Local Tories head for convention

Local members of the federal Conservative Party will be participating in a national political convention this week.

Further information is included in the following news release issued today by the Nipissing-Timiskaming Conservative Association:


NORTH BAY, March 14, 2005 – Local Conservatives will travel to Montreal this week for the party’s National Policy Convention.

In addition to debating and adopting policies
in preparation for the next federal election, convention delegates will vote on amendments to the party’s constitution, decide whether there should be a leadership
review, and elect a national executive.

Nipissing-Timiskaming delegates were selected on January 8th, following a policy development meeting in North Bay, which allowed local party members to propose and
debate policies for inclusion in the party’s policy statement.

Local proposals included measures to strengthen the criminal justice system, curb judicial activism, improve the health care system, provide tax relief, and support the traditional definition of marriage.

“Of the thirteen resolutions developed at the January meeting, the riding association was able to forward two on for discussion in Montreal,” said Gordan Rennie, president
of the Nipissing-Timiskaming Conservative Association.
“The top two Nipissing-Timiskaming resolutions were greater patient choice in health care and defending the traditional definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.”

Resolutions were then ranked based on the number of ridings that submitted the same topic. The resolution in defence of the traditional definition of marriage was the top ranked policy proposal across the county and will proceed to debate and vote at a plenary session of all delegates on Saturday.

The resolution respecting patient choice in health care was combined with other resolutions allowing greater flexibility to provinces in delivering health care services
within the existing publicly funded health care system. It will be debated at a policy workshop on Friday, and if passed, will be presented to the plenary session on Saturday for consideration by all delegates.

Delegates to the convention will consider over one hundred policy resolutions in four categories: The Future of Our Democracy; Creating Jobs and Prosperity; Enriching our
Quality of Life; and Security at Home and Abroad.

The Nipissing-Timiskaming delegation includes riding president Gordan Rennie and Craig Dellandrea, Lisa Hackett and Lucie Fortier of North Bay, Julia Duggan of Callander, Jeannine Lebel of Powassan, and university students Colin Krasnozon of Haileybury, and Tara Schuck and Wesley Fudge of North Bay.

For more information: Gordan Rennie, (705) 494-3329 (day), (705) 475-1000 (evening).