Liberals Should Concentrate On Basics

The Conservative Party will win the next election. Unless the Liberal party members and its candidates change their tactics - that is my conclusion. The Conservative Party has focused its attention onto a few basics - and this is what the people will remember come voting time. Let's see what the Conservatives have done for ethnic communities (a Liberal stronghold in Toronto and other cities) recently:

• Opened a public enquiry into the worst terrorist act on Canadians. Yes, I am talking about the Air India bombing. I can say rest assured had most of the targets been white, the public enquiry, outrage and condemnation would have been super fast. The Liberals had 13 years to solve the crisis. They didn't.
  
  
• Most immigrants credit Pierre E. Trudeau and his liberal policies for helping them come to Canada. This is the no. 1 reason why they keep voting Liberal. However, in recent times, the feeling has set in that we Liberals only bring in immigrants to secure a vote bank, and do not care about their looking helplessly at the job banks.
  
  Last month, the prime minister announced the creation of an agency to help ensure the overseas credentials of immigrants are recognized by Canadian employers. Many foreign-trained doctors, accountants and other professionals are forced to take low-paying jobs because their credentials aren't recognized here. Harper said the agency will help new immigrants "navigate the bureaucratic labyrinth of credentials." The agency will receive $18 million in funding over the next two years.
  
  
• Most telling was the vice president (South Asian Market, RBC)'s comment at a recent awards gala "The Liberals came and went (in government), but they never showed up at this event". Added one member, "Indians by nature are a conservative people. And they like to back a winning horse."
  
  
• Thousands of skilled immigrants who struggle to be licensed by Ontario's regulatory bodies could be helped by a new law that would target unfair barriers to employment. [link] My parents who are first generation immigrants and face numerous hurdles to get their degrees recognized positively cheered this announcement. We don't know how it will help but it's doing something.
  
  
• The Liberals in their debates are focusing on abstract dreams. "Big Canada Big Dreams", "One World", "Green Economy", blah blah blah blah blah. Only Scott Brison, Stephane Dion and Gerrard Kennedy (especially him) gave some concrete steps on how they would deal with BASIC problems. Like it or not we are taxed too much and it is time the party realized that throwing money at (some) useless social programs is not working.
  
  
• There seems to be a basic tendency amongst the candidates to be too leftist or too right. Yes, we know street racing is already banned (maybe) or tougher sentencing for crimes does not solve crimes. But it makes for good politics and you guys are POLITICIANS. Remember Jean Chretien's quote "Politics is a game and I am a good player"? Well, get back to politics. We are not in power anymore, and we should realize it.

Signed: A Frustrated Liberal.

Tags: Liberal Party Canada