Darrel Reid

Darrel Reid, Conservative Candidate for Richmond,[1] served as President of Focus on the Family Canada starting in 1998 after leaving his position as Reform Party leader Preston Manning’s Chief of Staff.[2] While at Focus on the Family, Mr. Reid explained his job as mobilizing Canadian Christians to infuse their political beliefs with their religious leanings and act upon them in the public sphere: "Many churches say, ‘That’s the world. That’s out there. We don’t have to worry about that,’….That’s why ministries like Focus Canada exist: to speak out on family issues, to educate and mobilize Christians on issues that cut to the heart of our society." [3] Indeed, Mr. Reid has been unabashed in his desire to see social conservatism be an active force in politics: “I think it would be great to see social conservatives from all our parties and traditions begin to reinsert their most deeply-held convictions into our nation's political discourse.”[4] He confirmed recently that he believes, “every Christian’s under an obligation to change law to reflect biblical values.”[5]

Mr. Reid’s own views on social conservatism reflect what such political activism would look like. He favours the use of the Notwithstanding Clause to overturn the equality rights of gays to marry: “Thankfully, there is a mechanism by which Ontarians can reassert their democratic will. Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides for use of a ‘notwithstanding clause’ to preserve provincial legislation threatened by undemocratic court decisions.”[6] Mr. Reid is highly critical of Quebec social values: “The rest of Canada , it appears, could be following Quebec’s lead. When it comes to marriage, sexual mores and abortion, that’s not reassuring."[7] He believes “[w]elfare provides incentives for single moms to have another child and to avoid marriage.”[8] Finally, Mr. Reid said the Liberal government’s decision to draft legislation recognizing same sex marriage made him “ashamed to be called a Canadian.”[9]