Conservative policy convention

The Prime Minister has an unruly horse -- he rides well though and I expect he'll avoid too much bucking.

OTTAWA — Grassroots Conservatives are urging Prime Minister Stephen Harper to act on long-standing demands of the Canadian right, such as less government and more health-care privatization, as they head into the party's second-ever policy convention next weekend in Winnipeg.

Resolutions from Conservatives across the country have been whittled down to a few dozen that will be up for debate on the convention floor.

The final list includes demands that, if adopted, could challenge Mr. Harper's efforts to soften the party's image among those who aren't traditional Conservatives.

"I think people are becoming impatient and they want to see some action. They want to see this government deliver a real, small c, conservative agenda," said Gerry Nicholls, a conservative commentator with the Democracy Institute.

Mr. Nicholls said he expects traditional conservatives will be more vocal in their demands now that the party has two consecutive victories under its belt. He predicted resistance to Mr. Harper's view that conservative policies must be adopted slowly so as not to alienate Canadian voters.

That tension may surface at the convention over several issues, including extra legal penalties for individuals who commit violence against a pregnant woman. The item is up for debate in spite of the fact that Mr. Harper distanced himself from the idea just days before the last election. His move blunted criticism that the measure, advocated at the time through a Conservative private member's bill, could criminalize abortion indirectly.

The last time Conservatives gathered to vote on policy in 2005, Mr. Harper was spotted backstage kicking a chair in frustration as his young party threatened to unravel. In the end, Tories emerged united with a platform that sidelined thorny issues such as abortion and capital punishment.

Don Plett, the president of the party's national council, said he expects lots of lively debate but pointed out the majority of the resolutions simply update policy to reflect the government's decisions.

James Morton
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