Conservatives and the Road to Freedom

erin o'toole conservatives and the road to freedom

Erin O’Toole was turfed from Conservative party leadership last week as MPs mutinied against his middle-of-the-road approach to the Freedom Convoy and its occupation of Ottawa. Discontent with O’Toole’s leadership had been simmering since his loss in September’s federal election after he unsuccessfully positioned both himself and the Conservative party as moderates.

With the search on for a new leader, the CPC is almost certainly destined to pull a hard right as it chases PPC voters with the aim of bringing them under its banner. However, such a move is likely to sideline moderate Conservatives, fomenting more dissent and distrust between party factions.

As the battle for control of the CPC begins yet again, it’s worth noting a group that fears itself as much as its opponents has a lot more to lose than an election cycle. While fear lights no roads, warms no hearts, or calms no souls, it does change minds—and not in a good way. The division that results from such fear is devastating to the morale of everyone involved.

In 2003, the CPC was founded on the premise that unity won elections, yet the party hasn’t done that in a decade. It’s time conservatives considered uniting around a new defining value: freedom.

As in the freedom to exist apart from one another and still hold power, not as one entity but as two. Rather than being a single, large party that directly competes with the Liberals under First Past the Post, Conservatives should look to become two mid-sized parties that coalition together under Proportional Representation. This would allow the two parties to cater to the different needs of voters on the Right, obtain a larger percentage of the vote, and offer their members a sense of self-determination and autonomy; things a united Conservative Party is unlikely to deliver under First Past the Post.

As Conservatives begin the search for a new leader, they should consider that uniting a fractured right is not guaranteed to win them the next election. Instead of engaging in an eternal tug-of-war for the soul of the party, conservatives should free one another to become drivers of their own destiny. Only then will they discover that the road to freedom begins with Proportional Representation.


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first past the post empowers extremists

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Opponents of proportional representation often claim that first-past-post protects us from extremists having a voice and influence in Parliament. One look at the freedom convoy in Ottawa—particularly its leaders and high profile, elected supporters―should put that fantasy to rest.

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policy lurch in ontario is money down the drain

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Last week’s report by the Narwhal highlighted the latest round of lawsuits facing the Ford government over its abrupt, ideologically-driven cancellation of Ontario’s cap and trade program.

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fair vote canada's submission to the yukon special committee on electoral reform

Watch FVC’s Submission to the Yukon Special Committee on Electoral Reform

On January 26, 2022, Fair Vote Canada presented to the Yukon’s Special Committee on Electoral Reform. You can view the written submission, slide deck and video of the presentation by clicking here.

The Yukon News has also been reporting on the committee for local residents. View the latest update >


ranked ballots benefit the liberals

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Democratic Reform in the News

Canadians from across the political spectrum have been commenting on the state of the Conservative Party and the need for electoral reform. Here’s what they have to say:


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On October 16, 2003, Peter MacKay, leader of the Progressive Conservatives and Stephen Harper, leader of the Canadian Alliance, announced a merger of the parties; this gave way to the birth of the new Conservative Party of Canada. Stephen Harper won the leadership for the Conservative Party and became the first conservative Prime Minister since 1993.