Blog of Adam Daifallah -- author, journalist, law student. Lover of politics, writing, golf, curling, fitness, fashion, bacon and maple products -- not necessarily (but probably) in that order. Partisan of the Anglosphere. Contact me via email at adam@daifallah.com. This summer I am joined by Keir Wilmut and Omar Soliman.

Saturday, February 05, 2005

The Harper haters

Conservative politicos were abuzz yesterday about this Globe report, which raised the spectre of major party infighting at the Tories' national convention this March in Montreal:

An internecine battle within the Conservative Party has set the stage for a nasty showdown over emotionally charged issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage that could be waged on the floor of the party's policy meeting next month in Montreal.

Moderate Conservatives say they are being frozen out of the convention by leader Stephen Harper, whom they accuse of controlling delegate selection and allowing many of the spots to go to hard-line social conservatives.

The article goes on to speculate:

The brewing hostility has caused some members to suggest the party, formed less than a year ago through a merger of the Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives, may undergo a split similar to the one that occurred in the late 1980s when the Reform Party broke away.

Really disappointing journalism from reporters as good as Gloria Galloway and Brian Laghi. Do they honestly think it is possible that less than one year after the merger people are ready to split up again? It's not going to happen.

This story is not unlike some of the "creative" journalism employed by the Globe in the 2004 election, when they single-handededly injected abortion into the election debating by phoning a Conservative MP and getting him to reiterate his long-held view that women wanting the procedure should seek counselling first.

It's manufacturing a story that doesn't exist.

The piece is further discredited when the reporters reveal the person who the story is based on -- a party member named Elizabeth Harvey:

"Ironically, one of the things that the Reformers were standing for when they broke away was excellent democracy within the party, which is not being followed at all under Harper," said Elizabeth Harvey, a former secretary for the association of 43 Conservative riding associations in and around Toronto.

"Right now I just don't feel that members are being given a real chance to be heard because the circle around Stephen Harper is very tight and they are very closely controlling it."

Elizabeth Harvey is an old hack who, when I knew her as an undergraduate at Queen's University a few years ago, never wanted anything to do with the Canadian Alliance or conservative policies. She was known as one of the most leftwing members of the federal Tory party, which is saying a lot given that party's policy orientation under the failed leadership of Joe Clark. Harvey was a die-hard Clark toady who abhorred small 'c' conservatism. Most people thought she would be better suited in the NDP. I am surprised, in fact, that she's even a member of the new party. To base this story on her carping is pretty sad.

UPDATE: Gloria Galloway has a follow-up story today.

# posted by Adam Daifallah : 1:43 PM

  

 

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