Letter to the Editor of the Oak Bay News (Victoria), 12 September 1998
I am writing in response to R. H. Eldridge’s letter (“Reformers showed intergrity”, September 11, 1998) in which he defends and applauds the Reform Party of Canada, stating that its member “show integrity, honesty, and ethics quite foreign to those in other political parties.”
I disagree fundamentally. I believe it is necessary to intelligently and intensely question the fundamental nature of the Reform Party of Canada.
A party willing to do whatever it takes to win votes, with Reform leader Preston Manning attacking the extravagancy of the opposition leader’s residence then moving into it himself, and many Reform M.P.’s promising to reject what they referred to as “gold-plated pensions” before opting back in to the plan.
A party without principles, with Nanaimo M. P. Paul Reitsma being forced to resign by his constituents for sending slanderous letters to the editor under a false name.
A party in favour of the re-implementation of capital punishment, a retrograde step leading to a more violent, less humane society.
A party indelibly linked to racism and homophobia, supporting a candidate who quoted Adolf Hitler in his 1993 campaign literature and a Member of Parliament who thought that black and homosexual employees should work “at the back of the shop.”
A party founded by an Alberta oil tycoon, constantly acting in the interests of capital and in direct opposition to the interests of the working class.
In my mind, the Reform Party of Canada is one of the most dangerous and counter-productive forces in our country today. In an age in which our nation and its people are crying out for peace, compassion, and community, the Reform Party is creating nothing but hatred, hostility, and pain.
