SASKATOON – Instead of disintegrating into squabbling factions, the Reform party came out of its national convention in Vancouver united and firmly behind leader Preston Manning.
Manning’s leadership was affirmed by 86 percent of delegates, one day after he repeated threats to discipline members who step out of line and warned the party that it needed to give up its obsession with moral issues if it ever wants to become a governing party.
A few weeks ago, Manning kicked three MPs out of caucus, two for suggesting it was acceptable for employers to treat homosexuals differently than other people and one for criticizing the party. Some party members were outraged by Manning’s actions and there was speculation before the convention that ugly fights would erupt and that Manning’s leadership might be challenged.
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But other than one delegate’s statement that Manning had been “despicable,” party members generally stood behind their leader, or kept resentments to themselves.
Reform delegates, MPs and party workers repeatedly blamed the media, which they said falsely created the impression the party was divided.
Admits to mistakes
But Reform party agriculture critic Elwin Hermanson admitted on the final morning of the convention that “we fumbled the ball.”
However, he said he was cheered by the generally supportive tone of delegates.
“A lot of people were predicting that the blood was going to flow here,” he said. “We had some problems three or four weeks ago. We all recognize that …. Good teams fumble the ball. But good teams pick it up again and I think here we picked up the ball and are running with it again.”
In his keynote speech, Manning told delegates the party has to concentrate on issues that most Canadians care about and support the Reform positions on, such as reducing government spending, forcing an end to the national unity debate and toughening crime control and punishment.
He warned the party could kill itself by focusing on “secondary agendas,” alluding to the debates over homosexuality and other moral issues, such as abortion.
Manning said while most Canadians agree with the core policies of the Reform party, many will be reluctant to vote Reform until the perceptions that the party is too extreme are laid to rest.
Manning said the party has to learn to govern itself before it will be given the right to govern Canada. Part of the self-governing includes “disciplining departures and diversions” from party policy, an obvious reference to his suspension of the Reform MPs and statement that he is willing to do it again.
The party entered the convention deeply divided over homosexuality. Manning said British Columbia MP Bob Ringma’s statement that it was OK for an employer to send a gay worker to the back of a shop if his sexual orientation offended customers was unacceptable. But moral hardliners in the party argued people should be allowed to discriminate against homosexuals because their sexuality was a lifestyle choice.
On the first day of the convention the party passed a statement that Reform believes in “the equality of every individual” and “equal protection and equal benefit of the law.” Manning heralded this statement as proof the party is tolerant and deeply committed to individual equality.
But the depth of divisions over whether to accept homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle were obvious by the refusal of delegates to pass the original statement, which included the words “without discrimination.”
