Conservative politics | Tory Redux

CPC Leads in Fundraising Again

As the tech world what’s a buzz over the news of the historic initial public offering of Facebook . Ottawa received financial information of its own on Wednesday, elections Canada finally released the fundraising numbers for all the parties in 2011.

Unsurprisingly the conservative party of Canada was out in front with nearly $23 million in contributions. This bodes well for the party it Proofs that there focus on the economy is working.

Senator LeBreton Sets the Record Straight

As part of Ontario received a dusting of winter weather during the weekend and politicians journeyed back to the nation’s capital for the start of the spring sitting of parliament This promises to be an interesting session of the House of Commons with old-age pension reform coming to the forefront.

There were many great blog posts on this issue by
There were many great blog posts on this issue by Blue Like You and Chasing Apple Pie
H./T. Brian Lilley

Richard Ciano Releases Platform

This morning, Richard Ciano launch his platform in the race to become the next president of the Ontario PC Party. You can check it out in detail here , the gist of the platform is empowering the grassroots, along with continuing to build a strong foundation for the party to fight the next election. The plan deals with several key areas of responsibility for the next president. Although what might strike a chord with delegates is the pledge to put transparency and accountability first. In addition , placing power back in the hands of local riding associations who will be active participants in choosing their next candidate. These are all excellent proposals aimed at reinvigorating the volunteers and supporters for what promises to be some hard work ahead in 2012. Ciano is on the right track. It is time to win for Ontario.

This Week at Queens Park

One of the constant threads running through this blog from the very beginning has been provincial politics. To this end, I am starting a weekly round up of stories from Queens Park and beyond.

This past week saw the race for PC Party president kick in to high gear. Three individuals officially announced their intentions to run Richard Ciano, Kevin Gaudet

and John Snobelen. First Richard Ciano made a significant social media splash by announcing his candidacy Live via Web conference. Ciano, outlined some of his main priorities that he would pursue as president.

You can watch the full video here

As well Kevin Gaudet, former candidate and past president of the Canadian Taxpayer Federation announced his intentions to seek the top job . Although not as specific he outlined his priorities in a brief profile.

Finally, former mpp John Snobelen talked toToronto Sun columnist Christina Blizzard about his bid to become party president.

They’re all strong candidates who have different areas of expertise it will be interesting to see who comes out on top in February.

Why We Should Remember the War of 1812

It has been almost 200 years since the fog of war, loomed thick on battlefields all across the North American continent from Sackets Harbour to Queenston Heights. Although the events of 1812, have receded into the mist of our collective memory the impact of those events still echoes through the centuries. Compared to other global conflicts during the 19th century, the war of 1812 is rather a minor affair. However, it had a significant impact in shaping the national character of the cobble together: colonies that became Canada.

This week, the forgotten war, took front stage with a slew of federal announcements aiming to reintroduce Canadians to an important part of their past. The Canadian government invested over $28 million to commemorate the quickly approaching bicentennial of the war. As well this is another step for the Conservatives in rebranding the Canadian identity. It started with institutions like the monarchy and it continues now with historical events like the war of 1812. Simply put, the Harper government is adding to the idea of what it means to be Canadian. More importantly, providing a counterbalance to the traditional post modern liberal interpretation of Canadian history that our identity consists of the charter the flag and a gaggle of social programs.

In addition, there is something remote and distant putting so much stock of our identity in symbols of postmodern Canada. Furthermore, it is healthy for a country to call upon cultural touchstones from our past it shows where we have come from as a country. Beyond the political context of our citizenry is a serious lack of understanding of our own historical events. When only four out of ten Canadians from the ages of 25 to 34 haven’t even heard of the war of 1812; that is a significant gap in our collective understanding of how Canada came to be. Not only did the events of 1812 inspire a sense of nationhood, the outcome of the war determined the border of North America for the last two centuries. In this writer’s opinion it is hard for the Canadian psyche to perceive our country, with having drastically different borders and culture.

To the detractors that say that the government should not be spending any of the public’s money on historical events like the upcoming bicentennial. Conversely, what is wrong with a country reinvesting in points of its patriotic pride, especially when it is such a crucial historical event like the war of 1812. Now, a valid argument can be made for how much money should have been spent commemorating the war especially in a time of economic uncertainty. Finally, what’s wrong with a tad of chest pumping patriotism now and then? In retrospect, this “rebranding” and recognition of the role that the war of 1812 played in the Canadian sense of self is long overdue.