THE CONSERVATIVE HIPSTERS

As we've seen in recent days, there has been much effort on the part of Martin and Co. to early and often evoke fear in Canadians for the so-called "hidden agenda" that the Conservatives have to destroy Canada as we know it.

I actually think its more than spin--FIBerals actually believe it.

I will recount a conversation I had last week with a GTA Councillor who was also a FIBeral candidate in the last election.

This person told me: "Listen, I'm a fiscal conservative. I believe in effiicient, smaller government, keeping taxes reasonable and I'm a big law and order person".

Sounds good right? Councillor X also told me that he/she grew up in a hard working, blue-collar household that prided itself on self-sufficiency and living within their means.

All good. But here's where it kinda goes of the rails.

Councillor X then follows up with: "But its health care. I can't side with the Tories on that one. I'm for public health care."

To which I asked: "Are you saying the Tories are against public health care?"

Councillor X replies: "Well, I know they have a hidden agenda on health care reform".

I, of course, responded by telling him/her that that kind of a reply will ensure that he/she doesn't get a copy of the Tories' "Handbook for Dismantling Heathcare in Canada"(tm) or a decoder ring.

But the funny thing is that Councillor X was basicially telling me this belief in the existence of a "hidden agenda" is why he/she is a FIBeral, and not a Conservative. Although he/she couldn't come up with a specific policy that offended him/her, it was this "secret plan" that guided his/her decision.

I'm not sure how many times we have to publicly state--both in speeches, etc and in our policies--that we have no plans to privatize/destroy/sell/eliminate/ban public health care.

It just seems that Canadians believe that Conservatives have some other plans we're not talking about.

That is what I think is keeping us in opposition. We address that, we will have a Conservative majority government.