Delegates Had Their Say. Will The Caucus Listen?

Resolution P-203, to strip the CHRC of its powers to adjudicate "hate speech" / "hurt feelings" complaints, has passed with nearly unanimous support - only 10 delegates out of over 2000 voted against it. A resolution in support of the Unborn Victims Of Crime Act (P-207) has also received a strong majority support.

Among other resolutions that passed, were proposals to crack down on violent criminals, to protect workers' rights not to associate with the unions, to simplify the tax code and to introduce income splitting for families with children. Finally, we have the Conservative party embracing real Conservative policies. But can we count on the Conservative caucus in the House of Commons to at least try to pass those policies into laws?

The resolutions are not binding on Prime Minister Harper or his Conservative caucus, but they allowed party faithful to reaffirm their right-of-centre policy leanings.

"While it forms the basis of our policy discussion, it can't hamstring us from addressing the issues as they develop," said MP Jay Hill, the Conservative House leader in the Commons.

That was a polite way of saying the Harper cabinet will very selectively pick and choose when it rolls out a new throne speech Wednesday for the coming session of Parliament.

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I don't really mind the throne speech - which is a mere formality. But what I want to see is a Conservative government doing its best to pass at least the most supported resolutions into law. If not - they better don't complain when many more voters find a polite way of saying "I don't need a party that is Conservative in principle only" by staying home on election day.