Liberal PTAs and Commissions

Recently there has been discussion in the media about the Liberal Party and how the Party cannot compete because of an 'awkward' management structure.

I disagree.

First, the argument we cannot compete rests on the unspoken assumption that PTAs and Commissions are inherently more costly than a unitary structure with local offices. In fact this is merely an assumption and Party studies have suggested it is not correct. There may well be savings to be found combining 'back office' work and we should look to those but having a PTA or Commission is not necessarily more costly than having a regional office (remember PTA and Commission executives are volunteers).

Second, and to my mind more important, the PTA and Commission structure allows the Party to have input from members across the country and of diverse backgrounds. Regional offices merely deliver process and policy to the EDAs; a regional office will be very hard pressed to report much more than a few impressions from the EDAs. To rebuild in, say, Alberta, we need people in Alberta making local decisions and giving local feedback - the same can be said for Commissions. Now it may well be that Commissions (especially) have not had their feedback properly considered, but that's another issue (one we must address, but not by abolishing the resource that is underused!).

Our PTAs and Commissions are a great resource and we should work to use them wisely, not get rid of them in some panicked attempt to imitate other Parties.