I didn't make it down to Van City for the big conservative-palooza at the Vancouver Conference Centre. But from my friends' reports back and the stories that have come out of that weekend, it seems that there is a case for cautious optimism as the Conservative Party of Canada begins a process for renewal.
This is good news for everyone, from Red Tories to Blue Tories, as a renewal means that "untouchable" topics and ideas on both sides can finally be discussed.
There's a lot to cover here, so let me break this down.
First, Stephen Harper was the leader both the CPC and Canada needed. The modern Conservatives could not have survived without his message control and policy development, just as Canada finally got a PM who carried himself as a PM and not the resident dramatist of 24 Sussex as had become the norm and now is again. His legacy won't survive thanks to Trudeau 2, but his impression on Canadians will.
As the Right Honorable Harper highlighted in his own speech, the CPC is still united and it is still the only viable party to the right of every other in this country. On top of that, one need only look to the NDP to see what happens when factions become so intolerable to each other that civil war all but breaks out.
The NDP are done as a credible alternative to the Liberals for at least one cycle, maybe two. And that has serious implications for the Tories as well.
Tories have often been heard to say "I love a strong NDP" because when the leftwing vote is split, Tories can zip up the middle. Yet I've always been uncomfortable with this statement as I believe conservative policies should be strong enough on their own merit to attract a vast array of supporters.
In fact, that might be the simplest explanation of my lack of support for the Tories last cycle: having failed to deliver on so many promises and offering only fear, I couldn't vote for them.
Which brings us back to the central issue at hand - the winds of change and renewal that are making the Blue Tent expand again.
We've all heard about how much more open to the media this convention was, and that the same people voted to let same-sex marriage be accepted by the party while also voting against sex-selective abortions.
Those stories are much better addressed elsewhere, but in my own mind, it is the big picture that ultimately tells the tale.
The Conservative Party of Canada has come through its first term in power and its first generation of operatives.
It is time for CPC 2.0 and that party must be built around the mutual trust of members on conscience matters and a united front present on issues of principle: ending useless anti-gun laws, putting electoral reform to the people, elevating individual rights over identity politics, supporting our allies, simplifying taxation and investing in economic infrastructure.
As I've written so many times before, there is a place for "progressive" conservatism, and that place is utilizing modern means to preserve our cultural heritage that has seen more people rise out of poverty, live longer lives, and be free than any other system at any other time in the world.
Conservatives have nothing to be ashamed of when it comes our inherited values - free markets, property rights, small government - and the party needs to reflect it in policy and action.
All this to say that it sounds like the CPC and its various factions are ready to try and meet the challenges posed by Canada and the world in the 21st century in new, innovative ways.
From the leadership contestants to the voices of the grassroots, a clarion call for a new future for Canadian Conservatism is resounding and being heard by potential voters across the nation.
I've often said that right wing parties sometimes need to lose in order to discover their values again. And as Trudeau centralizes power in his party, there is a serious chance that the CPC will be seen as the party with vision and vigor in 2019.
John A. Macdonald would be proud.
