By Matthew Clark
Since the victory of Wilfred Laurier in the Canadian General Election of 1896, the Liberal Party of Canada has been the ruling power in that nation's federal government 87 out of 127 years! While many liberals understandably celebrate their success, the larger story is the failure of the national Conservative Party of Canada. In a country famous for it's dour, formula driven population, whose sole indulgence appears to be Saturday night hockey games during seven months of winter, the ineptitude of the Conservative Party is beyond the pale. Canadians, at least most of them, come out of the womb conservative, spend their lives in conservative occupations, while practicing, and espousing, conservative values. Only to exercise their franchise in Canadian federal elections by voting in liberal governments!
WHY?
Actually it is easily explainable. There has rarely been a federal Conservative Party in Canada. Although there have always been a group of politicians who describe themselves as conservative, they have advocated for policies that are fundamentally the same as the liberals. Participation in NATO, opening up the border to mass immigration, having a national, government owned broadcasting service, legally enforced multi-culturalism, all have been supported by the liberals, and the CONSERVATIVES!
Over the decades the conservatives were, as award winning journalist Peter Newman once noted, with a touch of derision, "Liberal Party Number Two."
Recently there was a glimmer of hope that times had changed. After having inflicted on the Canadian electorate an insidious Andrew Scheer, followed by a duplicitous Erin O'Toole ( known by the acronym TOOLE), the membership of Canada's official 2nd party gave the nod to a transplanted Albertan (to Ontario) known as Pierre Poilievre. Mr. Poilievre represents an Ontario riding just outside the National Capital Region. In Parliament his style was described as combative, even abrasive. In this alone he differed from the sad history of most of his party's previous leaders. This was particularly true of his two predecessors.
Immediately upon being elected leader the seemingly proud right winger reaffirmed his support for the courageous Trucker Convoy protestors, questioned the need for a government run national broadcaster, also opposed environmental economic measures the liberal government were enacting. Canada had a genuine opposition. It was a breath of fresh air.
The response to these positions was immediate. Amongst older voters the Poilievre lead party kept their substantial popular lead. In the 35-55 age group support for the party jumped 5 points. Remarkably in the 18-34 age group Pierre Poilievre saw his party's backing climb from 21% (third behind the liberals and socialist NDP) to number one at 35%! Thirteen of those fourteen per centage points came at the expense of the NDP. In the next federal election the conservatives were set to triumph with a crushing majority.
Then it happened! The same contagion which had lethally spread to so many previous federal conservative political leaders hit Pierre Poilievre. He rushed to support Ukraine in it's military conflict with Russia. At a time of increasing economic stress the opposition leader applauded government largesse to a European nation. Ukraine, a nation thousands of miles away from Canada, of no vital interest to the Northern Kingdom, was now a potential pyre which the youth of the country could be sacrificed on. He then mimicked the Trudeau/Singh Alliance ruling party ( the Trudeau liberals are reliant on the NDP lead Singh to retain enough support in Parliament to hold political office) in advocating for a mass immigration policy. Inflation is rampant in the nation, with workers unable to keep up with the rising cost of living. More immigrants will force already insufficient wages down further. Yet the conservative leader endorses a predatory mass immigration platform!
When right wing political leaders visit from Europe Mr. Poilievre avoids them in the tried and true tradition of a sterile, convictionless party.
The top lawmaker in Canada's official opposition has politically emasculated himself, becoming another example of a deceptive politician. In this case a progressive globalist, posing as a right wing conservative.
Due to the banal machinations of the Trudeau/Singh alliance ruling party there is a fair chance that Poilievre's Conservatives will attain the status of becoming the government party. It matters not! Pierre Poilievre's actions indicate he will rule as Liberal Party Number TWO.........