Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday evening the new leader of the Canadian Alliance was chosen by its members. I congratulate Stephen Harper for the strength of his victory, for the clarity of his ideas and for the eagerness to tackle the Liberal government on the big issues of the day.
Most encouraging to me were early expressions of reaching out to others who are interested in building a principled conservative option. For the same reason, I also express my encouragement and my ongoing gratitude to the leader of the Progressive Conservatives, a man who is breaking new ground and taking new initiatives in an effort to build a democratic conservative alternative.
In the years leading up to the founding of our country, political coalitions sprung up and withered away with alarming consistency, mostly because their only purpose was to wrestle power into their own hands. However the great coalition, a coalition strong enough to usher into being a new and wonderful country, held together and was effective because it put the dreams and hopes of a nation at the top of its personal agenda.
Right now Canadians want a principled conservative option. Parliament desperately needs it and democracy demands it. I encourage both Stephen Harper and the leader of the Progressive Conservatives to put the hopes of the nation in first place and strive to put substance to the dreams of a better Canada.