Unity

Letter to the Editor by Margret Kopala

published by the National Post, November 13, 2001

for general distribution

Hear! Hear! To Peter White and Adam Daifallah for challenging Lorne Gunter's assertion that uniting conservatives is wishful thinking (Letters, Nov.10). The leaders are indeed the largest impediment to uniting the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties and it is primarily because neither recognizes he is in a conflict of interest in any process that leads to unification - one of whose outcomes could be the election of a new leader. Naturally, anyone is free to contest the leadership of a new party, but the involvement of current leaders in the process that creates it is unacceptable because they could use it to advance their political, financial or other vested interests. The role of our conservative leaders is to hold the Liberal government to account and to advance party policy. Party governance issues (including unification) is the purview of each party's membership whose will is expressed through their national councils. As Mssrs. White and Daifallah indicate, these councils have their marching orders from members who, in both cases, have majorities approving some form of co-operation.

Margret Kopala
Ottawa


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