MPs get letters: Conservative supporter ready to quit over census decision

Not everyone in the Conservative “base” seems pleased with federal government's census decision. Take Gary Reinsch, for example. He writes a letter to his MP, Mike Lake, a Conservative who represents an Edmonton riding, and sends copies of this letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Industry Minister Tony Clement and several reporters in which he notes that while he once supported the Tories he won't anymore. (And, as he doesn't like any of the alternatives, he's off creating his own party):

July 27, 2010

TO: Right Hon. Stephen Harper, Hon. Tony Clement and Mr. Mike Lake

I am writing this letter to advise you of what I believe to be a rather large error in judgement on your parts, as well as the rest of the Conservative party. This error in judgement is in relation to your intent to make the long form of the census voluntary, which will undoubtedly impact the accuracy and/or relevance of the public data that the census currently collects. By impeding this process, the voice of an already far too apathetic public will be further muted in the House of Commons – rendering the issues and/or concerns faced by Canadians (as a whole) as even less significant when proposing, debating and passing our nation's legislation.

For years I have shown support for the Conservative party and its platforms. Furthermore, I have defended many of your decisions/actions in debates in public forums. In honesty, this is due in large part to my understanding that economics and fiscal responsibility help to form the basis for all of the socio-economic programs and assistance that we enjoy as Canadians. Unfortunately, this is also due in part to my opinion that your party is simply the best of a number of inadequate choices – at least in my own eyes. To be quite blunt, I also realize that many of your highly criticized decisions as a minority Government could not have proceeded in the House without the assistance of other parties (who are often the harshest critics). However, I can promise one thing based on the act of even considering such changes to the census: my support of your party will end in the (hopefully) very near future. On the bright side (for the Conservatives), I do not intend to support any of the other parties that are making a mockery of the democratic processes on which our nation is founded (especially since many of the other parties' seated Members appear to be showing some support for this motion).

Rather than cast what I believe to be an undeserved ballot for any of Canada's current parties (one that might have been your own), I have started work on the task of describing, finding support for and forming a new federal party with the intentions of returning the voice of the Canadian public to the House of Commons, ensuring that the public and the media that we rely upon have far greater access to information from public institutions and ensuring that agencies such as Statistics Canada have the information required to provide detailed information in regard to Canada, in general. To shed some light on how I intend for this to work: I have already constructed a new model for our electoral processes and how Canadians will be represented in the House, which encourages voting based on the wishes of constituents rather than toeing a party line; have come up with proposals in regard to shifting sovereignty and tax revenues back toward the provinces and territories, thereby increasing the responsibility of each region for issues that are not common to all Canadians while responsibility of services that should be universal (healthcare & education, to name just two) are shifted back to the federal governance.

The apathy of both the Canadian public and our elected representatives in regard to these matters and others have pained me for far too long a time.

I look forward to a time in (hopefully) the near future, where myself or the chosen representative for this party (that I am currently referring to as the Public Empowerment Party of Canada) will have the opportunity to debate such matters with yourselves and the leadership of other parties in a public forum.

Kindest regards and thanks for your time,

Gary Reinsch

Constituent Edmonton-Millwoods-Beaumont &

Founder of the Public Empowerment Party of Canada