The Silencing of the Lambs ...

In the many months leading up to the conclusion of the "Unite the Right" movement in Canadian politics, some Tories created a website called the "Red Tory Council," which was to be a place where Tories could e-congregate and sort out the many, many issues that could arise from the unification of the two parties, or the continuation of a separate PC party.

It is my understanding that the website was an asset of the PC Party, or at least affiliated with it in some official manner, and after unification in December 2003 the website continued as a sort of "ginger group" within the CPC world as an organised voice for Toryism and Red Toryism within the new party.

Sometime in the Summer of 2005, the Red Tory URL directed users to something called "The Conservative Council."

I decided to contact the administrators of the site for an explanation, and here is the correspondence (my real name x'ed out of course ...) :

14/08/05
Sir and/or Madam:

I am a Grantian Tory and not a Harper Conservative, the latter of which is clearly driven by the Americanophile Calgary School of thought. Your organisation is changing the name of our Website. So I ask you: Is this still the "Red Tory Council," or has it been co-opted by the neo-conservatives of the CPC Central Party organization? I would like to become more active in the backrooms of Political Discourse in the Dominion, but I am fundamentally opposed to the neo-conservative agenda.

I am a Canadian and an adherent of Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir Robert Borden, George Grant, John Farthing, Leslie Frost, John Robarts, Peter Lougheed, and E. Davie Fulton. Do I have a political home anymore ? Is that home here ? Or not ?

Respectfully yours,

xxxxx xxxxx
Manitoba

Here is the reply that I received the next day ...

15/08/05
XXXXX,

Thanks for your feedback. We simply changed the name from Red Tory Council to Conservative Council to show that we welcome input, ideas and suggestions from conservatives from all three legacy parties. Our membership includes former PC, former CA and former Reform supporters. Our agenda is one of moderation, fiscal responsibility, and tolerance on social issues. We believe the party must offer an alternative to Canadians that is not one with any specific ideological or social agenda - but is rather one of inclusion, responsibility and vision.

I hope you'll continue to support our efforts.

Thanks again for your interest.

Rick Peterson
Chair, Conservative Council

Nice "Motherhood" statement eh? Nice load of BS too, I might add. Also note, that good ol' Rick never answered my question, but instead hit me with a piece of platitude plywood.

Now, when you go to http://www.conservativecouncil.ca/ you find a website dedicated to spin in the hope of a Harper majority. They even discuss the idea and merits of privatised healthcare ... among other Harperista dogma.

And when you go to http://www.redtory.ca/ ??? Well try it out for yourself ...

Do you believe in symbolism? I certainly do.