Leadership vote divided over religion question
CALGARY, AB—As the campaign for the leadership of the Canadian Alliance entered its final days, the Calgary-based Concerned Christian Coalition (CCC) launched a blitz calling for support of former Reform MP Stephen Harper's candidacy rather than Stockwell Day.
In an e-mail to supporters, CCC executive director Craig Chandler says "a vote for Stephen Harper is not a vote against Day, but is a vote for unity within the party. Unity in the party is the first step towards forming government. Let's end the tribalism in the Alliance: let's unite and fight the Liberals, let's elect Stephen Harper as leader."
The CCC came forward comparatively late in the race, but Chandler told CW, "Harper represents a better chance of leading a prospective government than does Day. Add to this the kind of tribalism that some supporters of Day seem to have embraced in the latter stages of the campaign and our group simply believes that Harper can best assemble an electable alternative to the current government."
"I've recently had some of Day's supporters question my Christianity for supporting someone other than Stockwell," claims Chandler. "I've been asked how I can call myself a Christian and support Stephen Harper. For some people this leadership race seems to have become a kind of spiritual warfare—it isn't so much about the future of the Canadian Alliance as it is about repairing Day's reputation."
Harper himself is a practising Christian, but told CW in an e-mail interview that religious beliefs should not determine who is best suited to run a political party.
"As a practising Christian, I believe in the message and the life of Christ," says Harper. "That being said, I also believe politics should be open to people of every faith and that people should be encouraged to become members of political parties regardless of their religious affiliation, rather than based on their religious affiliation."
Roy Beyer, a former Edmonton pastor who advised the Day campaign, told CW, "Obviously, we can't take responsibility for everything that is said or done by everyone supporting Stock, but the Day leadership team categorically rejects the notion that a candidate should be supported solely because they are Christian.
"A candidate should be voted for on the basis of his or her policy and we have consistently focused on policy throughout this campaign. Other camps are responsible for raising the question of religion, not us."
"Frankly, we see [Chandler's] actions as somewhat vindictive," adds the founding president of Canada Family Action Council. "Our people declined a short-notice invitation for Stockwell to meet with a business group that [Chandler] heads. Within hours the Christian Coalition, another of his business entities, issued this press release. We can't help but see it as a strategic attempt to divide social conservatives and consider Chandler's allegations unfair, unjust and unfounded."
Chandler, who maintains a number of entrepreneurial interests, is no stranger to controversy. During Calgary's mayoralty campaign in the fall of 2001, a group he headed took responsibility for posting signs around the city reminding voters that David Bronconnier, the eventual winner, had run for the Liberals in the 1997 federal election campaign. Chandler also garnered local headlines when a threatening phone call he received was traced to the cell phone of Bronconnier's mother.
"I'm not saying Day himself is behind [raising the issues of religion] or feels that way himself," Chandler says, "but that kind of tribalism won't win the support that is necessary to provide Canadians with a credible alternative to the current Liberal government which should be the real objective of this race.
"If the kind of attitudes I've been hearing win the day, the Alliance is going to be nothing but a marginalized rump in this country."
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