Why I support the Conservatives

Many people that know me wonder how I could be supporting Stephen Harper and the Conservatives - I was a rather left wing radical in my youth and still hang out with many of these people.

It is easy to explain, no other party in Canada comes to close to meeting my political interests.

• The Federal Liberal party is a completely top down organization - there is no space for a grass roots aspect to the party.
• The party does not allow its MPs to act independently - Joe Comuzzi is just the latest example.
• The party has not plan for how they would govern Canada - and is most worrisome is that this was true while they were government.
• They are not in favour of more democracy in Canada - an elected senate, equal representation in the house of commons, a better electoral system, local control of nominations and getting all non-voters out of the election process
• They do not understand the emerging economy of Canada

• The Federal NDP is behold to the provincial parties - mainly BC, Sask, Manitoba and Ontario
• The party will not allow any MP to ever act as they feel is right - caucus solidarity is more important than good representation
• They are not willing to support immediate moves for a more democratic system of governance - note what they did not manage in 2005 when they had the chance
• They are no longer populist at all, but are even more elitist than the Liberals
• They have economic ideas that are simply put completely discredited
• They have very few strong candidates willing to run for them
• I have no idea what their agenda is.
• They seem to have forgotten that the west is important

• The Green Party is still too much of a mess with where they are headed politically
• The party has little chance to elect anyone
• The party has too many wingnuts around
• Economics and the Greens - there are some people that make good noises, but most are old style leftists

What I want are the following things:

• A "let business be" approach
• Less government regulation
• A reduction of what the federal government does
• An elected and effective Senate
• A house elected by STV and with each MP representing the same number of people
• A recognition of the importance of BC and Alberta within Canada
• A willingness to majorly reform CPP and OAP and EI - make them all revenue neutral and properly funded
• More free trade
• end to all business subsidies
• Sell off all government assets - make it bare bones
• legalize all drugs
• Get rid of the military - I am a Quaker and a pacifist
  

There are more things, but thing basically populist libertarian with a strong distrust of large government systems.

When I was young I described myself as an anarchist - I wanted to smash the state. Now I just want to dismantle the state.