Sand in the Shorts: I am a conservative

This column appeared in the April 9th, 2011 Intelligencer


  I am a conservative.

   Contrary to the suggestions of some, I do not sport horns, carry instruments of torture, and hail from Hell. Nor am I possessed by such.

   I am not a closet American, nor do I have a Republican party membership( but I do admire some for being true to their conservative beliefs) and a secret shrine to Karl Rove at which I pray daily, nor are my ideas inspired by a desire to emulate our southern neighbours.

   I have never been in the pocket of big business, sought to emulate Benito Mussolini, or dreamt of world domination (at least not seriously – outside a board or video game).

   I am not un-intelligent, un-Canadian, anti-woman, anti-science, or anti-environment.

But, unfortunately, I am portrayed as such by some, and so I thought it worthwhile to share a little about who I am.

   I believe in small government. Not no government. I believe that the government should be as small as possible, while being able to fulfil the roles assigned to it by Canadians. I believe those roles should be carefully considered, because sometimes the private sector simply can do a better job than the public sector, at a better price for taxpayers. My belief in being open to private sector involvement in the delivery of public services may be partly ideological, but my decision will ultimately be based on pure pragmatism.

   I believe in small government because I believe in individual freedom, and as government grows, history shows us, personal freedoms are infringed. I don't believe a bureaucrat in Ottawa or Toronto should be able to make decisions which arbitrarily restrict my ability to live as I see fit, and to exercise my basic human rights of speech and belief as I choose.

   I believe in the importance of education. An undereducated populace is always a danger to the continued good health of a vibrant democracy.

   I believe I am 'my brother's keeper', that I have a real responsibility to work to make sure those who are least able to care for and defend themselves in our nation are looked after – but not treated as pets, unable to care for or decide for themselves, but instead as independent human beings, with an eye towards giving a hand up so as to allow those in this situation to become self sufficient to the greatest degree possible.

   I believe in ensuring that Canada remains “the True North, Strong and Free”. That means I believe in maintaining a strong enough, modern and well equipped, military to carry out the duties required of it, and able to ensure our nation's ability to maintain the security of it's borders. I also believe that means it is important to be vigilant in the defence of our civil rights as individuals. The preservation of the Canadian nation is of no value if we as a nation have abandoned that which is essential to the very notion of our Canadian-ness. This means I believe in redistributing seats in Parliament on a regular basis to reflect changes in population.

   I believe we are a nation of individuals, not groups, so my value is neither diminished nor enhanced by my membership in any group, be it religious, ethnic, linguistic, etc., and as such the government should not attempt to diminish or enhance my position in society based on these same memberships.

   I believe that, as beings in time, we don't live in a vacuum. Canada has been shaped by cultural, geographic and religious forces, and we ought not ignore these as we seek to move forward, lest we risk the essence of the nation we have become. Part of this is the expectation that, while newcomers to Canada must have the freedom to build their new lives with minimal restrictions, there is an expectation that newcomers adapt to Canada and not the other way around, and that this expectation must be made clear to potential immigrants, so that they can have a clear picture of what to expect as they become Canadians.

   I believe Canada is the greatest nation on earth, and I believe these ideals are the ones which will help move our nation forward. How these ideals are understood or implemented is a separate matter. I hope this contributes to the political discussion now taking place in our country.

-first published in The Intelligencer, Belleville, ON on April 9, 2011 (under title "Who I Am and What I Believe)