What He Said

Today I attended my second session of the Liberal Renewal Tour. It was, as I expected,  an unusual session. The main theme seemed to that of people who were doing there utmost to maintain faith in a party that has been in disarray. The objective of the sessions as I understand them is to gain insight into the concerns of the grassroots Liberals across NL. To that end it appears to be successful but I would imagine it would be an understatement to guess that they have heard the same things over and over again.

Of course I was not the only one in attendance as there were long time die hards and a few young Liberals as well, so the discussion was an interesting one, and even on the edge of being heated at times. And while the immense frustration was undeniable the positive thing that I left the session with was hope. I felt a collective passion for an improved party that could form a great government, but an understanding that we still have a ways to go. My concern is that these issues being raised are certainly not new and shouldn't be news to the Party leaders as many have been saying them for some time now. I hope that this series of discussions brings home the message of urgency and drive that many people feel about their participation in the Party.

One of the other folks in attendance was Peter Whittle from over at Polemic and Paradox and you can read his thoughts on the session here. It's certainly worth it to head over and have a read of his thoughts because I certainly feel his thoughts are shared by a great number of others across NL. There has to be significant and real change in the way Political Parties operate if they are to really gain back the trust of the average voter. And that doesn't come from rhetoric or from bashing the other parties/members, it comes from a genuine belief that the real objective is to from the best government possible based on sound policies and rooted in a legitimate democratic process. And that applies from the NL Govt to the Liberal Party of NL to each and every district association in the province. It is not just the best way forward, it's the only way.