Will unhappy Conservatives start another Reform Party?

I don't know how much to make of this story, but it is interesting. What's the point of voting Conservative if their policies are virtually the same as the Liberals'? Too bad the article doesn't mention immigration or Harper's shameless pandering to ethnic special interests.

From Globe and Mail (Disgruntled Tories consider refounding Reform Party by Gloria Galloway, May 11, 2007):

Somewhere in Kingston Saturday, a small group of disaffected Conservatives will meet to discuss what would have been unfathomable in the heady days that followed the last federal election: refounding the Reform Party.

Organizers say they have room for just 30 people, but that this weekend's event is a mere prelude to a much larger meeting later this month.

“It's now or never,” the online invitation says. “This new party will never be infiltrated by Red Tories, special interest groups or Quebec again.”

[Note to readers outside Canada: Red Tory is an imprecise label, but it basically means a left-leaning member of the Conservative Party. Red Tories tend to be socially liberal. They support the welfare state and extensive government intervention in the economy. They're similar to 'moderate' Republicans in the US.]

[. . .]

When the Conservatives were elected in January, 2006, the former Reformers were jubilant at the thought of finally having a voice in Ottawa. But after a series of centrist decisions by Mr. Harper, they are again lamenting their disenfranchisement.

Connie Wilkins of Kingston, who owns freedominion.ca, one of the most popular conservative websites in Canada, has been invited to the weekend meeting.

[Hyphenated_Canadian: Free Dominion has a discussion thread about the Globe article.]

At this point, she says, reforming Reform is just a discussion.

“The idea is just to get together and to decide how it would be best for people who have conservative values – stronger conservative values – to make their voices be heard better and to be listened to,” Ms. Wilkins said.

[. . .]

Read all of Gloria Galloway's article.

See also:

It's Official: They're Liberals! Paul Martin Liberals!

Gerry Nichols for PM