Here’s a recipe that gives Conservatives a real shot in the next election

The Conservative Party of Canada is reeling after its election defeat. Various factions are lashing out at leader Andrew Scheer, pressing him to resign.

Certainly, if they could not defeat a prime minister as deeply wounded as Justin Trudeau, will they ever be able to do so? The answer is yes, but the party must change. In its current state, it has no chance of victory.

What must the Conservative party do to win the next federal election?

First and foremost, the party must accept that most Canadians are socially liberal. Parliamentary debates on such topics as abortion and same-sex marriage are over. If you oppose gay marriage, don’t attend the ceremony. If you oppose abortion, don’t have one.

This isn’t to say someone who holds socially conservative views should be prohibited from entering politics or leading a party. However, that person must make it clear that they will not introduce or support legislation involving these areas. When he was prime minister, Stephen Harper did that well.

Andrew Scheer did a terrible job during the election. He was unable to credibly explain how he would reconcile his deeply held personal views with those of the majority. In all likelihood, Scheer will not lead the Conservatives into the next election.

The modern federal Conservative party began when the Reform/Canadian Alliance parties merged with the old Progressive Conservative party. Thus they have roots they should be proud of and need to remind Canadians of.

It was a Progressive Conservative government under John Diefenbaker that gave Canada its first human rights legislation with the Canadian Bill of Rights in 1960. It was Brian Mulroney who played a key role in the global struggle against South African apartheid. It was also Mulroney who convinced the U.S. government to take action on acid rain, thus protecting Canadian lakes.

It was the Reform party in the 1990s that finally convinced the federal government to balance the budget and introduce the Clarity Act, which created some “rules” that a province seeking to separate would have to follow. Far from being the regressive Neanderthals that some make them out to be, conservatives have a long history of being socially progressive. They need to keep reminding Canadians of this.

There are other ways for them to stand out in a positive manner.

The Conservatives should preach and practise fiscal discipline. Up until 1968, governments of every stripe were fiscally conservative. Following the theories of economist John Maynard Keynes, governments in Canada would run deficits in times of war, serious recessions or for large-scale public projects. When times were good, accumulated debt was to be paid off.

Conservatives need to return to fiscal discipline and remind Canadians that fiscally conservative/responsible governments brought us through two world wars and a depression, and built large-scale infrastructure that serves us to this day.

Up until 1968, with the election of Pierre Trudeau, previous generations left us a legacy of sound fiscal government. Conservatives must return to that legacy.

One of our most pressing issues is climate change. Again, it was Conservatives who successfully fought acid rain in the 1980s. Many call Mulroney Canada’s greenest prime minister. That environmental record is a great legacy. The modern Conservative party must recognize that without a reasonable climate-change policy, it cannot win.

Do these things and during the next election, the Conservative party has a legitimate shot at victory.