I was invited today to a luncheon debate hosted by the Prairie Centre Policy Institute (which could probably be described as a Saskatchewan based conservative "think tank"), as a guest of a friend who knows of my interest in politics and reads the blog.
The debate, which was on the role of federalism in the Canadian economy, featured well known Saskatchewan entrepreneur Herb Pinder Jr. and left-leaning U of Sask professor Red Williams. Pinder's premise - that Canada has become a "country of mediocrity", due to our culture of entitlement, high taxation, equalization and politically motivated federal infiltration into provincial responsibilities - recieved no rebuttal at all from Williams, which I thought was odd. Instead, he devoted his portion of the debate to defending government involvement in the economy and weakly excusing the excesses by reminding everyone of just how darned hard a job it is to run everybody's lives.
There were a number of business leaders and provincial MLA's in attendance at the small gathering, including former SaskParty leader Elwin Hermanson, Ken Cheveldayoff, Ben Heppner and June Draud, who was seated beside me at our table. Prior to the serving of lunch, she described her frustration at how difficult it is to get a clear message from the SaskParty out through the media - unless the ideas are picked up by the governing NDP, who then get the press and the credit.
She also shared that small local newspapers have recieved threatening calls and subsequent withdrawel of government advertising for giving "too much space" to SaskParty media releases. My ears perked up. What bloggers couldn't do with a story like that.
In the short time available, I tried to explain to her the concept of the blogosphere and how it has become so powerful a force in the US. She seemed to be interested enough and asked if I had a card. I didn't. (An interesting notion, though - who has business cards for their blog?) Shortly afterwards, the speakers began so there wasn't enough time to go into things in more detail.
At the wrap-up, Pinder suggested that we take the ideas presented "back to the workplace, talk to your friends"...
Urgh. How.... 1980's.
When, oh when, are Canadian conservative parties going to wake up and realize that one of the most powerful tools for uniting conservative voices and bypassing the mainstream left-leaning press is already here, is proven to be both powerful and successful, is ridiculously inexpensive and right under their noses?
I dug up the address to the PCPI website from the back of a booklet they provided, entitled "Creating Wealth In Saskatchewan", with plans of linking to the info on the Pinder-Williams debate and adding the site to the permanent sidebar.
There was nothing there. The page hasn't been updated since Christmas.
I can't say that I was surprised.
You know where this leading,young lady?
It will be YOU who starts the ball rolling.You who pushes the traditional media outlets and political operatives to embrace the blogworld.Seize the day! Begin the prairie wildfire,become a folk hero for our times.Do you have the energy and desire to do what needs to be done?
I hope you'll remember us when you've hit the bigtime.
"Remember who? HAH! Now that I'm in power, it's free National Socialized Petcare for everyone! Free Motorcycle paintjobs! Free motorcycles!"
Well, it *could* work out that way.
Kate, you can order reasonably priced business cards online at vistaprint.ca. I use them for my businesses.
Maybe its time for someone to educate that segment of the social order that is a way to communicate their points directly with those that are the end consumers of their product, namely the people who live in this province. It may take someone like Kate, a real consumer of their product to show then the way. Red Williams harped on how governance was one of the most difficult jobs out there. It would make their jobs a lot easier if they new what we want and how we are feeling. Give us the information we need to make intelligent, informed decisions. We are consumers of their product and if you aren�t sure of what your consumers want and need they will go elsewhere. You need to communicate directly with the people, get feed back from the people, find out if they are happy with the decisions you are making before election day when it is to late. Mr. Pindar made a point vaguely referring to the public and as consumers and saying that government has to be more accountable to �what they are doing to us with our tax money� it may have been a slip of the tongue but that is unfortunately how myself and millions of other Canadians feel about our Government, they have been doing it to us for to long, and need to wake up and communicate and address some of the real issues not just the ones that will get them re-elected for the minimum terms required to collect their healthy MP pensions.
About a month ago I tried contacting the Conservative Party of Canada to ask them if they were going to have a bloggers table at their upcoming March convention just like Kate has pointed out the Repubs did back in August. I couldn't get through on their toll-free line so I sent them an email and they still haven't gotten back to me. I even let them know there was a group called "Blogging Tories". If you can't even spoon-feed these people into action, it almost seems like a lost cause. Has anyone else heard if there's going to be a Bloggers table at the convention?
As the saying goes, Kate, take the bull by the horns...
and given that your blog (along with Heart of Canada) was given yet another plug on Gormley's show yesterday as one of his must read blogs...
"Live as if the revolution has already happened..."
Forget about trying to educate old people who don't get it about blogs. Their crusty old organizations will die off anyway. Blogs ARE the defacto right wing think tanks in Canada today. We do not have the economies of scale, the concentrations of population, the infrastructure and the capital to catch up with the US Heritage Foundations, CATO etc.
However, we can do much of the same work, for one millionth of the cost, online. We do it every day in the blogosphere.
Some day all the old people will be dead and we'll be in charge. Never mind "compound interest"; the real miracle is atrition.