Revolutionary Moderation

The island of Progressive Conservatism



Sometimes, I really miss living near downtown Calgary, quite aside from missing a walkabout by Kevin Smith a block from my old apartment. There's something about the place that seperates it from most of Calgary, with its car-addicted suburbanites living in oversized houses on undersized lots. It's not so seperate that it votes other than Tory, in various forms, but they still get something different from their MPs.



When I lived there, back in 1993, there was an important gay rights vote before the House. My Reform Party MP, Jim Silye, was the only Reformer to vote in favour of the bill. Years later, the Tory MP, Joe Clark, rode as the Grand Marshall of Calgary's Pride parade. And now, the MP for the slightly realligned riding of Calgary Centre-North, Jim Prentice, stands to be one of only two Alberta MPs to vote in favour of the Civil Marriage Act, and the other, Anne McLellan, is compelled to vote in favour by being in cabinet.



Good for you, Jim Prentice. It takes a certain amount of bravery to stand against your leader, even in a free vote.