During their “common sense” conference held in Quebec last weekend, conservative activists adopted a series of motions that left you speechless in terms of their sense of priorities. It will be up to their leader, Pierre Poilievre, to hold the line of reasoned pragmatism if he wishes to offer a real alternative to Justin Trudeau, a worn-out prime minister.
There is no shortage of problems in Ottawa. Public finances are shaky, the federal bureaucracy is having difficulty ensuring consistency in the delivery of services, the necessary fight against inflation is hurting households with the tightening of mortgage rates, access to housing and property is suffering. of a chronic shortage, which the liberals think they can improve through magical thinking with an unbridled migratory flow, Chinese interference finally leads to a real commission of inquiry which will place the liberals even more on the defensive… And so on.
Polls don’t make a government, but they still offer powerful warning signs of disaster in the making. Justin Trudeau’s popularity, which is one of the essential ingredients of the liberal recipe, is in free fall. According to the latest Abacus Data survey, 53% of respondents have a negative impression of Mr. Trudeau. This “could no longer be an asset for his party in its quest to win another election,” observes the president of the firm, David Coletto.
But before drawing a line under Justin Trudeau’s chances of re-election, let’s be a little embarrassed. He is a fighter who has been able to come back from behind before and who reveals himself in all his splendor, on the ground, during electoral campaigns. The Liberals are also masters in the art of demonizing the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) and portraying it as a cross between a Jurassic park and a coterie of the Middle Ages. Judging by certain motions adopted at the congress, activists have short memories and deep ideological stubbornness.
The road to power has never seemed clearer for the CCP, but its activists persist in taking the winding paths of social conservatism. At the end of the week, they notably adopted a motion to prohibit minors who change their gender identity from all forms of “life-changing” medical or surgical interventions. They also passed a motion banning transgender women, or anyone who is not female, from accessing bathrooms, locker rooms and women’s prisons. The conservatives also found it useful to adopt a motion on vaccine refusal, evoking the right to bodily autonomy. There was even talk of obtaining vaccines “that do not violate religious beliefs”, as if science were soluble in faith.
Transgender people and vaccines. Really ? With such priorities, the “common sense” of conservative activists leaves something to be desired. There is no guarantee that these resolutions will be part of the electoral platform. In this respect, the PCC does not differ from other political groups, which also have militant wings that are casual in the face of the values of pragmatism on which majority governments are built.
The conference ended well for Pierre Poilievre, who was able to stay focused on his favorite subjects, the economy and inflation. He made it clear that his hands would not be tied by the activists’ proposals to build his platform, but he still has some persuasion work to do to rally voters.