From: svanegmo@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Stephen Van Egmond)
Subject: Re: Reform Party
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 19:07:16 GMT

The Reform party originally began its lifetime in the Western provinces as
a protest party against the the somewhat lopsided way in which the Canadian
Parliament operated.  They found that the Canadian universe revolved far too
much around Ontario and Quebec, and that many policies did not mesh well with
Western desires.

Since then, they have expanded their campaigning to all 10 provinces (with
a very limited presence in Quebec, for reasons which will be explained).

The party is very much for the rights of the individual.  They are somewhere
near a libertarian position.  They are the only political party in Canada
which puts all of its principles and policies on paper for prospective voters
to judge.  Membership is open to anyone, regardless of who they are, where
they're from, or what language they speak.

I'm not about to put in all 40-odd pages of their policy book, but to give
you a rough idea, I will include here their "Statement of Principles" section.

1. WE affirm the need to establish a Triple-E Senate in the Parliament of
Canada - that is to say, a Senate which is Elected by the people [it curently
isn't], with Equal representation from each Province, and which is fully
Effective in safeguarding regional interests.  [This is as a result of the
National Energy Program, the mentioning of which will make any Westerner's
blood boil; they argue that if the West had more of a voice in the Commons,
the NEP would never have passed, saving everyone a lot of headaches.]

2. WE affirm that political parties should be guided by stated values and
principles which are shared by their members and rooted in the political 
beliefs of Candians.

3. We believe in dynamic and constructive change - in a renewal of the
"reform tradition" of Canadian politics. [Not much has changed in 30 years,
except for the size of our debt.]

4. We believe that Canada's identity and vision for the future should be
rooted in and inspired by a fresh appreciation of "our land" and the 
supreme importance to our well-being of exploring, developing, renewing, and
conserving our nature resources and physical environment.

5. We believe that the people of Canada are this country's most valuable
resource, and that the nurture and development of human knowledge, skills,
and relationships are the keys to full participation in the knowledge-based
service economy of the 21st century.

6. We affirm the value and dignity of the individual person and the importance
of strengthening and protecting the family unit as essential to the well-being
of individuals and society.

7. WE believe that every individual, group, province and region in Canada is
entitled to fundamental justice, and that fundamental justice entitles the
people of each region to benefit equally, without discrimination, from
participation in Confederation and from the programs and expenditures of
the Government of Canada.

8. We believe in the value of enterprise and initiative, and that governments
have a responsibility to foster and protect an environment in which initiative
and enterprise can be exerrcised by individuals and groups.

9. We believe that the creation of wealth and productive jobs for Canadians
is best achieved through the operations of a responsible, broadly-based,
free-enterprise economy in which private property, freedom of contract, and
the operations of free markets are encouraged and respected.

10. We believe that Canadians have a personal and collective responsibility to
care and provide for the basic needs of people who are _unable_ to care
and provide for themselves.  (My underlines: unable as opposed to unwilling.)

11. We believe in freedom of conscience and religion, and the right of Canadi-
ans to advocate, without fear of intimidation or suppression, public policies
which reflect their most deeply held values.

12. We believe that public policy in democratic societies should reflect the
will of the citizens as determined by free and fair elections, referenda, and
the decisions of legally constituted and representative Parliaments and
Assemblies elected by the people.

13.  WE believe that the interest of minorities and the poeple of the under-
populated regions of Canada should be safeguarded by constitutional guarantees
and parliamentary institutions which effectively balance representation
by population with regional representation.

14. We believe in the common sense of the common people, their right to be
consulted on public matters before major decisions are made, their right to
choose their own leaders and to govern themselves through truly representative
and responsible institutions, and their right to directly initiate legis-
lations for which substantial public support is demonstrated.

15. We believe in accountability of elected representatives to the people
who elect them, and that the duty of electd members to their constituents 
should supersede their obligations to their political parties. [Yeah!!!]

16. WE believe that the legitimate role of government is to do for people
whatever they need to have done, but cannot do at all - or do as well - 
for themselves individually or through non-governmental organizations.

17.  We believe in public service - that governments, civil servants, poli-
ticians and political parties exist to serve the people, and that they should
demonstrate this service commitment at all times.

18.  We believe that public money should be regarded by governments as "funds
held in trust," and that governments should practice fiscal responsibility -
in particular the responsibility to balance expenditures and revenues.

19.  We affirm our commitment to the rule of the law, and to the concept that
governments and law-makers arenot above the law.

20.  We believe tha tCanada's conduct in international as well as domestic
affairs should be consistent with the above principles.

21. We believe that Canadians shouls seek to maximize the benefits of our 
unique geographic and economic relationship with the Unites States, and that
the establishment of more positive relations wiht the U.S. need not in any
way impair Canada's national soverignty or cultural identity.

Major policy highlights:

+ The defeat of a bill in parliament would not entail an automatic election.
+ The government must balance its budget within 3-year period, or it must
  call an election on the issue.

+ Constituents dissatisfied with a current MP should have the right to recall 
  him/her.

+ Citizens have the right to initiate _and_pass_ their own legislation, 
  circumnavigating parliament entirely: If 3% of the people sign a petition,
  Elections Canada is obliged to hold a referendum, and if it passes, it's law.

+ Agricultural subsidies should be slowly eliminated; countries with whom we
  trade who do not do the same should be faced with duties on their products.

+ A single tax-rate applied to all taxpayers regardless of income.

+ Privatization of all crown corporations, with the money received going to 
  pay off the debt, not into general expenditures.

+ Elimination of the current patchwork of social programs, with the creation
  of one built around households, possible a Guaranteed Annual Income.  The
   objective is not to reduce the effectiveness of the programs, but more
  to reduce the bureaucracy that administers them.  Other alternatives include
  Negative Income Tax, and other options based on a new income tax system.

+ The natives of Canada should not be segregated on reserves or by the
  Department of Native Affairs.  The DNA should be elminated, with appropriate
  measures to help Natives form their own agencies, or to encourage them
  to participate in Canada's economic life and particularly to encourage
  Natives to achieve a state of self-reliance, just like any other citizen.

+ The Reform Party thinks the "french and the english created this country" is
  a poor reflection of modern Canada.  They think services should no longer be
  exclusively in English and French, but in the user's choice -- mostly driven
  by regional aspects.  I.E. Why offer french in the Chinese district of
  Vancouver?  Why not offer Chinese instead?

+ Personal bilingualism is in now way discouraged.  Bilingual pay bonuses for
  federal civil servants should be eliminated.

+ Protection of various cultures, currently, handled by the Dept. of Multi-
  culturalism should lie on the shoulders of those cultures.  Governments
  should not fund particular cultural events, they should be self-sufficient.
  Reform takes the view that Culture is none of the Government's god damn
  business.

+ Immigrants should posess the abilities to function independently in some
  part of the Canadian job market, rather than heading straight for social
programs, as can sometimes happen.  "Immigrants should possess the human
capital to adjust quickly and independently to the needs of the Canadian
job market."

+ Refugees, under the U.N. definition of "refugee", are welcome.  People who
  try to "smuggle" people in without the knowledge of Immigration should face
  severe penalties.

+ All changes to immigration should be put to referendum.

+ Moral decision-making: MPs should state their views clearly on subject like
  abortion.  They should seek to determine their constitutents' view on the
  subejct, and when a measure on the subject comes up, they should vote
  their constituents' view on it; if such a view is not clear, they should
  vote their publically stated opinion on the subject.

Any questions?

The Reform Party of Canada
#600, 833-4th Avenue S.W.
Calgary, AB  T2P 0K5

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