Constitution Amendment

Proposals 2016

SEC#

2.1.6

SPONSORING EDA

Calgary Nose Hill 4

AMENDMENT

Insert a new section between

section 2.1.5 and 2.1.6:
A belief in the value and dignity
of all human life.

RATIONALE

This statement is the foundation of the

Canadian Story and points to the true
motivation of Canadian conservatives.
This is, in fact, a truly inclusive
statement that encompasses not just
Canadian life, but all human life. This
represents the broadest cross-section
of Canadians, without exclusion of any
individual or groups.
It is the deepest held belief of our
Canadian society that all people,
regardless of life situation or age,
have intrinsic value and worth and
therefore deserve dignity.
This statement affirms the
underpinning of all that is best in
the Canadian identity, past, present
and future as it has played out in
our combined history. Matters of
justice, foreign policy, humanitarian
assistance, fiscal responsibility,
education and health care are
all grounded in this basic and
foundational principle.
The Conservative Party of Canada
would be the only national party
that states this as one of its core
principles.

SEC#

72

13.7 Cambridge, Carlton

Trail Eagle Creek,
Wellington Halton
Hills10, Mississauga
Lakeshore, Thunder
Bay Rainy River,
Thunder Bay Superior North, Kitchener-Conestoga, New
Brunswick Southwest, Oshawa Regional Meeting3

SPONSORING EDA

AMENDMENT

Replace Section 13.7 in its

entirety with the following new
Section 13.7:
After every 4th National
Convention, the National
Policy Committee, will
prepare one or a series of
amendment proposals to the
Policy Declaration, each being
an amendment to be voted
on individually, for approval
by the delegates at the next
National Convention, either
at the floor of the convention
or though handout ballots
(in accordance with section
13.6), that shall remove all
redundant and spent items
from the Policy Declaration
but which shall not
contradict specific decisions
of the previous National
Conventions.

RATIONALE
The inclusion of the existing section 13.7 was a
noble attempt to have a process by which the Policy
Declaration can be regularly reviewed and streamlined
to remove redundant items. In hindsight the language is
deeply flawed, and in contradiction to other fundamental
principles of the Constitution and our Party, all while
ignoring the importance of the hard work on the policy
process by all members of the Party.
1. Section 13 of the Constitution makes it clear that the
policy process is a process that must be accountable
to its members all members not just a few select
members.
2. The Policy Declaration is not a marketing tool or a
campaign tool for Canadians to read, it is a document
that belongs to Party members - its length is not a
detriment.
3. The existing section 13.7 of the Constitution puts
the review of the Policy Declaration into the hands of
a handful of establishment party members to decide
on behalf of all delegates and members whether policy
issues are no longer at issue before Canadians. This
is not consistent with a grass roots policy process or a
grass roots party instead the existing section is a top
down, undemocratic process of reviewing the Policy
Declaration.
4. The existing Section 13.7 should be limited only to
removing policy language that is redundant and only in
as much as the removal does not contradict with prior
National Conventions.
5. Forcing the Policy Declaration to conform to 100
sections, suggests that removal of specific policies will
go beyond those sections that are redundant. There is
no reason to have a limited number of sections to the
Policy Declaration.
6. The existing section does not indicate who in
Parliamentary Caucus will be preparing the updated
Policy Declaration and whether a vote on the
revised policy declaration will be completed by the
Parliamentary Caucus of the Party and / or National
Policy Committee. As a result it lacks accountability.
7. If the purpose of the existing section was to remove
redundant items, there should be no reason why
the removals of sections should not be put to a vote
at convention by all delegates if they are simply
redundant or spent sections being removed, the
omnibus proposal should pass with little opposition.
8. Members have spent countless amounts of time
and money pushing to get policy ideas to the floor
of convention for possible inclusion into the Policy
Declaration. It is deeply discouraging to have any
member see the policy resolution they worked hard on
result in removal for any other reason than redundancy
because a select few establishment members of our
Party deem it no longer relevant to Canadians.
9. Parliamentary Caucus of the Party has many other
duties they should be preoccupying themselves with
such as fulfilling their constituency and parliamentary
duties as paid for by the taxpayer. Asking Parliamentary
Caucus of the Party to spend time working on an
internal party document is an abuse of the taxpayers
money that should not be publicly endorsed by our Party
let alone in its Constitution.

37

SEC#

8.8

SPONSORING EDA

Edmonton - Mill
Woods 4

AMENDMENT

Amend section 8.8 to as follows:

Rules and procedures enacted under
Article 8.7.7 and by-laws enacted under
Article 8.7.8 shall be circulated to all
electoral district association presidents
within 7 days of enactment by National
Council and shall take effect on the date
of enactment. If written notice, either
email or hard copy, of objection from
more than 99 electoral district association
presidents has been received by National
Council within 30 days of the rule and
procedure or by-law being distributed
to the electoral district associations, it
shall be deemed repealed. Alternatively,
National Council may propose rules and
procedures and by-laws to a national
convention, which, if approved by a simple
majority of delegates voting, will not be
subject to subsequent review and repeal
by the presidents of electoral district
associations.

RATIONALE

Including a definition for

written notice that includes
email copy makes the 30 day
rule more easily achieved.
The clause as it currently
stands does not define
written notice; without a
definition that includes email
copy, 30 days is likely not
enough time.

SEC#

23

7.7 Esquimault-Saanich-Sooke

SPONSORING EDA

AMENDMENT

Add section 7.7:

RATIONALE

Currently only donors who

contribute the maximum amount to
All maximum donations to the
the national party qualify for free
Conservative Party of Canada,
entry (and possibly other benefits)
either nationally or to a local
to the national convention. We are
EDA are treated equally and the
all in this together. Whether a donor
donor receives the same benefits contributes the maximum to the
for donating to one as the other
party either nationally or locally,
for the purposes of attending a
the benefits of doing so should be
national convention.
treated equally.

60

SEC#

SPONSORING EDA

10.9.1 Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston

AMENDMENT

Amend section 10.9.1 to the following:

RATIONALE

Following Stephen Harpers

announcement that he
The parliamentary caucus (including
would be resigning as Party
Senators) shall appoint an Interim
Leader, it was unclear
Leader of the Party who shall exercise
whether Senators would be
the powers and responsibilities of the
allowed to vote on choosing
Leader until a new Leader has been
the interim leader, as the
selected. A person appointed as Interim Constitution is unclear as
Leader may not be nor become a
to whether Senators are
candidate in the leadership selection
included within the definition
process. An Interim Leader may but
of Parliamentary Caucus.
need not be appointed where the Leader This will clarify the matter.
has indicated an intention to resign.