Rebuilding the Liberal party

Steve Pinkus, Désirée Mcgraw and Rachel Bendayan, National Post, May 21, 2011

Getting involved:

Contact us directly to lean more and to find out how you can get involved.

Founders

Carolina Gallo La Flèche,
Westmount-Ville-Marie
Brett House,
Niagara West-Glanbrook
Kent Hovey-Smith,
Trinity-Spadina
Désirée McGraw,
Notre-Dame-De-Grâce-Lachine
Matthew Ramsden,
Ottawa Centre
Robert Valdmanis,
Westmount-Ville-Marie

Questionnaire for Liberal Party of Canada National Executive Candidates

Maryanne Kampouris, National Policy Chair

People. What concrete steps will you take as a member of the Party Executive to increase the inclusiveness of the Party and expand the diversity of its membership?

• I will work to increase the inclusiveness of the Party and expand the diversity of it’s membership by:
  1. Continuing to build capacity in as many Riding Associations (EDAs) Commissions and Clubs as possible and supporting their outreach efforts through dialogue on issues of importance in their communities.
  2. Developing valid and reliable survey tools that EDAs and Commissions can use to identify issues of importance to underrepresented groups in the party.
  3. Lobbying LPC to make Liberal Research Bureau resources available to carry out demographic analyses that can be available to Electoral District Associations when they plan their outreach activities.  In the event that these resources are not made available, I will find other ways to have such analyses done and shared with Riding Associations and Commissions.
  4. Budget for dedicated outreach resources that will allow the Commissions and Associations work with the broad range of individuals and groups in their communities;
  5. Integrate in-person debate and discussion, with electronic consultation processes within a governance framework that ensures equitable input by our members through respectful dialogue.

Policy. What specific actions, policies and initiatives will you undertake or advocate as part of a concerted effort to ensure that the Party presents a strategic and compelling platform to the Canadian electorate that responds to Canada's most pressing needs?

• The National Policy Chair is also the co-chair of the Platform Committee and, as such, is responsible for coordinating the platform development process in concert with Caucus and the Leader’s office.  As your National Policy Chair  I will:

  1. Champion the expansion of Ontario’s evergreen policy development process by which our members can propose well reasoned solutions
  2. Continue to champion the inclusion of the membership’s policy direction in the development of the platform;
  3. Develop ongoing survey and consultation instruments that are valid in identifying emerging issues and our membership’s views on such issues,
  4. Provide research and survey tools to support our members in
  5. Inform our members of platform development process on an ongoing basis

Party. What tangible priority efforts will you launch to increase the participation of Party members in every level of the Party's decisions, operations and structures to increase accountability and the democratic link between the central Party and the riding organizations?

• I believe in a 308 riding strategy as a basic principle, not necessarily in centralization of ‘administration’ as the way of ensuring the success of that strategy and I am concerned that we might, in our haste, actually disenfranchise our members (who are our party).
  I would therefore vote against the centralization renewal proposals currently on the table and propose alternative options for achieving efficiencies while maintaining local capacity to carry out outreach and other party business and then launch the following efforts (in this my MBA might be an asset).

  1. Finalization of our national membership list and provision of real time access to the Provincial Associations and Commissions as well as Electoral District Associations to membership and donation information that allows them to carry out their outreach / fundraising / election responsibilities.
  2. Assessment of the actual cost / benefit trade-offs (consequences / impact) of ‘renewal’ versus status quo and other possible options.
  3. Communicate ALL evaluations and assessment information to the membership to engender open broad and informed discussion prior to a vote on any proposed changes (including agreements / by-laws or Constitutional changes).
  4. Establish a plan that uses negotiation between all parties and considers some basic principles and the diverse nature of each constituency (Provincial and Territorial Association / Commission in the design of solutions) 

Candidate responses to questionnaire