Many Canadians don’t understand conservatism. They interpret wanting a vibrant, growing private sector as supporting the rich. They don’t recognize that ALL of us benefit when our private enterprises succeed domestically and globally.
How do ALL of us benefit? Here are some of the ways:
• Growing businesses create jobs within their own companies to keep up with demand for their goods or services.
• They create jobs outside their own companies by buying goods and services from other businesses.
• They use some of their profits to keep ahead of competition through investing in research and development.
• They use some of their profits to expand into other cities, provinces and countries.
• They give some of their profits to shareholders as dividends. (Thanks to RRSPs and TFSAs, MANY Canadians are shareholders, not just the rich!)
As the Conservative Party of Canada website says, Canadian conservatives stand for a Canada that is strong, united, independent, and free. To achieve this, the Party supports:
• sovereignty and a strong national defence;
• open federalism and national unity;
• free enterprise and individual achievement;
• the opportunity for all Canadians, regardless of background, to achieve their dreams in a safe, healthy, and prosperous country.
This explains the Harper’s Government’s relentless focus on five key areas of governance:
• Providing Canadians with Effective Economic Leadership
• Strengthening Canada’s Sovereignty and Place in the World
• Strengthening the Federation and our Democratic Institutions
• Strengthening the Security of Canadians
• Improving the Environment and Health of Canadians
These are key conditions for achieving individual success in a “strong, united, independent, and free” country.
Conservatism isn’t about supporting the rich. It’s about making it possible for all of us to achieve personal success – no matter where we started in life and no matter how we individually define success. Isn’t that what most Canadians want?
