Modeling Journey

We often use the rather clumsy centre-right or centre-left combinations to describe where the Liberal Party fits on the traditional left-right spectrum.

However, Bob Rae yesterday used the far better term “progressive centre”; methinks we should use that term in future for the LPC.

Not only will it be attractive to the former members of the Progressive Conservatives, still smarting over the rightwing takeover of their party by Harper’s neocons, but it also more accurately describes the positioning of the Liberal Party.

“Mr. Rae said he expects this leadership campaign to be very different from the one in 2006.
He said he anticipated much more discussion regarding the party's organization and internal issues, from how the leader's office should operate to how the Liberals raise money, recruit new members and reach out to the public - skills which the Conservatives have shown they possess in spades.

He also said he wants the party to hold a major policy conference after the leadership convention to examine Canada's foreign and economic policies and to rethink environmental issues in the wake of the disappointing public response to Mr. Dion's Green Shift policy.

Mr. Rae dismissed as simplistic the notion held by some Liberals that he would be working to strengthen the party on its left flank while Mr. Ignatieff would be working to shore up the right flank.

The Liberals are a party of the progressive centre, Mr. Rae said. Asked if that meant there was no ideological difference between him and Mr. Ignatieff, he said the major difference was in their adult life experience: Mr. Ignatieff had been a journalist and academic; Mr. Rae had been a politician.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081101.RAE01/TPStory/National