Blogging Tories
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blogging Tories is the name of a group of Canadian bloggers who come from the centre, centre-right and right-wing of the political spectrum. The Blogging Tories are composed of many individual blogs, whose content is then aggregated on the main Blogging Tories website.
Originally founded by bloggers Stephen Taylor and Craig Smith, the Blogging Tories have grown to include approximately 300 blogs. This has allowed them to become the largest group of political bloggers in Canada and they are collectively viewed by over 30,000 people every day. They are an important part of the larger Canadian blogosphere.
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[edit] Extended Role
Blogging Tories has extended well beyond its original role as a collection of Canadian conservative blogs. It currently serves as a central hub for national conservative NGOs including the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and the National Citizens Coalition. Blogging Tories founder, Stephen Taylor, addressed the inaugural meeting of the Manning Centre for Building Democracy on the floor of the Toronto Stock Exchange on the topic of blogging and the emerging importance of the Blogging Tories to conservative politics in Canada. The Manning Centre is a new initiative to enable Canadian conservative groups that was started by former Leader of the Opposition, Preston Manning.
[edit] Gomery
Perhaps the Blogging Tories' most notable influence upon Canadian politics came during the Gomery inquiry during which Groupaction president Jean Brault's testimony was covered by a publication ban. A member of the conservative blogging group came into possession of the forbidden testimony and leaked it to the American blogger, Captain's Quarters while, in a concerted fashion, directed the blogroll to link to the American site outside of Canadian jurisdiction. By the following Friday, Justice Gomery had ruled that the 'genie had been let out of the bottle' and ruled the publication ban lifted. The resulting drop in popular support for the ruling Liberal Party of Canada was the most significant in about 20 years.
Other notable events include the Abotech affair, the Grewal-Dosanji-Reid taping controversy, and the defense of Stephen Harper from an attack against his leadership by Tory dissident Carol Jamieson.
[edit] Notable members
The list of Blogging Tories includes several Members of Parliament:
Monte Solberg, (Although Monte Solberg has discontinued blogging since the CPOC was elected to Power with a Minority Government on Jan 23rd 2006) Chuck Strahl, Garth Turner, Steven Fletcher, James Moore, Jeff Watson, and Andrew Scheer.
Another member of the Blogging Tories is Adam Daifallah, a member of the national press.
