Mr. Speaker, this week the member for Calgary--Nose Hill, an Alliance leadership hopeful, unveiled her plan to reunite democratic conservatives. It marks perhaps the most specific plan yet on how to bring principled conservatives together in an electoral coalition designed to seriously challenge the federal Liberals in the next election.
This is what the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party had to say about the plan. He said “I think it is a very constructive step that she has taken. It certainly reflects the kind of co-operation that I want to see achieved”.
Alliance Party members have not stood in the way of co-operation. They voted recently to merge with the PCs. Neither have the PCs been a problem. In fact, the PC leader and the PC caucus have gone out of their way to not only talk about unity but to demonstrate how it can be done.
It is becoming obvious that several, or two at least, Alliance leadership candidates are also prepared to make unity a priority for their campaigns. In other words, co-operation is possible and the Liberal government's recent actions prove once again why democracy needs a viable political option and it needs it now.
Principled conservatives have a unique opportunity to champion the unity cause by supporting a unity candidate in the upcoming Alliance leadership race, and I urge all members to do so in the upcoming contest.