When polls indicate 70 per cent of Canadians support a political party’s policies, some might wonder why it is not the current federal government.
Instead, the Christian Heritage Party is still waiting to elect its first MP.
Despite that reality, it is working to gain a foothold in the political landscape. The party’s deputy-leader, Rod Taylor, recently completed a two week swing though southern Ontario, and visited with regular CHP candidate Peter Ellis.
“We’re developing a campaign back home,” he said in an interview at the Wellington Advertiser office. “We want to be ready.”
And that is with the belief the election “is unlikely to be held before this fall.”
Taylor said the current Conservative government is borrowing $135-million a day, and “every eight or nine days, we’re another billion in debt.”
He said far from being a government that supposedly wants to remain small, the Conservatives have been increasing government by at least two per cent every year they have been in power, and in 2007 they passed a budget that was the highest spending in Canadian history.
Taylor described his party as one supporting families.
He takes exception to the Human Rights Commission, which, he said, hinders freedom of speech. “If we lose that, we loose all our other rights,” he said.
Further, he said, groups that use the commission seem to target Christians – at no cost to themselves. Yet even if someone is found not guilty there, he has to pay his own costs.
“ We [taxpayers] pay. They drag you through the grist mill,” he said. “They go to a system where truth is no defence.”
When it comes to health care, he said Canada should “train more doctors.” As well, he said the CHP would encourage healthier lifestyles and better nutrition.
Taylor said currently there are doctor shortages in rural areas because “We don’t create placements for interns.”
He said his party would “start another line” for services for those willing to pay extra for immediate care. “It’s no jumping the queue, but expanding the resources available.”
Taylor said abolishing abortions would free up cash for the entire health care system.
His party also favours abolishing the long gun registry that has so infuriated many in rural Canada.
When it comes to economic policy, Taylor said the CHP favours fair taxes, and it would replace income tax with a consumption tax. That way, those who have money and spend more would pay more; those who have little would pay less.”
Taylor said the CHP favours “family friendly child care allowances. Each family when one parent stays home … would receive $1,000 per month.” That policy would apply for families with children under 18. He explained children are better off raised at home, rather than day care centres, and society would soon seen benefits.
He said most parents, if they had a financial choice, would keep one parent at home.
An added, benefit, Taylor said, would be jobs opening up for unemployed young people.”
He said that the cost per family would be revenue neutral, given current Employment Insurance payments would drop.
Taylor said that while many Canadians agree with CHP policies, the party is not seen as a viable alternative. The Green Party and the other four with MPs benefit from taxpayers’ cash to fight elections because of their vote counts. With the CHP running in too few ridings (59 of 108), it does not qualify and would actually need five per cent of the votes to get election funds.
“We’re the largest federal party that doesn’t get federal funding,” he said, adding it is the party’s goal to first elect an MP, and eventually form a government.
Taylor said his party does not like strategic voting, and would like to see people voting for something, rather than against something.
So, for now, he is “building bridges” in his campaign.
He wants to “Convince people to make a stand with their conscience.” He noted, too, when another party does something that the CHP agrees with, “We go out of our way to give them credit. It must be tough,” he said of MPs who vote to represent their constituents but are forced to do otherwise by their parties.
“Some of them face party discipline,” for voting against their parties.
