Web posted on August 08, 2005

The Conservative Party of Canada held an informal meet-greet-and-eat picnic on August 8, 2005 at Riverside Park. The get-together was part of the party's strategy to be a more "down to earth" political party. MP Monte Solberg, a member of the Official Opposition's shadow cabinet, was guest of honour at the event.

"I'm just thrilled with the turnout today," said Guelph candidate Brent Barr. "It's the beginning of August, and lots of people are on vacation or just coming back from one, plus it's an absolutely gorgeous day out. It's a good-sized crowd."

"Events like this give people an opportunity to meet Monte, to talk with him. It's also an opportunity for Monte to connect with the Canadian public. That is the important part - getting to know the people and letting them get to know their Conservative Party." Barr continued, "When is the last time you saw Paul Martin or Jack Layton casually talking with people at a picnic? You just don't see that - but Stephen Harper has been doing it all summer."

Barr was glad to see MPs and candidates from other locales at the picnic, too. "It's great to have representatives visiting each other, exchanging ideas and thoughts."

When asked about the BBQ offerings, Mr. Barr told the Fountain Pen, "You bet they're pure Canadian beef burgers!"

(left to right) Brent Barr (candidate-Guelph, ON), Monte Solberg (MP-Medicine Hat, AB), Gary Goodyear (MP-Cambridge, ON), and Ken Morgan

Before introducing Monte Solberg, Barr spoke to the crowd about the future. "[The party] needs you to volunteer your time. Chat to your friends and neighbours about what the Conservative Party believes in... If someone has a question that you don't have an answer for, call me. I will answer those questions."

Mr. Solberg thanked everybody for inviting him to visit Guelph. Over the last several days he has managed to explore parts of Ontario that he had not seen before, and has enjoyed himself throroughly. "Ontario is a beautiful place," he said. "Throughout my travels, I have noticed that there is a universal theme - it's time for a change. It's not just a reaction to the government's corruption, but after 12 years the problems they claimed to have fixed are getting worse. This government has decided that if they throw lots of money at a problem, it will go away. This is not a solution." Solberg discussed several examples of this type of thinking, including firearms-related violence & the gun registry, the Davis Inlet youth problems before and after the $360-million relocation program, and, naturally, the sponsorship scandal.

The Conservative Party of Canada has produced a new, large-format flyer outlining its' policies and beliefs. "It's hard to overemphasize how important it is to get this information out there. We can't depend on the friendly media to get our message out - we have to do it ourselves." Of course, the party will continue to try to win the media over, but expects that the grassroots approach will serve them well with the Canadian public.

Solberg says that after 12 years, the Liberals have lost their edge. "Canada needs fresh, innovative leadership. For example, when you have issues that cross jurisdictions, such as brownfields, all levels of government throw up their hands and say they can't do anything. We need to take a leadership role and step forward in these situations."

When asked about the public perception of the Conservative Party, Solberg was quick to point out that "you should judge the party by what we believe in, and what we do, not by what our enemies say about us. If people look at our platform, and our ideas, they'd see that we're not what we're painted to look like. A lot of people in this country are conservatives - they just don't know it yet."

Monte Solberg was first elected to the House of Commons in 1993 in the riding of Medicine Hat. Mr. Solberg has served in a number of different roles, recently as the Senior Finance Critic for the Official Opposition, and Vice Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. For more information on the Conservative Party of Canada, visit their website.
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