OTTAWA — The leadership of the Reform party won a major victory at last week’s national convention when delegates voted two-to-one against establishing provincial Reform parties.
Only British Columbia delegates, where an unaffiliated Reform Party of B.C. already exists, voted to allow a federal-provincial party connection.
The party establishment opposed the proposal.
“This will allow us to focus on our national job, which is huge, which is exciting, but something that this party was started for, to address inequities at the federal level,” said Alberta Reform MP Deborah Grey. “We will now be able to put all our energy and resources on that.”
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“This is a very positive result,” leader Preston Manning told reporters. “It indicates our members want to stick to the main mission, which is to build a federal party and build it right across the country and displace the Liberals in 1997.”
The convention floor debate was between those who thought provincial parties would divert Reform resources, perhaps smearing the federal party with unpopular provincial decisions, and those who argued that Reform principles work as well at the provincial as at the federal level and should be implemented.
“Help us spread the message of reform,” said one Ontario delegate who favored provincial parties. “Help us pass the torch.”
Countered an opposing B.C. delegate: “Don’t lose focus. We want to form a majority government in Ottawa.”
The Reform decision will be welcome news in the offices of provincial Progressive Conservative parties in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario, where a provincial Reform party could split some anti-NDP or Liberal vote.
Grey said Reform is happy to stay out of provincial elections if there are politicians from other parties, like Conservative Ralph Klein in Alberta or Liberal Frank McKenna in New Brunswick, willing to implement Reform-style budget-cutting policies.
However, Reform officials concede they have a problem in B.C., where a provincial party has been recognized in law. It has attracted former Social Credit MLAs and is offering some candidates or policies not approved by the national party.
National Reform chair Cliff Fryers said the national party will work with any provincial party that espouses Reform-like policies. It will not directly affiliate nor take responsibility for positions taken provincially.
Manning said Reformers are free to do what they want provincially. In Alberta, for example, many provincial Conservatives hold federal Reform membership cards.
“We’d like to stick to the federal arena and let our people do what they want to do provincially,” he said. “This is a federal party.”
Close to three-quarters of Reform delegates from the Prairies supported the decision not to create provincial parties.
