Now, Tom Flanagan - the academic who worked as an aide to both Manning and Stephen Harper and served as Wildrose's campaign manager this spring - says it's time for Wildrose to follow the same path Reform took as it morphed into the Canadian Alliance and then the federal Conservative Party.
"We have to learn what's workable and not if we're going to become a governing party. And we can't have people popping off all over on sensitive issues," says Flanagan.
"We need to adopt some of that discipline and examine our policies."
Wildrose appeared poised to end the PC's four-decade dynasty in the spring election when comments emerged by one candidate suggesting homosexuals would be consigned to the "lake of fire," and another said he had an advantage as a Caucasian candidate.
The party also ran into controversy over proposals such as a dividend cheque to provincial residents and plans to revisit the notion of a provincial police force and pension plan.
Smith says she's in full agreement with Flanagan and the party will revisit its policies in a full review next year. It will also look at areas such as vetting of candidates.
"Reform came to the conclusion very quickly that if you talk about inflammatory issues that alienate people as opposed to bringing them together, you're going to have a hard time gaining traction," she says.
"You have to focus on the issues where you get a majority consensus ... you can only take action if you have people behind you."
Original Article
Source: calgary herald
Author: James Wood
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