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Conservative Party Move to the Left on Social Issues Disturbing to Libertarians and So-cons

Libertarian Steve Martinovich says, "So what was the point?"

OTTAWA, July 8, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The news that Stephen Harper is looking to move the Conservative Party further left, is disturbing not only to pro-life and pro-family CPC supporters but also to libertarians. To those groups Harper's move does not make any sense given the blunt reality that both CPC and Liberal social conservative candidates generally fared exceptionally well in the election.

The National Post reports today that sources have revealed that at the Conservative Caucus meeting yesterday Stephen Harper said "he wants to put a more moderate stamp on the party." "Moderate" has been the liberal media and political establishment euphemism for politically correct, intolerant social liberalism a la "pro-choice", "right to choose", "inclusive", etc. - dishonest phrases that deliberately attempt to convey the opposite of what they are actually intended to mean.

The Post reports further that "Mr. Harper told MPs he planned to include more members from the Progressive Conservative tradition in his inner circle".

Harper appears to have been taken in by advice from social liberal extremists within the party who have for years attempted to blame the party's large social conservative base for every party misstep. Financial Post editor Diane Francis, for instance, a strong Harper supporter, wrote in her July 6 column that "it's obvious now that Mr. Harper has to boot out those elements who don't realize that Canadians - out west and everywhere - simply don't want to discuss, or have debated, issues like same-sex marriage or abortion."

One political observer commented to LifeSiteNews that "Francis's comment should rather have been that Conservatives should want to boot out the Liberals who were the ones who were fanatical about constantly bringing up the abortion and homosexual issues during the election". Francis's frequently irrational comments on social conservatism sharply contrast with her otherwise usually insightful comments on economic, political and other issues.

Beyond the queasiness the news brings to social conservatives, libertarians have also voiced disquiet with Harper's move. Steve Martinovich Founder and editor in chief of Enter Stage Right, a popular website among those describing themselves as "Libertarian, Objectivist & Conservative" said of the reported leftward move: "It seems all those years in the wilderness were for naught."

Martinovich, not a pro-lifer or social conservative, explains on the Western Standard Blog, "So what was the point? Canadian conservatives have had to live with a divided right-wing for over a decade now. Most conservatives ended up in the Reform/Canadian Alliance camp while the Red Tories moved to the Liberal Party, pretty well where both sides should have been in the first place."

Importantly, Martinovich points out that social conservatives belong in the big-tent Conservative Party, "The party was a blend of populist conservatism, social conservatism and a dash of libertarianism. It didn't appeal to everyone, but it worked well enough for most Canadian conservatives."

Liberal media and liberal analysts have incessantly touted pro-life beliefs as an albatross yet the recent election showed the three Conservative candidates most vilified for their social conservative stands, all won re-election handily.

Conservative Rob Merrifield harassed by the media for suggesting independent counselling for women considering abortion trounced his closest competitor Liberal Peter Crossley by a whopping 26,503 votes to Crossley's 4,441.

Conservative Cheryl Gallant who compared abortion to the beheading of Nick Berg vanquished all competition winning 10% more votes than all her competitors combined.

And finally Randy White, who nearing the end of the campaign was the media target for suggesting the use of the notwithstanding clause to halt judicial activism, received over triple the votes (29,587) of his closest competitor, Liberal Moe Gill's 9,617.

ABORTION EXTREMIST DECLARES MANNING BEST FOR CA LEADERSHIP
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2000/june/00062202.html
FINANCIAL POST COLUMNIST DISPLAYS EXTREME INTOLERANCE
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/jan/01012306.html

jhw

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