building a modern liberal party

8/12/2019 Building a Modern Liberal Party

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BUILDING A MODERN

LIBERAL PARTY

This paper has been prepared by the National President as background to the

document A Roadmap to Renewal published by the National Board of the Liberal

Party of Canada (LPC). It does not represent an official perspective of LPC or the

National Board on the matters it addresses but is provided as a personal

perspective solely to stimulate discussion and debate among, and input from, LPC

members and supporters. For more information about feedback sessions in respect

of the Roadmap, go to http://convention.liberal.ca/. Copies of this paper are

also available in French.

Liberal Party of Canada, 2011 | All rights reserved.

A Background Paper

for discussion among

Members of the Liberal Party of Canada


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I Overview and Background

1.1 Some Points of Departure

1.2 The Liberal Mission Today

1.3 Lessons from our History

1.4 Digesting our Defeat

1.5 Losing the New Air War

1.6 Losing the New ground War

1.7 The Current Context

1.8 A Dramatically Different Political Environment

1.9 The Changing Nature of Modern Political Engagement

Part III Understanding our New Reality

2.1 The CPC Stealth Agenda

2.2 Unmasking the NDP A Closed Party with a Confused Agenda

2.3 LPC and the New Politics

2.4 Some Hopeful Signs of Renewal in LPC2.5 Key LPC Weaknesses and Strengths

Part IV Envisioning a Framework for a Modern Liberal Party

3.1 LPC: Institution or Movement?

3.2 An Open Democracy Agenda for LPC

Part V Building a Modern Liberal Party

4.1 The Current LPC Constitutional Framework

4.2 Phase One Consultation, Reflection and Reform

4.2.1 Convention

4.2.2 Funding the Party

4.2.3 Streamlining the Party Structure

4.2.4 The Role and Funding of Electoral District Associations (EDAs)

4.2.4 The Role and Funding of Provincial and Territorial Associations (PTAs)

4.2.5 Party Operations

4.2.6 The Role of the Council of Presidents (CoP)

4.2.7 The Role and Funding of Party Commissions

4.2.8 The Partys Commitment to Bilingualism

4.2.9 The Partys Reflection of Diversity

4.2.10 The Partys Commitment to Liberalist

4.2.11 Policy and Platform Development

4.2.12 National Membership

4.3 Phase Two - Organization, Mobilization and Outreach4.3.1 National Liberalist Call Center

4.3.2 Voter Registration Drive

4.4 Phase Three - Selection of a New Permanent Leader

4.5 Phase Four Introduction of the New Leader

4.6 Phase Five - Local Election Readiness

4.7 Phase Six - National Election Readiness

4.8 Conclusion


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PART I OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND

In the wake of the Canadian federal election of May 2, 2011, the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC or

Party) faces an unprecedented challenge. Reduced to third party status in the House of Commons for

the first time since Confederation, with the support of fewer than 20% of those voting and with a

shrunken caucus of just 34 elected Members of Parliament, it is no exaggeration to note that the very

survival of LPC may now be at stake. The basic question confronting the Party today is not whether it has

the possibility to rebuild and renew itself for the 21st century, but whether its leadership and

membership can marshal the will and energy to ensure that it does.

Canadian history teaches that political success tends to come and go in cycles. Over the years leading up

to the 2011 election, as the following chart shows, LPC had experienced a serious and extended period

of decline:

General ElectionVoter Turnout

(%)

Liberal Vote

(%)

Number of Ridings

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