Conbots are converting to Liberals in DROVES
#scheerselfie
Scheer’s support for Trudeau’s LGBTQ apology highlights a deepening consensus
After Justin Trudeau finished apologizing on Tuesday for the wrongs committed by the federal government against sexual minorities, Andrew Scheer rose to second that apology. This is remarkable.
Remarkable in showing how the Conservative Party has evolved in recent years, and remarkable in showing how Canada has evolved as well.
The progressive and conservative movements in the United States have polarized to the point where the country is becoming ungovernable. Similar gulfs plague countries in Europe.
But in Canada, at least on national social policy, convergence is the norm. The Canadian consensus is deepening rather than weakening.
Now, a few qualifications to Mr. Scheer's apology. First of all, he never actually said: "We're sorry." The closest he came was: "Today's apology must be an opportunity for all of us to recommit to the defence of human rights, not only here at home, but around the world."
Mr. Trudeau spoke for 20 minutes; Mr. Scheer for five. And there were roughly 20 empty seats in the Tory backbench, although some of the absentees were on government business, such as Lisa Raitt, Erin O'Toole and Garnett Genuis, none of whom could be classed as social conservatives. A few other Tories attended but sat on their hands. MPs Ted Falk and Harold Albrecht told The Canadian Press they thought Mr. Trudeau's apology went too far in spots.
But what matters is that Mr. Scheer put the Conservative Party solidly onside with the Liberals in regretting "a terrible and unfair moment in the history of the federal government of Canada," as the Opposition Leader put it.
The conservative movement has travelled a long way from Sept. 16, 2003, when Canadian Alliance Leader Stephen Harper, speaking in the House against the legalization of same-sex marriage, referred to "sexual orientation or, more accurately, what we are really talking about, sexual behaviour," which rendered the very identity of gay people illegitimate.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opi...lights-a-deepening-consensus/article37135686/
#scheerselfie
Scheer’s support for Trudeau’s LGBTQ apology highlights a deepening consensus
After Justin Trudeau finished apologizing on Tuesday for the wrongs committed by the federal government against sexual minorities, Andrew Scheer rose to second that apology. This is remarkable.
Remarkable in showing how the Conservative Party has evolved in recent years, and remarkable in showing how Canada has evolved as well.
The progressive and conservative movements in the United States have polarized to the point where the country is becoming ungovernable. Similar gulfs plague countries in Europe.
But in Canada, at least on national social policy, convergence is the norm. The Canadian consensus is deepening rather than weakening.
Now, a few qualifications to Mr. Scheer's apology. First of all, he never actually said: "We're sorry." The closest he came was: "Today's apology must be an opportunity for all of us to recommit to the defence of human rights, not only here at home, but around the world."
Mr. Trudeau spoke for 20 minutes; Mr. Scheer for five. And there were roughly 20 empty seats in the Tory backbench, although some of the absentees were on government business, such as Lisa Raitt, Erin O'Toole and Garnett Genuis, none of whom could be classed as social conservatives. A few other Tories attended but sat on their hands. MPs Ted Falk and Harold Albrecht told The Canadian Press they thought Mr. Trudeau's apology went too far in spots.
But what matters is that Mr. Scheer put the Conservative Party solidly onside with the Liberals in regretting "a terrible and unfair moment in the history of the federal government of Canada," as the Opposition Leader put it.
The conservative movement has travelled a long way from Sept. 16, 2003, when Canadian Alliance Leader Stephen Harper, speaking in the House against the legalization of same-sex marriage, referred to "sexual orientation or, more accurately, what we are really talking about, sexual behaviour," which rendered the very identity of gay people illegitimate.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opi...lights-a-deepening-consensus/article37135686/
