How to Fix Canada's Political Parties: The Conservatives

The Conservatives need to demonstrate that they have a national vision - and then follow through.

If the Conservative party is to improve, it has a number of areas to address, which in a general sense can be summed up by one word: vision.

The Conservatives have not been able to articulate a national vision that will capture the imagination of Canadians. They came close with their northern vision, but after announcing it, things have largely languished or been scaled back. A true national vision has to be followed up on, and it has to be long term – not a stop-gap item to get you through to the next election.

The Conservatives have to accept that a majority will elude them unless they adopt policies that are widely accepted in Quebec. They spend far too much time and energy focusing on the ADQ perspective of the province. Instead of fighting with Jean Charest, they should spend some time listening to him. They also have to accept that every premier of Quebec will be obliged to disagree with Ottawa. It’s the nature of Quebec politics, no matter who is in power there. Not every comment from the premier requires a counter-attack from Ottawa.

To win in the cities, the Conservatives need an urban vision. Under Harper, they have managed to penetrate a few suburban areas, but for the most part the larger urban centres, with their combined 100-plus ridings, elude them. One only has to look at the electoral maps of Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver to see the potential. If they can articulate urban-friendly policies that directly impact voters, they could be in majority territory. These could be in the areas of transportation, the environment, or culture, for example.

The Conservatives need to have enough vision to recognize their own weaknesses. It’s time to move the emphasis from Harper to other ministers. Clement, MacKay, Cannon, Prentice, Findley, and others can create different optics for the party. The PMO no longer has to be in control of every item, as individual ministers now have as much as four years of experience under their belts. It’s time to loosen the chain and let ministers play a bigger role. Let them articulate the softer side of the party. This could be a new vision for seniors or adjustments to employment insurance so that caregivers looking after sick relatives don’t have to worry about losing their jobs.

Voters want policies that benefit them directly, like the reduction in the GST or the child tax credit for sports. You win elections by attracting the heart, not the brain, and those policies meant something tangible to the average voter.