Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashartus
I'm hopeful too, since I'm not a huge fan of ideologically-based parties, but am not convinced they can establish enough profile to be a credible threat by the next election.
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Ummmm. There's no such thing as not being ideologically-based. Even the style of "Big Listen" where you quote-on-quote 'listen' is an ideology in and of itself.
As for creating the ability to choose schools, the classic political debate is collective equality vs. individual freedom with modern-day conservatives embodying individual freedom. Personally, I want the freedom to send my kids to whichever school I see fit. This was a possibility when I was growing up in Winnipeg, which is a far more left-wing city than anything Alberta has to offer. I chose a school based on its science program and knew it would best cultivate my talents in that regard. When my family moved to Calgary and I finished grade 11 and 12 here, no such choice was available and I was forced to go to a school with a bad reputation in that field. I could have requested to go to a school in a different zone, but the bureaucracy of the CBE made it incredibly difficult. The fear is that school choice legislation would only be beneficial for private schools. School choice works well in Manitoba is a good idea for public because it creates a competition between them and they end up offering the best in different fields as a result.