Political party conventions are a not-to-miss event in the calendar. They are an opportunity for party-faithful to come together to either celebrate their success or commiserate with each other and make sure the senior leadership of their party hear their frustrations and commits to doing things differently.
Long gone are the days of delegated leadership conventions, which made for exciting television and high-stakes drama to find out who would be the next leader, Premier or Prime Minister. Now, those are mostly replaced with one-day Leadership Announcement events. However, it is typical that a Party will be required in their constitution to hold General Meetings to elect their governing executive or council and/or to discuss policy ideas every one to two years.
Here is why attending these weekends matters:
Excellent Networking Opportunity
It is rare to have the top brass of any political party in one place at the same time. At conventions, party members get to mix and mingle with the key decision makers from their party. If the party is in government, that means sharing conversations with senior cabinet Ministers and staff. The whole event tends to be a social affair, with many late-night receptions hosted by caucus members, candidates for internal party positions and stakeholder groups. The only comparison would be a night of pub-hopping, knowing that you’ll run into people you know wherever you go.
High Stakes
Sometimes, the stakes at a party convention can be high, especially after an election loss. This is when parties typically hold a review vote on whether they want to have a new leadership election or stick with the current Leader. The bar is high, as an unexpectedly low number can result in a messy situation, as it did recently for the Ontario Liberal Party when only 57% of delegates expressed a desire for then-leader Bonnie Crombie to remain.
Other times, there are consequential and/or controversial matters that the membership will be voting on. This could lead to negative media stories of party infighting and the worst-case scenario narrative: If that Leader can’t manage a political party, how can we expect them to run a government?
While the conventions are fun affairs for members, there are a myriad of things that can go wrong and try as they will, there is only so much the party brass can do to control things through a tight agenda and good staging. Conventions, if not properly scripted and focused on completing business and showing members a great time, can become unplanned and consequential turning points in the political landscape.
Influence on Policy Decisions
In addition to speaking with the elected members in your party who are often the ones at the table making the calls on what policies, regulations or legislation to make or change, party conventions are often an opportunity to discuss and debate new ideas and, in some cases, directly vote on what policies the party should advocate for. While there are examples of when a party has chosen not to pursue the wishes of its members, it is often at its peril. Those circumstances are rare, which means conventions most often are a real and influential opportunity for members to express what direction they want their party’s elected officials to take. Should they choose not to listen, the party leadership risks a heavy backlash from the very people who put up the election signs, canvass doors, and donate their money to ensure their party can be successful in the next election. If unsuccessful in that election, these are the same members who may decide not to support their Leader in a post-election review. Hell hath no fury like a membership scorned!
Get Involved!
Being involved in a political party is one of the most effective ways of making an impact on public policy. Buy a membership, attend the conventions and have a say in the direction the party takes on the issues that matter to you. The connections you make at a convention can be very useful in establishing working relationships that go beyond the weekend and help you meet your professional goals. If you plan on attending a party convention, let the Counsel team know; we would love to connect with you there.