Scrutiny of the Liberals' website this week inspires a big sigh. One headline notes that Jean Chretien, a man many Canadians would rather forget, has been appointed to the Order of Canada.
Another asserts Canada "deserves a government it can trust" -- hardly the savviest message from a party that authored the sponsorship scandal.
"Justice, Fairness and Hope for Canada's Aboriginal People" only serves to remind that under past Liberal governments money gushed into aboriginal coffers with little to show for it.
Finally, the Grit website features a promise that Liberals will restore funding to promote Canadian culture abroad. Can you think of anyone other than a domestic culture vulture who'd regard this as a motivation to vote Liberal?
It has been a year and a half since Liberals got booted from office. It's time they started getting their act together and advertised what the new Grit team -- featuring new faces like Martha Hall-Findlay, Justin Trudeau and Bob
I don't necessarily disagree with the idea that the Liberal Party needs to step up with some interesting ideas, that generates enthusiasm. However, if we are to use party websites as evidence to support a thesis, then what does the Conservative Party website tell us?
Apparently, the Conservatives are "Getting Things Done For All Of Us". Scroll down to find the laundry list of accomplishments and ideas and you almost think you are at the Liberal Party website. There are FIVE seperate items with pictures of Stephane Dion, which is exactly THREE more than the Prime Minister. If you squint enough you can find some policy, but the overall imagery is a barrage of negativity, directed at the Liberals. Does "Getting Things Done" mean finding a myriad of ways to attack Dion's character? On the plus side, the unintentionally laughable "Kyoto's Dog Blog" looks to have finally been neutered (I'm sure the eight people who still read it are disappointed- sorry Kate).
I agree, websites give us a flavor. The Liberals appear bland and uninspiring. The Conservatives appear mean-spirited and negative. My apologies for leaving out the NDP website, but I really wasn't up for a moral sermon from Mt. Pure today.
9 comments:
Aw, come on now. The con's have a boutique!
Honestly, that site is so ugly, at least the Lib's looks good, but I won't disagree with your overall view of it.
I think there is a fair bit of substance there, if you look below the surface, but it would be nice to see some of it begin to be packaged and promoted, succinctly.
"Aw, come on now. The con's have a boutique!"
Keep my credit card away from me!
We have a government that is out of ideas and without a script that it has proven it desparately needs.
To win the next election they are going to have to look Liberal but that goes totally against their instincts. Therefore, they will have great difficulties coming up with such policies.
It is summer time and Canadians are not paying attention to politics and they will not do so unless something really earth shattering occurs.
With all of those factors in mind why would the Liberal Party want to introduce any new policy ideas. No one except the Conservatives will be paying attention and Canadians would ignore them until the Conservatives introduced them in a Throne Speech in the fall.
The Liberals articulated many position in the spring regarding a whole host of issues and they should be using those as fodder for the summer circuit. In particular the Liberals arrived at a position that most Canadians seem to like regarding Afghanistan before Canadians did. The Liberals should be shouting that from the rooftops.
There will be a time and place to introduce new Liberal policy ideas and proposals but now is not the time.
ottlib, I thought I was being paranoid in not coming out full force for policy now.
I confess though, I've been feeling like a 5 year old thinking, "are we there yet?", all the while thinking, they'll just steal the ideas.
There has to be a happy medium. Perhaps the Lib's could come out with what the con's could never support as firm platform stuff?
I think there is solid policy there that will be refined. The con's on the other hand are trolling for ideas, that in my opinion, will sate the masses, while not making the con's lose their lunch. Tall order.
As I said KNB, the Liberals announced some ideas during the spring session. Of course, most people ignored them because they are the opposition.
There is enough there to provide enough meat for the BBQ circuit. After all for most of these events people are not going to listen to political speeches.
As well, like I said, the Liberals were ahead of public opinion on the extension of the Afghan mission so they should be trumpeting that to anybody that will listen.
When the fall comes and the Conservatives present the Liberal position as their own it will be much to late.
Dion is going to be in my area, on the bbq circuit, in the next few days. I've resisted, 250$ a plate I think, but they'll all be there, Rae, Kennedy, Hall-Findley, so maybe. I'd like to hear how they sound.
Now I have to convince my partner, $250 times 2.
I'll let you all know.
I agree the Cons need ideas and have been quite willing to steal the libs policy ideas in the past. I think it justs gives them desperately needed fodder.
Steve Good post.
If you want interesting websites go look at the American marketing campaigns on the different sites.
I can buy a t-shirt that says "Clintonov" or another that says fREDneck. Now that's marketing.
KNB,
The LPC has to be OK with their ideas getting stolen. Really.
Aren't you glad the old Clean Air Act has changed? The Liberal's came out with a policy, it was a good idea to do so. How about The initial Liberal policy on Afghanistan?
A workable plan would be for the LPC to build policy positions then praise the CPC when they adopt them. The voters see this and the LPC slowly regains the credibility with voters.
At some point (you are convinced, anyway) the voters will have had enough of the CPC and they will see the Liberal's as clearly a government in waiting.
Its a win win. And who knows, if the LPC actually comes out with decent policy positions maybe guys like me start to support them.
If they just criticize the CPC then the chances of my supporting them is pretty much zero.
Tomm
The Conservative have no policies - when challenged on CTV's QP today, Goldie Hyder (Mr. Obnoxious) said they don't need policies because they are governing and getting things done. Talk about a non-answer.
Well, they really haven't gotten much done and they haven't truly governed yet because they have to wait for the polls.
The Liberals would be stupid to put out all their policies right now - it would give the Conservatives to trash them in some way or copy and rename - not rocket science.
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