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: : : The horizon is troubled... : : : One thing though, health care SHOULD be governmetn controlled. It is the most basic thing, quite essential to the quality of life of the citizen and must be defended. Privatized health care help no one. : : : : : : : : Just to follow up, the only federal small-c : : : : conservative party in Canada is on track to : : : : dissolve itself before the end of next year. : : : : The Reform Party, Canada's Official Opposition : : : : to the Liberal government, is debating its very : : : : future. http://www.reform.ca : : : : A campaign called the United Alternative : : : : http://www.unitedalt.org spearheaded by the : : : : Reform Party's leader Preston Manning and his : : : : devoted followers is encouraging all Reformers : : : : this month (May, 1999) to endorse by a party-wide : : : : referendum a motion to hold a convention later : : : : this year or next spring to create a new party. : : : : Another referendum to accept or reject the : : : : principles of the new party and dissolve the : : : : Reform Party would be held soon after. : : : : If this new party went ahead, it would probably : : : : ignore the more controversial stands of the : : : : Reform Party like our proposals to scrap Canada's : : : : Official Multiculturalism and Official Bilingualsim : : : : Acts, Ministry of Canadian Heritage, and making : : : : our Senate elected, effective, and with equal : : : : representation from the provinces (like the 2 : : : : elected American Senators per state). The new : : : : party would still be committed to responsible : : : : fiscal spending but I think it would still : : : : protect government-owned "crown corporations". : : : : On socialized health care the Reform Party : : : : supported mixing public and privately services, : : : : with "essential services" deemed freely : : : : accessible to all. A new United Alternative : : : : based party will be hard-pressed to resist : : : : calls for supporting government control of : : : : health care and, as a sop to conservatives, : : : : devolve more power from the federal to the : : : : provincial level. : : : : Overall, your point about Canada as a : : : : Valhalla for liberals is absolutely correct. : : : : Many conservatives left and right are pointing : : : : to the United Alternative as a means of : : : : uniting Progressive Conservatives and : : : : Reformers to defeat the Liberals and bring back : : : : a conservative government. Unfortunately the : : : : rhetoric coming out of the United Alternative : : : : reminds me of the vague, phoney promises we : : : : heard from Brian Mulroney in the 1984 election : : : : which he proceeded to win the second-greatest : : : : majority government in Canadian history. But : : : : he fall flat within a few years, scandal after : : : : big spending scandal dogged him, taxes and : : : : spending rose, he failed : : : : twice to solve Quebec separatism and his party : : : : was rejected quite handily in 1993 electing : : : : just two seats. : : : : Conservatism is limping in Canada like : : : : a wounded, sick dog. The gr is most : : : : definitely greener on the southern side : : : : of the fence and I'll probably move down : : : : to the States within five years.

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