Decontamination at work
A few weeks back I got heat for saying the party should embrace the British Tory strategy of ‘decontamination‘. Decontamination includes:
- A gentler tone to political discourse including ‘an end to Punch and Judy politics’ where knockabout and personal campaigning trumps serious focus on the issues.
- Not constantly obsessing about the same issues but also talking about other issues – particularly the environment and social justice.
- Zero tolerance of racist or homophobic attitudes.
- Changing the look of the Conservative Party through the A-list and its drive to increase the number of ethnic minority and female Conservative MPs.
It’s good strategy, and, well – I told you so:
The Tories have suspended their communications director after he sent an email to CTV News saying an outspoken father of a fallen Canadian soldier was a Liberal supporter … CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife said Thursday afternoon senior Tory officials have confirmed that Sparrow has been suspended for the duration of the campaign.
“Mr. Sparrow has just been called into the headquarters in Ottawa, he’s been asked to call Jim Davis and apologize,” said Fife.
Harper spokesman Kory Teneycke told The Canadian Press Thursday the email was “not appropriate.”
