My letter to Joe Clark
(Sent to Clark.J@parl.gc.ca)
I read your comments over the past few days and they have left me disappointed and confused.
My confusion is over your support for Ed Broadbent over my Conservative candidate Mike Murphy in Ottawa Centre. Your reasons for supporting the NDP candidate were given that you are "prepared to support candidates from all parties, including an old political rival, former NDP leader Ed Broadbent". What are current and former members of conservative parties to make of such a statement?
My disappointment in you stems from your inability to understand Canadians desire for an alternative party with the ability to govern this country. You seemed to understand the issue two years ago when you stated that you wanted to meet Stephen Harper "to ensure there would be a single conservative candidate in every riding in the country."
Since the work of Mackay and Harper last fall, many other former opponents of the Reform Party including PC stalwarts such as John Crosbie and Barbara MacDougall have joined the new party basically stating that their voices will be heard in the new party and that by doing so it will ensure the party will speak to all parts of Canada.
You have chosen not to contribute to the development of this new party but to attack it as a "dog in the manger" - appearing to be content to damage the creation of a conservative alternative to the Liberals. You could have done so much to grow the new party but instead you have decided to stomp on this seedling.
I read your comments over the past few days and they have left me disappointed and confused.
My confusion is over your support for Ed Broadbent over my Conservative candidate Mike Murphy in Ottawa Centre. Your reasons for supporting the NDP candidate were given that you are "prepared to support candidates from all parties, including an old political rival, former NDP leader Ed Broadbent". What are current and former members of conservative parties to make of such a statement?
My disappointment in you stems from your inability to understand Canadians desire for an alternative party with the ability to govern this country. You seemed to understand the issue two years ago when you stated that you wanted to meet Stephen Harper "to ensure there would be a single conservative candidate in every riding in the country."
Since the work of Mackay and Harper last fall, many other former opponents of the Reform Party including PC stalwarts such as John Crosbie and Barbara MacDougall have joined the new party basically stating that their voices will be heard in the new party and that by doing so it will ensure the party will speak to all parts of Canada.
You have chosen not to contribute to the development of this new party but to attack it as a "dog in the manger" - appearing to be content to damage the creation of a conservative alternative to the Liberals. You could have done so much to grow the new party but instead you have decided to stomp on this seedling.
