Sean Conway January 2007

Deal with the issues at a local level. Do good reconnaissance. Who is the elected or advisory level person that has interest at a policy level regardless of what part of the country they are from? Get to know these people and the people that know them. Open lines of communication and maintain a flow of creative material between yourself, the politicians and public servants. Always have a “plan B” in case your primary strategy doesn’t work. Talk to the other political parties. Understand who the “door keeper” is and once you get in understand who is sitting at what table. What kind of materials do they need? Understand that aspects of your issue may be more attractive than others (as well as the solutions) and don’t start with the most difficult material. “Low-hanging fruit” (simple, easy fixes) often provide common first ground.

1. Remember minority governments are inherently more political

All government in a democratic society is political; democracy is about organizing public opinion to gain a political position. But understand that minority governments are particularly political. In a minority parliament the government has to depend on at least one other group to sustain its position. Any failure to do so on a number of important matters terminates the government immediately.

By definition, the lifespan of a minority government is relatively short and even if it turns out to be longer, it is expected to be short which drives the decision-making process. People know that it can end very quickly. Sometimes it can end by accident. More importantly, how will the opposition behave because in a minority government every vote counts. In a parliamentary environment where you have long periods of majority government, in most circumstances the opposition is not “unimportant”, but generally not the decisive factor in determining which issues are introduced. In a minority context every head counts regardless of political stripe – for example this occurred with Prime Minister Joe Clark, the minority conservative prime minister in 1979 who lost office because some of his own supporters were annoyed about being excluded from cabinet or were just absent for the critical vote. As a result the Clark government was defeated.

If you are attempting to advocate with the federal government in 2007 understand that it is a minority government; it is the second one in two successive runs and if there was an election tomorrow it is likely there will be another one. It is amazing how some people think that because the election is over it doesn’t matter. It does matter!

Also remember making national policy changes requires you to think nationally! Find allies in the current government – who are they, what are they saying. If they are on the other side of the country find a way to connect with them – they may be on your side! Maintain key relationships with the public service such as executive assistants, policy advisors and civil servants in the Privy Council office. For example the executive assistant to the deputy minister is a key ally and he/she can often help you with key relationships within a department and provide information on the political process regarding your issue.

2. Québec matters

Québec matters because it is a political calculation that opens the door to some policy opportunities. Mr. Harper is the current minority prime minister but he definitely wants to become the majority leader as it is a more stable and predictable environment. Winning in Québec is an opportunity for Mr. Harper to fulfill this goal. Even though he won 10 seats in the last election there are still gains to be made. Therefore there are opportunities for nonprofits in Ontario to partner with sister organizations in Québec to work towards changing national policies on issues such as social housing and community health. Keep these strong partnerships focused on a couple of issues. The sharper the focus, the more disciplined the approach, the greater the success in advocating for change!

3. Cities matter

Six out of ten Canadians live in large cities. Five out of 10 Canadians live in Greater Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary-Edmonton. The current government has a poor electoral standing in these city regions and needs to improve in these areas if they are to have a majority government. Even though this government is labeled as an “Alberta-based administration” there are opportunities to make real policy change within an urban context. Increase this opportunity by ensuring that you are focused on urban issues that can potentially bring the country together. However be cautious about getting caught in the inter-governmental tangle that is at the core of Canadian federalism. A lack of seats in the 416 is not sustainable for this government. If this is not changed it is unlikely the current government will be in power.

4. It is a capital “C” Conservative government

This government is unlike other past Conservative administrations as it has links to neo-conservative elements of the U.S. and the U.K. They have very clear views on the role of government and the nature of the Canadian federation. It is not like the Brian Mulroney era or the Bill Davis era.

5. Stephen Harper’s view of federal/provincial relations

Prime Minister Harper made a speech to the Quebec City Chamber of Commerce in which he outlined his distinct views on “classical federalism”. The constitution matters as it clearly outlines the federal and provincial government’s responsibilities. A fair measure of disentanglement is expected and this is within the context of less government and more emphasis on the voluntary sector to fill the gap. Harper has made some very colourful comments about federal spending power being too overarching, interfering, and troublemaking. Federal spending power is a process that affects many areas of the social policy field. Therefore it is a speech that you should read and reflect on because Harper is an intelligent, definitive and pragmatic leader whose views will define his government’s direction. Expect less federal activity in some areas that have traditionally relied on federal government spending.

Five Good Resources

• Harper Announces Conservative Platform for Québec, December, 2005
• Privy Council
• IRPP Policy Options
• Rebuilding the Mulroney coalition – welcome the ‘New Harper Conservatives’ by Jamie Watt, IRPP, Policy Options, March 2006.