Stockwell Day's New Alliance
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Stockwell Day's New Alliance Contents Contents Now that Canada has a new political party and a new political leader on the national scene, the political landscape in Canada has shifted again. As a Introduction harbinger of the forthcoming federal election, the emergence of the Alliance and a new and relatively youthful leader raises the question of how this renewal of part of the political right in Canada will affect the overall political Is Everything Old New Again? dynamic. Stockwell Day, however, like his predecessor Preston Manning, faces the critical challenge of making a western-based party into a strong A Rough Transition national contender against the ruling Liberals, who in the past have been able to benefit from a political split on the right. The formation of the new "alliance," Another Hard Right Turn? Day's election as party leader, and the two by-elections that he and Joe Clark will contest form the backdrop for examining once again Canada's political and social history. How the System Works A Good Reason For Uniting the Right? Separation of Church and State? Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions Index Contents Introduction Is Everything Old New Again? A Rough Transition Another Hard Right Turn? How the System Works A Good Reason For Uniting the Right? Separation of Church and State? Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions Index Comprehensive News in Review Study Modules Using both the print and non-print material from various issues of News in Review, teachers and students can create comprehensive, thematic modules that are excellent for research purposes, independent assignments, and small group study. We recommend the stories indicated below for the universal issues they represent and for the archival and historic material they contain. "The Clean Air Act," December 1990 "Environmental Cleanups: Who Pays?" Oct. 1998 "Sour Gas: Alberta Stand-off," September 1999 Other Related Videos Available from CBC Learning Does Your Resource Collection Include These CBC Videos? Water: To The Last Drop Howe Sound: Poisoned Waters Canada's Water Supply (series) Watershed Stockwell Day's New Alliance Introduction Contents In July 2000, the Canadian Alliance Party selected the charismatic Stockwell Day to be their new leader, replacing Preston Manning, creator and only leader Introduction of its predecessor the Reform Party of Canada. The Alliance is not only the offspring of the Reform Party but also embodies and perpetuates its particular and fundamental principle of political reform. To date it has been a remarkable Is Everything Old New Again? success story in its own right.Whereas the Reform Party was a grassroots political movement, with a base in Western Canada that fought its way up the A Rough Transition political ladder to become the second largest party and Official Opposition in Parliament, the Alliance Party was formed directly on centre stage, and as the Another Hard Right Turn? name suggests, is an attempt to create an allied conservative political force. Canadians whose political leanings are on the right of the political spectrum had begun to despair that there was no way of unseating the governing How the System Works Liberals. Former leader Preston Manning and the Reform Party appeared doomed to remain, despite great efforts, a Western regional party with few A Good Reason For Uniting the opportunities for obtaining parliamentary seats in Ontario, Quebec, or the Right? Maritimes. However, since his advent, Stockwell Day has demonstrated both during and after the leadership campaign that he can attract attention and support on a national level. Whether or not he can win a federal election Separation of Church and State? remains to be seen but he certainly has members of the other parties looking over their shoulders. Most recently, two key Conservative members of Discussion, Research, and Parliament and even some Bloc Québécois members have moved over to the Essay Questions Alliance. Day is considered young, photogenic, and personable. In his varied Index professional life he has been, among other roles, an auctioneer, a Christian school administrator, a Pentecostal minister, and Alberta's treasurer, all of which have contributed skills and characteristics that make up his particular political style. In terms of media coverage and public appearances, he projects himself as a warm and sincere person, speaking without notes and directly to his audiences. He is known for his humour and spontaneity. Forty-nine years of age, he is new to the federal political scenewhat some consider a distinct political advantagewhereas politicians such as Prime Minister Chrétien, who is 66, started his career decades ago. Stockwell Day has also gained political credibility as a national candidate because he has lived in most of Canada's provinces. He attended high school in Montreal and speaks French. He eventually settled in Red Deer, Alberta, and his supporters claim that he therefore can truly understand the concerns of many regions of Canada and is therefore a truly national leader. More than any other federal politician in recent history, Day's religious beliefs have received considerable public attention. This is largely due to the number of religious references he makes in his public addresses as well as some of the social policies he has endorsed. He is a member of the Pentecostal church and accepts as a matter of faith that the Bible is the literal, infallible word of God. Day's critics are concerned that his religious views will unduly influence his policies if the Alliance forms the government. Socially conservative groups such as pro-life organizations hope that this is true. However, some Alliance strategists, and even Preston Manning himself, suggested during the leadership race that Day's conservative social agenda could overshadow Alliance fiscal policies, making the party unelectable. Although Stockwell Day and the Alliance Party have not been forced to provide too many details about their platform, early indications are that they represent a credible threat to both of Canada's founding parties: the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives. Contents Introduction Is Everything Old New Again? A Rough Transition Another Hard Right Turn? How the System Works A Good Reason For Uniting the Right? Separation of Church and State? Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions Index Comprehensive News in Review Study Modules Using both the print and non-print material from various issues of News in Review, teachers and students can create comprehensive, thematic modules that are excellent for research purposes, independent assignments, and small group study. We recommend the stories indicated below for the universal issues they represent and for the archival and historic material they contain. "The Clean Air Act," December 1990 "Environmental Cleanups: Who Pays?" Oct. 1998 "Sour Gas: Alberta Stand-off," September 1999 Other Related Videos Available from CBC Learning Does Your Resource Collection Include These CBC Videos? Water: To The Last Drop Howe Sound: Poisoned Waters Canada's Water Supply (series) Watershed Stockwell Day's New Alliance Is Everything Old New Again? Contents "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." This is a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby. It Introduction comes to mind because the Alliance Party is a new political force that wants Canada to return to the values and economics of the past when Canada had fewer regulations, surplus budgets, and when religious institutions and the Is Everything Old New Again? nuclear family were considered cornerstones of society. The Alliance Party seemingly goes against the current because most Canadians favour the A Rough Transition Liberal platform. Resistance to the Alliance platform comes from critics, small-L liberal interest groups, and for the most part, the Eastern electorate, who worry Another Hard Right Turn? that minorities and the less fortunate will fare poorly under a neo-conservative government. How the System Works Who then has the right formula for leading Canada in the 21st century? Stockwell Day has emphasized family, faith, and fiscal responsibility, all A Good Reason For Uniting the laudable goals. Yet he and the Alliance Party have been roundly criticized by Right? some for the effects their goals would have. The other two main political parties of concern are the Progressive Conservatives and the Liberals. With the Separation of Church and State? creation of the Alliance, the Conservatives have come up against a rival party and are gamely struggling as they face either absorption into the Alliance if they accept Day's invitation to fully "unite the right," or continued Discussion, Research, and marginalization if their supporters drift away into other parties. The Liberals, Essay Questions while openly confident about winning the next election, are pondering changes to their own platform to counter Alliance-generated issues. Index Who's Where? As you watch this News in Review report, make point-form notes of the people and key policies you see and hear mentioned in the video in order to obtain an overview of the current political landscape in Canada. You may wish to divide your notepaper into three columns: right, left, and centre. When you have finished compare your results with those of others. The Heir Apparent During a second viewing, work in small groups and formulate answers to the following questions: 1. What influence did Ernest Manning have on his son's creation