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A4 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday October 22, 2003 Oakville PCs and Alliance members applaud proposed party merger By Angela Blackburn O AKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Glen Thiessen · O ak\ille Beaver AAPPLE-U CIO US: Y oung K ian a W ilson bites in to an ap p le p u rc h a se d d u rin g th e a n n u a l A pple D ay Sale held by th e O akville B eavers, C u b s a n d S couts in d ow ntow n O ak v ille S a tu rd a y . The potential merger of the federal Progressive Conservative (PC) and Canadian Alliance parties is winning local support from both parties. "Many of our supporters and former supporters have encouraged us to bring these two parties together so that Canadians can have a clear alter native to the Liberal government," said Glen Herring, the Oakville riding's Canadian Alliance candidate. "I'm very excited about what's happened here. It's a great development," said Oakville's PC Party candidate Rick Byers, adding, "It's all about pro viding Canadians and Oakville residents with a real choice." The agreement-in-principle to create the Conservative Party of Canada was finalized last week by federal PC leader Peter MacKay and fed eral Alliance leader Stephen Harper. Byers said it's a "positive step forward for dem ocratic choice in Canada and will provide the peo ple of Oakville with a viable option to the tired Liberal regime." The local Alliance riding association has approximately 300 members and is now out to convince them a party merger would be sound. Similarly, the Oakville PC riding association which also has several hundred members -- and has been gaining members since the potential merger was announced last week -- will also be assembling a concerted effort to promote the merg er. Herring, a 13-year Oakville resident, is ready to head a new local Canada Deserves Better Committee that his party is establishing to promote the merger. That committee will kick off its work by host ing a Nov. 2 visit to Oakville by Alliance House Leader John Reynolds. There will also be a mailing and phone cam paign, and a meeting to discuss the merger and its implications is in the works for mid-November at the Oakville Town Hall. The specifics on the events are still being organ ized. It's hoped that the potential party merger could be ratified by mid-December, constituency associ ations founded by late January and a new party leader elected by late March. "We are saying to all of those who desire a bet ter Canada, please get on board and help us take the final steps to make this happen," said Herring. The Alliance Party was formed from the former Reform Party led by Preston Manning. Stockwell Day led the Alliance in the last federal election and local Alliance riding president Steve Sotnick called the formation of the Alliance party a "step in the right direction." Now, the Alliance Party is ready to merge with Progressive Conservatives - federally and in Oakville. "When I talk to the people of Oakville, I find a deep desire for change," said Herring, who was very involved in the campaign of former Oakville Alliance candidate Dan Ferrone in the last federal election. "At the local level, there is concern that Bonnie Brown is not representing the views of the families of Oakville and that Oakville deserves better than a left wing career back bencher. Now is our opportu nity to turn these concerns into action," Herring said. If the merger is approved, all existing nomina tions will be cancelled and the newly merged Oakville riding association will form a new board and hold a candidate selection process. Both local party candidates are also prepared to seek the nomination for the new Conservative Party should the merger occur. Herring said he'll stand again as a candidate. "We have a strong, committed organization and there is a great deal of enthusiasm to keep moving forward on our real goal, a conservative MP from Oakville," said Herring. Byers ran for the PC Party in Oakville in 2000. "I heard the frustration voiced by Oakville vot ers at the lack of a truly competitive choice to meet their strong desire for change in Canada," said Byers. "They overwhelmingly told me about the need for the PC Party and the Alliance to set aside their differences and to forge a new bond to offer Canadians a fiscally conservative yet socially pro gressive option to the Liberals," said Byers who has since worked to support a potential party merger. "I will be putting my name forward to be the first candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada in Oakville. In the next federal election, I look for ward to offering Oakville voters the opportunity for real change," Byens said. The agreement-in-principle articulates broadbased values that will form the basis of the new party. Among 19 founding principles are: a balance between fiscal accountability, progressive social policy and individual rights and responsibilities: a belief in the equality of all Canadians; a belief in the federal system of government as the best expres sion o f the diversity o f Canada, and in the desir ability of strong provincial and territorial govern ments; a belief that the quality of the environment is vital and should be protected by each generation for the next: a belief that all Canadians should have reasonable access to quality health care regardless of their ability to pay; and, a belief that the greatest potential for achieving social and economic objec tives is under a global trading regime that is free and fair. 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