What's next for the PC's

~It has been a little longer then it had intended between my last post sorry about that, time sure flights when your up to your neck in school work!~

Late night The Agenda with Steve Paikin had a very interesting show called Ontario PCs: Where to from Here? The guests on the show were: Mark Beckles (ON PC Candidate in 2007 riding of Brampton West), Janet Ecker (former PC Cabinet Minister), John capobianco (ON PC activist/ adviser) and David Docherty (Dean of Arts and Associate professor of political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University).

The program first asked each guess what they felt PC meant. It asked if the party should go back to the 42 years which ended with Davis which was more progressive the the Liberals at the time or if it should go back to the 8 years under the Harris model. Ironically for the first time in my life I agreed with a political science professor. He felt that the party should go back to its 42 year ideological roots, which I completely agree with. By the end of the show while all of the guests were articulate, engaging and the professor appeared to be more realistic in his opinions/views.

Steve asked if it was a struggle between the rural vs. urban supporters to grab control of the party. But I he missed the mark completely and so did the three guests who represented the PC Party. The trick to winning the Party and the Province is to unit the two groups. To do this the party has to first allow the two groups to acknowledge their differences but then move past that. One of the main problems for rural Ontario especial farmers is that farming is not a profitable occupation. As well many young people who come form farming families are not going into farming at the same time their is not an influx of urban people who are moving out of the cities to farm. On this issue rural and urban can work together, in creating and supporting policy that addresses this issue. The problem is that this kind of a question assumes a them vs. us attitude. This attitude is not practical in a Party nor in a government. When discussing who will take the rains of the party rural vs. urban the answer is nether. You need both in the party in order to win the Province. Programs and policies that help to bridge the gap between the two groups both with in the party and in Ontario in order to win the Province.

Janet Pointed out a few things that she felt were important for the next leader to have to wine not just the part but the province:

1) Keep the focus when the party lost focus it lost government
2) What is the message and is it being delivered clearly
3) Does the leader get it? (understand the issues facing Ontarian's)
4) Leader interpersonal skills which reach out to all parts of Ontario

I think these are all really important points. And examples can be drawn from both the 42 year and the 8 years which produced positive results for the Party.

The take home message I felt from the show was that, while the party might be at a fork in the road, at the end of the day its about what is best for the Party and even more important Ontario. And the way to do it is under a small 'C' conservative model but with the points that Janet made. While it might mean a bit more work it has longer term pay offs. The last point that is important to make is that a Strong Leader is critical.

The next few weeks during leadership will be interesting to follow.