OYL Roots platform released - doesnt look “negative” to me.

Warning: Internal Liberal Party discussion to follow. If that bores you, there are plenty of excellent blogs elsewhere to read.

One of the criticisms I’ve been hearing about the OYL Roots slate that is running in the March elections for various positions in the Ontario Young Liberals is that they’re “negative”. I’ll point you to the OYL Roots website, and specifically 3 items of interest, and you tell me whether anything in there is “negative” or not.

First up, we have the announcement that the OYL Roots slate has reached gender parity with the nomination of their final candidate. IF this slate was elected in whole, it would be the only gender equal youth executive in the country. That’s a positive, as far as I’m concerned.

Next, we have what the Roots team philosophy is - a mission statement if you will.  I strain to find anything “negative” in the core principles they’ve laid out there.

Finally, and what I was waiting to see, we have the Roots platform. One of the chief reasons the Roots team was formed was because of their perception that the OYL had gone from an autonomous organization to one that is subordinate to the senior Liberal Party. It also appears from the platform that they feel the processes used within the OYL can be made better and more responsive to its members. Again, I challenge anyone to point out the “negativity” in the document.

I’ve said in the past on here that I caution both slates to not get too bitter with one another during the campaign, as everyone will have to work with each other after this is all done, and the goal is to work together to help defeat Stephen Harper. I continue to advocate that, but if unfair criticisms come up, they need to be addressed. In this vein, I think attacking the Roots slate as being “negative” is nothing more then attempting to change the channel so as to not having to address the concerns of those folks in Roots as to what has happened in the OYL the past couple of years. I’d hope that tactic ends rather quickly from the opposing slate and their supporters, and some actual substantial debate into the direction of the OYL takes place from the other side.