HAVE YOUR SAY

A Guide to Policy Development

I - OVERVIEW
The Liberal Party of Canadas policy process links individuals, their community, their province,
the country and the Party together. New ideas are gathered from Liberal members and
supporters by riding associations and clubs and then shaped into policy resolutions that go on to
inspire our Partys platform. The process by which ideas are identified, discussed, researched,
validated and finally approved by the membership as resolutions is described in this document.
Is should be noted that the policy development process in the Liberal Party of Canada is one of
collaboration with Caucus and the Leader since they are ultimately responsible for the
implementation of policy whether in government or in opposition.

PARTY MEMBERS
The policy process begins with the members who meet to share their opinions and beliefs on
issues of importance in their community. This can be done through a number of ways. Party
members can meet in-person at policy meetings or activities held by riding associations
(Electoral District Associations (EDAs)) or clubs or they can engage in the Partys online policy
development platform.
Discussing policy is ongoing and critical to the Partys vitality. Riding associations and clubs are
encouraged to make policy meetings and discussions a regular part of their activities.
PARTY SUPPORTERS
Experience has shown that policies are a great way to engage Canadians in, and attract
supporters to our Party. That is why riding associations and commission clubs are encouraged to
invite and include local Liberal supporters in their policy related activities. Supporter and
community engagement in policy issue identification is likely to translate into increased
involvement in the party as members or Victory Fund donors.
POLICY MEETINGS
Policy meetings, organized by riding associations and clubs, should take whatever form works
best. Basically, any activity that brings people together to discuss issues and ideas is a successful
effort. This could be done through town hall meetings, having a round table on a specific
subject, using surveys or hosting on-line discussion. The Partys online policy development
mechanism brings together like-minded Liberals and features links to relevant studies, issue
papers, and useful data. These resources are in place to help draft solid evidence-based policy
proposals that are presented as formal resolutions for validation by the membership.
Whatever format you choose, the key is to provoke friendly debate, research and back-up your
statements, and turn opinions and ideas into action-oriented policy resolutions.

POLICY RESOLUTIONS
To move forward, ideas from policy meetings are written as policy resolutions. A resolution
expresses support for, or suggests changes to existing practices; calls for specific action; or
simply defines a point of principle.
Section IV of this booklet describes the format and mechanics of a resolution.
There are a number of ways in which riding associations and clubs submit resolutions. They may
invite their members to submit them, or designate a Policy Chair who listens for policy ideas at
association events and uses these views to create resolutions. Some associations and clubs have
a policy subcommittee which meets specifically to discuss and draft resolutions for approval by
the executive or the membership.
Its important to remember that there is no single, set way for a club or association to generate
its policies. The club or association can best determine what works best for them as an effective
method, whether in-person or online.
RIDING ASSOCIATION AND CLUB MEETINGS
Once resolutions have been generated by an association or club, they must be endorsed by the
local organization. Only sponsored resolutions move forward in the process.
This can occur at an executive meeting, at a riding association or club general meeting, or
possibly as an added part of a delegate selection meeting. At the meeting, members are asked
to vote on accepting or rejecting each resolution, and also to rank the preferred resolutions in
order of importance.
Provincial and Territorial Associations (PTAs), and the Liberal Party of Canada, may limit the
number of resolutions that each club or association can move forward. Local clubs and
associations should review the process with their provincial policy representative to determine
local limits and timelines.
PROVINCIAL AND TERRITORIAL ASSOCIATIONS, COMMISSIONS, CAUCUS AND NPEP
Resolutions passed by riding associations and clubs are sent to their respective Provincial and
Territorial Associations (PTA) to be voted on and prioritized.
In larger provinces, there may be an intermediate step, usually regional meetings, between the
riding association and the provinces general policy meetings. At regional meetings, a triage
process of prioritization is carried out, before the selected resolutions of the regions are
forwarded on to the provincial level.
For Biennial Conventions, each Provincial and Territorial Association may forward ten
resolutions, one of which is designated as a priority resolution.
In addition, the Aboriginal Peoples Commission (APC), the National Womens Liberal
Commission (NWLC), the Young Liberals of Canada (YLC), the Senior Liberals Commission (SLC),

the National Liberal Caucus and the National Policy and Platform Committee (NPEP) can each
send ten resolutions to the Biennial Convention. One of these resolutions should be designated
as a priority resolution by each organization.
BIENNIAL CONVENTION
Each riding association or club is represented at the Biennial Convention by delegates who have
been elected at a delegate selection meeting.
The ten resolutions that are forwarded by Provinces, Territories, and Commissions to the
Biennial Convention are grouped by policy theme with others from across the country. These
priority resolutions proceed directly to the plenary session for voting. The other resolutions can
be discussed in theme-based workshops.
In the workshops, only one resolution is forwarded to the policy plenary session of the Biennial
Convention. While there, they will be added to the priority resolutions that were originally
forwarded for discussion and voting.
The resolutions adopted at the policy plenary become official Party policy.
IMPLEMENTATION
The policy process within the Liberal Party of Canada is an evolving process with constant input
from members across the country. An association or club executive should discuss policy on an
ongoing basis in order to ensure that policy at the national level reflects grassroot opinion.
Policy resolutions and discussion papers can be submitted to the current MP, candidate, or
provincial policy representative, at any time to keep them informed about the priorities
expressed by Liberal members and supporters in the area.

II - OBJECTIVES OF THE POLICY PROCESS

The Liberal Party of Canadas policy process reflects the openness and grassroots nature of the
Party as an organization that is accessible to like-minded individuals in Canadian cities and
communities large and small.
Purposes
Ethically
Serves the National Interest
Strategically
Serves the Interests of Liberalism
Tactically
Serves the Partys Interests
The objective of the policy process is to make the Liberal Party of Canada more likely to address
the needs of Canadians by forming government. It should make the Party more effective in
office, because of ongoing, innovative policy-making with input from people across Canada.

A democratic policy process serves the national interest by ensuring that our governments
activities are influenced first by the ideas and preferences of Canadians who participate at the
grassroots level.
The policy process is important - it gives a voice to each riding and club: unheld ridings can use it
to have an impact on the activities of the Party and the caucus and, because of this, regional
concerns are heard by the Party.
Tactically, the policy process makes our Party more likely to earn the confidence of Canadians in
order to form government. By tapping into the interests and expertise of individuals outside of
government, the policy process keeps the Partys platform current and helps it to resonate with
Canadians. In other words, the Party maintains its relevance by using the constant expression of
new ideas from a broad range of grassroots Liberal members and supporters, riding-by-riding,
and club-by-club to inform itself.
Strategically, grassroots participation ensures that Liberalism remains a living, growing
philosophy in Canadian politics.

III - LOCAL POLICY DEVELOPMENT

The policy-making efforts of a riding association or club are strengthened when they are focused
through the delegation of specific responsibility to a Policy Chair, or coordinator.
The Policy Chairs first duty is to assemble a team or committee from a cross-section of Liberals
in the community. It is also beneficial for a club or association to invite some other non-partisan
members within the community to sit on their committee or attend activities.
The committee should set goals and a work plan to focus its attention and efforts and ensure
constructive outcomes are achieved.
Besides organizing events, policy discussions and logistics for the policy process, the committee
has an ongoing responsibility to:
act as a liaison between its community and the Party;
engage the local membership on issues of concern and represent their views to the Party;
promote Liberal values and policies in the community;
keep the locally elected MP informed about developments and trends in the community and
enable him or her to continually serve the ridings local interests effectively;
monitor local issues to help a future Liberal candidate to be elected; and
act as a critic of the current government.
In essence, community policy work is another form of ongoing election readiness: Liberals
remain tuned in to the communitys needs and interests, demonstrate their interest in policy
outcomes that can positively affect the community, and are positioned to exploit the
opponents weaknesses or neglect of those important issues.

There are numerous types of events that associations and clubs can use to have a policy
discussion.
TOWN HALL MEETINGS
Town hall meetings are public meetings used by MPs, Candidates, and Riding Associations to
make themselves more accessible by providing a forum to hear their views. A Town Hall agenda
can include speeches, debate and questions. In addition to an email invitation to local Liberals,
advertising should be done visibly within the community such as notices in schools, grocery
stores, community agencies, churches and community newspapers.
POLICY FORUMS
General membership meetings are integral to the policy process. For such events to be
successful, you need: a focused agenda; distribution of relevant information before the meeting;
and a chair with a strong grasp of the rules of procedure.
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Panel discussions require more detailed planning because they are more structured and formal
and often focus on hot policy issues. Panelists can be political, non-partisan, or both. They
should each bring specialized expertise on an issue or represent opposing viewpoints.
Each panel member should receive equal time (5-10 minutes) to present his or her position.
With the assistance of a meeting chair, the audience should also be encouraged to ask questions
and have ample time for discussion.
An advertised social period can be built into the program for the meeting so interested
participants have time to meet one another or to informally shape the report of the event for
policy resolutions.
DEBATES
Debates are similar to policy forums. It is important to invite knowledgeable and capable
debaters and a neutral chair is crucial to maintain order among people of differing views. As
with all the other formats, it is useful to allow time for questions and answers, a social period,
and some discussion by the club or associations policy committee to summarize the outcome
and shape potential resolutions.
DISCUSSION GROUPS
If you are having difficulty organizing a single large event, a modest series of smaller events may
be productive. Small groups of five to eight people, gathering regularly to discuss can result in
resolutions and other constructive outcomes quite effectively. These groups should still have a
strong leader to keep discussions on track.
POLICY SOCIALS
Policy socials allow members to discuss issues in an informal setting. A knowledgeable specialist
can be invited to give an informal talk to a group in someones home. Open discussion,
questions and answers should follow. A chair should be named to facilitate the discussion.
Light refreshments can be served and further socializing encouraged after group discussion has
ended.

RESEARCH AND CONSENSUS

No matter which kind of event your club or association creates, the objectives are the same: to
hear the opinions of participants; stimulate thought and discussion; and to develop policy
resolutions from opinions and ideas.
To ensure that events generate ideas and not only opinions, take steps to ensure that
participating members are informed for the discussions. The Partys website provides useful
information on current issues. Specific sources of information include:
Your Liberal MP;
Other local representatives;
Local social service agencies;
Local advocacy groups;
The local Chamber of Commerce;
Think tanks and research institutions;
The Liberal Party of Canadas website and on-line policy development tools;
Past policy resolutions;
Local university departments; and
Libraries.
The Party plans for the online policy development tool to be a tool that clubs and associations
can use to compare their policy ideas to those in other ridings in their region, their province, and
across the country, and to develop connections and create support for similar ideas.
Ultimately, the quality of resolutions produced by your association or club will determine the
impact you are able to achieve.

IV - MECHANICS OF POLICY RESOLUTIONS

Resolutions are the end result of all efforts in the policy process.
A resolution is a statement, or set of statements, that clearly expresses a belief or a judgment on
an issue of public policy. As well, it calls upon the Party to take a position or press for action.
Resolutions should be concise, clear, based on accurate facts, and written to achieve a specific
purpose. They should contain no more than 250 words.
Resolutions have four distinct sections:
1 - TITLE
The title of a resolution should be concise, and quickly convey the subject of the resolution.
2 - PREAMBLE
The resolution must begin with a preamble.

A preamble begins with "Wheareas". The preamble describes the situation, issue or context that
gives rise to the resolution. As well, it lists facts necessary for the reader to understand the
essence of the resolution. The preamble may state the reason the resolution is important.
Finally, it offers arguments or attempts to anticipate counter-arguments, in order to command
support.
Preambles must be limited to six per resolution. The combined number of preambles and
operatives (see below) cannot exceed eight. A preamble can reference an internet link providing
more information on research or rationale.
3 - DIRECTION (OPERATIVE)
The "Be it Resolved," (or operative) section is the core of any resolution. It communicates the
action that the authors want the Party to undertake. There may be several statements in the
operative, depending on the complexity of the resolution.
The operative section should not repeat information already in the preamble.
There cannot be any numbers or letters used as subsections in this part of the resolution and
operatives that follow the first one must be preceded by the phrase Be it further resolved.
Operatives must be limited to a maximum of six per resolution. The combined number of
preambles and operatives cannot exceed eight.
4 - AUTHORSHIP
The name of the resolutions sponsoring body must always be listed.
In drawing up a resolution, you should always remain focused on what you are trying to achieve.
Is the goal of your resolution to:
express support for a government action or stance;
suggest alternatives to current practices; or
ask the Party to press the government to achieve a specific goal.
If your intention is the last, you should bear in mind:
what is the actual goal: what do you really want to achieve?
what are the ways to get there?
is the goal realistic?
does it fall under the authority of the federal government?
how would you measure achievement of the goals?
what is the timeframe to reach the goal?
do costs and benefits of the goal need to be assessed to strengthen support of the resolution?
A resolution is unlikely to be passed unless it calls for action or establishes a position that
Liberals can understand and support. If a resolution is adopted, it will only have the desired
effect if it is clear and recognizable.
Here are some common problems that weaken resolutions:

 The resolution lacks meaning, and it would not result in any measurable action.
The resolution is too long, unwieldy, and hard to understand. It should be kept to 250 words
Lack of factual accuracy.
Inflammatory language.
It does not fall under federal jurisdiction.
Finally, keep in mind that because time will pass between the drafting of the resolution and the
Biennial Convention, resolutions should be current and relevant throughout the process.
PRESCRIPTIVE COMPONENTS for Biennial Convention Policy Process:
Length: Maximum 250 words
Font: Arial 14
Paper: letter size, 8.5 X 11
Margins: 1 inch
Spacing: single space, double space between new paragraphs
All resolutions must have a Title, Preamble, Operative, and Authorship.
Title:

All First Letters of any Main words in the Title must be Capitalized.
Example: Tax Credit for Text Books

Preamble:

Must begin with WHEREAS.

Maximum number of Preambles to be used is six.
Preambles and Operatives combined cannot exceed eight.
Can include footnotes with website links for additional information.

Operative:

First operative must begin with BE IT RESOLVED.

Further operatives must begin with BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED.
Maximum number of operatives is six.
Preambles and Operatives combined cannot exceed eight.

Authorship:

The sponsoring body (association, club, commission, PTA, or committee) must

be listed at the end of any resolution.

SAMPLE RESOLUTION
(Title) Land Mines
(Preamble)
WHEREAS Canada has taken a leadership role in the elimination of landmines, with the recently
signed Landmines Treaty;
WHEREAS these landmines have caused mass destruction, continue to kill and maim and destroy
the quality of life for innocent people;

WHEREAS this treaty only deals with the manufacture of new land mines, the use of existing
landmines and the destruction of already placed landmines;
WHEREAS the public has played a key role in furthering the principles of humanity as evidenced
by the grassroots call for a total ban of antipersonnel mines;
(Operative)
BE IT RESOLVED that the Liberal Party of Canada supports the government of Canadas efforts to
continue leading internationally to ensure early ratification, universalization and
implementation of the treaty, also known as the "Ottawa II" process;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Liberal Party of Canada urges that the government of
Canada broaden its outreach activities with schools, communities, NGOs and service
organizations and work with these groups to establish a Canadian Mines Action Trust Fund to
assist with the rehabilitation of persons affected by antipersonnel mines.
(Authorship)
National Policy and Platform Committee

V - AT THE PROVINCIAL AND TERRITORIAL ASSOCIATION LEVEL

After approval at the local level, resolutions proceed to Provincial and Territorial Associations.
There are many resolutions competing to be one of the ten that proceed from each province,
territory and Commission to the Biennial Convention. Some resolutions are popular and make
their way into one of the ten spaces with little help from their authors.
Usually, however, the association or club that creates a resolution will have to work creatively to
persuade other Liberals to support that resolution instead of the many other good ideas that
will be up for debate.
In order to maximize your chances of winning support, you should:
ensure that the riding association or club members turn out in force to support their
resolutions;
anticipate likely criticisms of your resolution and prepare counter-arguments;
have strong public speakers move the resolution and respond to challenges from the floor;
contact other associations or clubs before the provincial or territorial meeting, building
support for your resolution;
share the sponsorship of resolutions with other associations or clubs; and
distribute flyers at the provincial or territorial meeting or in advance, by email.
Develop support for your resolution through the liberal.ca website and electronic contact with
your own networks of Liberal acquaintances.
Even the best resolutions need to be promoted effectively to be noticed and to advance.

The objective of the policy process is not only to establish the Partys policies, but also to
stimulate debate and reflection among Party members. If you want your resolution to be
passed, you must roll up your sleeves, negotiate, lobby, and sell it to the larger body of Liberal
members.

VI - AT THE BIENNIAL CONVENTION

The Biennial Convention is the highest authority of the Party. It is attended by delegates elected
by every riding association and club, a number of ex-officio delegates, members of the
Parliamentary and Senate Liberal caucus, and observers. It is also watched closely by national
media.
Priority resolutions coming from the provinces, territories, Commissions, Caucus, and the
National Policy and Platform Committee proceed directly to the Conventions Policy Plenary
session. All other resolutions are voted on in workshops.
Because of the large number of resolutions coming in to the workshops from across the country,
the time for debate is limited. Delegates should read through the resolutions before attending a
policy workshop.
Each workshop chooses one priority resolution to send to the policy plenary.
All resolutions passed at the Policy Plenary by delegates from across the country become official
Party policy.

VII - AFTER THE CONVENTION

The Biennial Convention resolutions help shape the Partys next election platform.
The policies that come up from the grassroots and are selected at the national convention are
strong ideas that have resonated with other Liberals across Canada who participated in the
process as well as the delegates who attended the Biennial Convention.
The next step for members is to campaign for the Liberal Party in support of those ideas in an
upcoming election campaign, and see that the Party has the opportunity to transform its written
policies into action by winning the right to form government.
In many ways, though, the end of the Convention is a beginning of the next policy process.

Policy development is something that can be done and should be done on an ongoing basis by
any individual member of the Liberal Party of Canada willing to participate actively in a riding
association or club.

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The Liberal Party of Canadas website will remain active as an interactive tool for members to
discuss and refine policy ideas. Meanwhile, resolutions that were left behind from the
provincial and Biennial Convention processes are still useful tools to express regional concerns
to localized portions of the caucus or individual MPs.
Outside of the formal Biennial policy cycle, associations and clubs should continue organizing
policy meetings and communicating the results to their MPs. Policy development is an ongoing
core function of every association and club and a dynamic factor that contributes to our Partys
sustained success.
The Liberal Party is stronger because of the ongoing use of the wealth of intellectual and
creative abilities of the individual members of our associations and clubs. That wealth can be
harnessed in each association and club through a permanent and active policy committee.

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