. There are veteran MPs and new MPs of all ages that bring an intriguing blend of experience from all sectors of the Canadian economy.

Under Mr. Harper’s leadership, the Conservative caucus is working extremely well together. Our senior critics have successfully challenged Prime Minister Paul Martin and his cabinet on trade disputes, tax rates, wasteful spending programs, the gun registry, healthcare, agriculture, immigration, offshore oil and gas revenues, national security and the armed forces. By setting aside partisan interests to cooperate with the other political parties, we even managed to push through Conservative amendments to the Liberal’s Throne Speech – the first time that’s happened in 53 years.

Our party’s relationships with the provincial governments have flourished due to the leadership Mr. Harper and Conservative MPs have shown on the above issues, to the point that we are now positioned as a true government-in-waiting. That is a critical element for a nations’ democracy and will inspire disenchanted voters to recognize that their vote can make a difference.

And there is much more to come. The development and refinement of our party’s policies has been underway throughout the past couple of months among grassroots members. The process will culminate with the first Conservative Party of Canada Policy Convention to be held in Montreal in March 2005.

The cynics out there will argue that I wouldn’t do anything but present this optimistic, upbeat picture of my own party on its first anniversary. Yet, I’ll tell anyone who’ll listen, this is far better than even I had expected. The new Conservative Party is working! The fiscal responsibility and the set of priorities that first prompted me to run as a Reform candidate over 16 years ago remain an integral part of the Conservative Party in which I find myself today.

The difference now is that, as a political force that gains more momentum every day, we are closer than ever to being able to turn these policies and principles into reality. Look what we’ve done in one year as the official opposition. Just imagine what united Conservatives can achieve in the years to follow.

-30-