Elections: Part II, the Canadian Alliance


© David Newman

Alright, week two of election watch. This week we check out the Canadian Alliance (formerly the Reform Party of Canada).

The Canadian Alliance is the reformed Reform Party. The same Reform Party that surprised us all when they became the third party in 1993 and the Official Opposition in 1997. After a few conventions it was decided that there should be an unification of the Right, between the Tories (Progressive Conservatives) and the Reformers. Whereas the Reform party became the new party with a bunch of Tories jumping ship, the Tories remained a party. The name of the new party is the Canadian Alliance. After a leadership race, Stockwell Day became Opposition leader and is now running a campain for the upcoming election.

Stockwell Day was born in Barrie, Ontario and grew up in Montreal. He lived in many regions of Canada including North West Territories, BC, and the Maritimes. He studied at the University of Victoria. In 1986 Dayrepresented Red Deer to the Alberta Legislature as a Progressive Conservative for the first time. He's held the spot until he joined the Canadian Alliance. He's had many different roles with the Tories such as Chief Whip, Government House Leader, Minister of Labour, Minister of Social Services. From 1997 until his election as leader of the Alliance, he was the Provincial Treasurer of Alberta.

The Alliance's campain resembles the Liberals in two ways. Tax cuts are often mentioned and there's much bashing of the other party. A large section of the Caps' (Canadain Alliance Party -hehe- whatever, this party needs a nickname, I'm not going to write Canadian Alliance all the time. All right, I'll just write CA) platform includes cutting waste spending and a concentration on paying down the debt faster than the Liberals would do it and spending where Canadians would want the money to go and so the've decided to either stop or reduce spending into these programs or companies: Human Ressources Development, Heritage (which includes CBC TV), Canadian International Development, Regional Development, Public Works Department, VIA Rail, Petro-Canada, and the CBC (only CBC Radio will be kept), Department of Indian and Northern Development and other various grants and contributions. Also on the economic front, is the reform of the Employment Insurances which will become shorter and less frequent to help people get secure jobs. Tax cuts for Families will be put in place and health transfers will be restored to the 1995 level as well as paying the debt down by $6million a year.

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages

3.   Nov 9, 2000 2:56 PM
Perhaps its due to his lack of fluency in the French language but I found Stockwell Day particularily Absent in the french leaders debate (the same goes to Alexa McDonough). I would have expected him ...

-- posted by habsdude


2.   Nov 1, 2000 4:39 AM
In response to message posted by Wolvie27:

I'm glad you enjoyed my article. The Bloc is a hard party to cover since they basical ...


-- posted by habsdude


1.   Oct 31, 2000 11:23 PM
A very well done article, I liked reading it. Covered most of the national Canadian issues going on this time 'round. I am waiting to read to next article on the Bloc for sure.

One question, could ...


-- posted by Wolvie27





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