Why I'm a Liberal

After sending out an e-mail to all my friends last night (and apparently a few people who aren't) I got an e-mail or two back asking me why I'm a Liberal, or as it was put most tactfully: "how unconditional is your support for the Liberals?" It also turns out that back home there's a prayer team committed to saving my soul from Liberalism.

I thought that before I turn my attention to the election that's just getting going, I might discuss my partisanship somewhat.

The Liberal Party of Canada...

Let me put a disclaimer at the top of this: No one is going to agree with everything a party does or says all of the time. I'd also like to add this, no party has a monopoly on patriotism, I'm confident that the Conservatives and the NDP care about Canada as much as we do, even if sometimes it's hard to say.

Since before I've known anything about Canadian politics, the Liberal party has been the only party in the country to represent all of the regions. It is my hope that this will not continue to be the case but the "regionalisation" of Canadian politics has been one of its saddest facts for a decade or two. For me, the Liberal Party is the home of Laurier and of Pearson. In my mind the Liberal party exists as a tradition, one whose successes include Bilingualism, Medicare, Peacekeeping, Multilateralism, and programs which support those least able to support themselves. So in this sense, I'm fairly unconditional in seeing myself as a member of this same tradition.

It's because I want to be a part of that tradition that I'm a member of the Liberal Party. It's the vehicle I've chosen to make a difference in Canadian Public Policy. The fact is that political parties are democratic institutions and they are responsive to their membership. There are many issues in the party where I hold the minority viewpoint and when it comes to these issues I work hard to change minds and fight for change and I've had some sucesses. Do governments make mistakes: Yes. Have the Liberals governed perfectly: No. Do I still believe that Paul Martin and his cabinet will do a better job than Stephen Harper and Peter Mackay: YES!

For me all political choices revolve around the idea that "Politics is the art of the possible." Politics is about doing the best of the available options and then in meantime, between choices, working to improve the options. Would I like to see Canada's aid targets raised: Yes. Do I believe that the Liberal government should continue to improve ethics and accountability in government: Yes. For me political choices are almost always more complicated than I want them to be and they never come down to a simple yes or no.

I've avoided political theory and election platforms in defending my party but I would like to add one more thing. In democracies, there is often a gap between the skills one needs to govern well and the skills one needs to get elected. This is why I'm comfortable with full time political organisers and with parachute candidates. The fact is that a guy like Michael Ignatieff wouldn't get elected unless people who knew politics better than he does helped. Same goes for a guy like Allan Cutler. That's the real reason that when it comes to election time, I invest time and energy in the great team of Candidates running for the Liberal party. This time around I'm working to help Minister David Emerson get re-elected in the riding of Vancouver-Kingsway. Let me tell you, I've never been prouder of a candidate in my life and we're going to win it.