Liberal National Convention
Montreal, April 9-11
Evidence of Carney Government's "Pragmatic Realism"
The
Liberal Party of Canada's National Convention is being held in Montreal
from Thursday, April 9 to Saturday, April 11. If the Liberal National
Convention has any
meaning to Canadians at all it is as a vulgar display of how Carney's
restructuring of the state
is completing the destruction of what are called Canada's democratic
institutions once and for
all. No Canadian or Quebec worker has ever believed that policy
objectives adopted at the
conventions of the cartel parties are worth the paper they are written
on. This Liberal
convention is no exception. On the contrary, the display of privilege,
power and false narratives flaunted there in the name of Carney's
"pragmatic realism" is a crude display of conceit -- of an unjustified
high opinion of his own abilities to make the people go away so that he
can get away with serving the narrow private interests unopposed. It is
clear to working people that Carney government does not address the
world as it is but as the murder of bankers, narrow private interests,
warmongers and their coterie believe it to be. This clearly reveals that
the working class must itself constitute the nation and lead the people
to create a system which opens Canada's path to progress. The
bourgeoisie has long since trampled the banner of the nation in the mud
and, today, with the adoption of extreme violence as the method of
sorting out problems, this is causing grave dangers for the peoples of
the world.
The crude display of power and privilege has an aim and that aim is to make sure not a single vestige remains of a system which can claim that governments of the rich in Canada rule with the consent of the people. Those whose happiness lies in currying favour with forces which support genocide abroad and trample in the mud the rights of the oppressed and vulnerable in this country, rights which belong to them by virtue of being human, are poor specimens of humankind as it strives for genuine peace, freedom and democracy.
What policies can Canadians and Quebeckers expect from the federal Liberal Party which could possibly justify the nation-wrecking, warmongering path the Carney Liberal government is implementing by restructuring the state at the behest of supranational narrow private interests?
This convention is being held at a time thousands of Canadians and Quebeckers have taken to the streets to denounce Canada's prevarication about the U.S./Israeli aggression against Iran as well as direct support for U.S./Israeli genocide in Gaza and genocidal aggression against Lebanon. They are deeply concerned about the militarization of the Arctic, the nation-wrecking projects which plunder Canada's resources to fuel the U.S. war machine. They oppose the destruction of Canada's Public Post Office and all the secret decisions, treaties and arrangements that governments use prerogative powers to enter into. Canadians and Quebeckers are demanding that Canada get out of NATO and NORAD and for Canada to be a Zone for Peace.
The people reject corruption, the program to pay the rich and the impunity of those in government when it comes to the surreptitious privatization of education, health care and social programs the people require. They oppose the laws that criminalize them and aim to silence them, such as Bill C-25 amending the Canada Elections Act, tabled on March 26, or the bills that give the government the power to eliminate all obstacles to the plundering of our resources, such as Bill C-15, the omnibus Budget Implementation Act, 2025, also passed on March 26, and so many other measures. They oppose the dishonest ways used to trample underfoot the hereditary and treaty rights of Indigenous Peoples by declaring that Indigenous businesses are legitimate interlocutors. The people want to have their say when it comes to the direction of the economy and all the decisions related to matters of war and peace, crime and punishment and the decision-making processes which have been usurped by supranational narrow private interests represented by the murder of bankers, corporate and financial interests the Carney Liberals are entrenching in positions of power and privilege. Carney's declaration that all people in office must espouse and be guided by the 19th century values of King and Country shows how reactionary as well as decadent he proposes Canada should be.
The Convention
Who all of this concerns is made amply clear by the fees required to attend the Convention. Last minute pricing for registration fees kicked in on March 30 and ranges from $249 for youth and Indigenous attendees to $1775 for observers, with special rates for those who belong to the Victory Fund or Laurier Club upper donor class. "Regular" attendees pay $999. The registration page informs that there is a free "LIB2026 Online Experience" for "Registered Liberals" to access "livestream of convention sessions," while "select sessions in breakout and training rooms will not be available to stream." Meanwhile, CPAC has a notice up for "complete coverage."
The program of the convention is categorized: "Convention Business; Commission
Meetings; Keynote Remarks; Featured Panels; Policy Workshops; Campaigning 101; and
Organizing and Readiness."
The convention will also elect the party's new National Board of Directors. Amendments to the constitution of the party are also on the agenda, without specifics as to what changes, if any, are being presented.
No biographies of the speakers listed in the program are provided, nor titles. For instance Diana Fox Carney appears for both the National Women's Liberal Commission and the Senior Liberals' Commission without any indication if she is the chair, or speaker or what; neither are ministers and Members of Parliament identified by title in the several featured panels where they are speaking.
Mélanie Joly is a speaker in the session on Young Liberals.
One draft resolution to be presented at the convention reads: "that the Liberal Party of Canada urge the Government of Canada to create a National Rail Strategy that:
- Explores the feasibility of additional high-speed rail projects and regional passenger rail systems to improve national connectivity.
- Prioritizes investment in green rail infrastructure, including the electrification of railway lines and adoption of low-emission technologies.
- Ensures future rail development integrates with existing transportation networks to provide accessible and reliable mobility for Canadians."
Given the evidence of how a project that serves narrow private interests is being
railroaded through phoney public consultations on the Alto High Speed Rail Project slated to
be built from Quebec City to Toronto, this policy resolution shows just how fraudulent policy
conventions are as concerns purporting to express the interests of Canadians. The contempt
the private interests given control over the Alto High Speed Rail Project have shown for the
people, the social and natural environment, the use of public funds and much more, goes to
show that narrow private interests are preaching to the choir while media declare their
sermons represent what Canadians want.
Ministers and MPs are cycled and recycled to address topics which promote all the pet Liberal projects. Carney himself will address the Convention on Saturday at 2:00 pm. One of the sessions on Saturday is called "What It Takes to Win Close Races." Another is called "Organizing to Win in Small Towns and Rural Communities." Yet another is called "Empowering Canadians to Get Ahead." Proof of what the Liberals think it takes is provided in part by the fact that Carney government ministers and MPs are flooding the federal riding of Terrebonne before the April 13 by-election as part of their attempts to get a Liberal majority. The only thing missing in the entire proceedings is anything to do with measures even remotely related to the kind of Canada the people want.
This article was published in
Volume 56 Number 16 - April 10, 2026
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/TML2026/Articles/T560161.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca