Western Producer staff
In politics, does the end justify the means? Put another way, is it true that in politics, as in diplomacy, there are no friends, merely allies?
It is a question properly posed these days to Reform leader Preston Manning and some of Canada’s Progressive Conservative premiers.
As Canada’s political realignment continues to evolve, they all are entering into some strange alliances in pursuit of particular goals.
Let’s begin with Manning, whose career has been based in part on Senate-bashing.
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Last week, he called on the unelected Senate to kill the gun-control legislation already approved by the elected House of Commons.
Manning and fellow Reformers have been strong opponents of the gun-control bill, despite its popularity among many voters, so continued opposition from them is not a surprise.
The Senate, though, seems like a strange ally for a “populist” party like Reform. Consider that Reformers have argued for years it is an illegitimate patronage haven, unconnected to the popular will. That is even more true in this Parliament, in which the Senate is controlled by hold-overs from the thoroughly discredited and repudiated Mulroney Conservative years.
Yet in the face of the popular will, as reflected by the Commons, Reform wants this unaccountable body to kill the bill.
Strange allies, if not friends.
Then, there is the odd case of the apparent alliance between Manning and the new Tory premier of Ontario.
The two met in Ottawa last week and proclaimed themselves ideological blood brothers on just about every issue they raised, from Quebec to cutting spending and welfare costs.
This makes sense from Manning’s point of view.
He needs to break through into Ontario in the next election and if he could convince most of the 46 percent of Ontarians who voted Mike Harris into office that Reform is his equivalent nationally, Reform could be on its way.
It always has been Manning’s strategy to build a base in part by converting former Tory supporters.
Harris’s agenda, motives and strategy are less clear.
He alleges he is committed to helping rebuild the national Conservative Party but appears willing to use whatever friend or ally he can find to fight his battles federally. Party labels mean little.
This is in sharp contrast to Alberta’s Ralph Klein, who has been cool to Reform (although their platforms at time seem indistinguishable) and very loyal to national Tory leader Jean Charest in his campaign to recapture past glories by tilting at the windmills that stand in his way – windmills like past Tory policies that keep reminding voters of why they thrashed the Conservatives in 1993.
Harris appears to believe that the goal of disseminating his conservative message throughout the land is important enough that any ally is acceptable.
This is the kind of attitude that could lead to an amalgamation into, say, the Progressive Reform Party.
Strange friends and allies indeed.