Antics aside, Liberal and Tory conventions see big policy shifts

[Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets delegates at the 2016 Liberal Biennial Convention in Winnipeg, Saturday, May 28, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods]

It was a wild weekend that saw politicians rapping, fake gagging and dressing up as the Grim Reaper.

Political antics were on full display at the Liberal and Conservative national conventions in Winnipeg and Vancouver this past week. Former interim Liberal leader Bob Rae, for example, was caught on camera pretending to gag, in response to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s praise for former PM Stephen Harper. Rae has since apologized.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives had no shortage of odd moments, from MP Arnold Viersen’s suggestion to have the leadership debates as rap battles, to MP Marilyn Gladu’s appearance in a Grim Reaper costume.

But besides the wackier bits, there were some big policy shifts.

After considerable controversy, delegates at the Liberal convention voted in favour of a new party constitution that axed the traditional idea of membership.

Anyone who wants to register as a Liberal can now do so for free, and will be permitted to vote for the leadership and other perks.

The Liberal move was a “symbolic gesture” that nevertheless shouldn’t be overlooked, says Anna Esselment, an assistant professor and associate chair of undergraduate studies at the University of Waterloo’s political science department.

“Liberals are saying, no matter your income or ability to pay, the Liberals are open, welcoming, diverse, equal, etc.,” she wrote in an email.

“The fact that the prime minister and the Liberals are enjoying quite a lengthy honeymoon with the public…is one motivation to expand the circle of membership.

“When people like you, they may want to join you.”

People do indeed like the Liberals right now, at least according to the polls. At the six-month mark a month ago, the party was up almost everywhere while Trudeau’s approval rating was soaring.

Even after the so-called elbowgate this month, when the prime minister accidentally elbowed NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau in the chest on his way to grab Tory whip Gord Brown — an extremely rare spectacle in the House of Commons — his numbers remained rock solid.

Beyond the motivation to expand party participation during times of heightened popularity, said Esselment, the elimination of the fee acknowledges the 21st-century reality that political campaigns are data-driven.

“A membership still requires a name, address, email address…that information is now far more valuable, both electorally to identify supporters and votes, and for the purposes of raising money,” she wrote.

“Where a Canadian may not have paid the $10 a year for a membership, she or he may now join for free and could be persuaded to donate $100 in a fundraising campaign. That’s important.”

That big red data machine has been examined by writer Susan Delacourt, who has described how the party centralized data and analytics for the 2015 election. The effort was itself a response to Conservative expertise in data-gathering during the Harper years.

Still, some have questioned whether the data is that useful. Political commentator Robin Sears has told Yahoo Canada News that while free memberships may attract a lot of new names, their commitment to the party may not be reliable.

More upbeat Tory tone

The Conservative convention also saw two major policy shifts. The party voted to scrap its policy opposing same-sex marriage, and moved tentatively towards the decriminalization of marijuana.

Esselment said jettisoning the same-sex marriage policy was part of an “internal Conservative conversation” about whether to embrace conservative values more strongly or loosen social conservative ties.

“The movement on these policies will be helpful to whoever becomes the new leader of the federal Conservatives because, at the very least, the leader will not have to constantly address these issues,” she wrote.

But just as newsworthy was the sense of “openness” felt by conference attendees, especially when compared to the party’s 2013 convention, with Harper still in office.

The recent news that Harper would be leaving federal politics over the summer, and the closure provided by his first major speech since the election defeat, created a much more upbeat tone, many said.

Conservative MP Jason Kenney even admitted that he had expected the convention to be “a bit of a wake, a funeral reception” but said it didn’t feel like that at all.

One convention attendee who spoke on background told Yahoo Canada News the changed tone was a sign of an understanding that “perhaps some things did not get done that needed to get done over the last decade” inside the Harper government.

The Liberal and Conservative conventions also stand in contrast to the earlier NDP convention in April.

While Liberals grapple with how much of their party should become the Trudeau “movement,” and Conservatives try to figure out what defines them before picking a new leader, the NDP are still being led by a man who has now been rejected by a majority of his own party.

The NDP will have to wait until the fall of 2017 to see who will replace outgoing Leader Tom Mulcair, the party recently announced.