Why I am a Liberal by William Bradley – ON

March 17, 2023

Left to right: William Bradley, Serge Fournier, Sheila Bryan, Hilary Williamson

I joined the Liberal Party of Canada in 2014 when I was still a federal civil servant carrying out investigations in the field of consumer protection. The Conservative Government of Stephen Harper had just brought in a series of budget cuts that resulted in 20 percent of the positions cut right in my Branch.

I was so infuriated, which was not helped by Tony Clement, the Treasury Board Minister, saying that no front line position would be cut with the budget cuts. That had been my experience of 30 years in the government: that Tories always brought in senseless budget cuts that did nothing to help the efficiency of the Civil Service.

Even though federal civil servants are required to be politically impartial, they still have the right to express their political opinions under the Charter, so I decided I would do what I could. I joined the Liberal Party, started making regular donations, and got involved in the next federal election, knocking doors and calling potential voters for Chandra Arya in Nepean Riding.

Since I retired in 2019, I have become more actively involved in the Party, which of course, meant more door knocking and a lot of telephoning during the Covid pandemic. I thoroughly enjoyed my first Party convention which was the very well-run virtual Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario) Convention in 2022. I look forward to attending my first in-person National Party Convention in May 2023 in Ottawa as an active member of the Senior Liberals’ Commission.

Seven years on and I still believe the Liberal Party of Canada represents the best option for Canadians for a pragmatic government that has a plan to deal with climate change, has brought children out of poverty, is helping seniors live a dignified and independent life, and believes in the capacity of the marketplace and entrepreneurs to bring about innovative change and good jobs in the economy.

William Bradley