Most of my regular followers know that I am a long time Conservative. Heck, I was one of the Youth for Mulroney back in the early 1980s. Like all members of the Party, I’ve been saddened by the inability to win a national election since Stephen Harper lost in 2015. Canada would have been MUCH better off if he was Prime Minister during the Covid Pandemic. Playing to the media for photo-ops is one thing, but in times of crisis, we needed a leader with intellect, and Harper has that in spades.
Also like most members of the Party, I need to weigh who to vote for in the current leadership contest. Both the party and Canada are at a cross road. It’s not just a potential 10 years out of power. It’s about a current environment where unfortunately, Canada seems to have become a more divisive country.
Those of us who are on Social Media have seen it first hand (there is a reason looking at your Twitter feed is often referred to as “doom scrolling”). But there is also evidence of division elsewhere.
We see people who feel that they can assault store workers for enforcing mask mandates. Whether in Calgary, Peterborough, or elsewhere, this kind of behaviour speaks to a corroding of Canadian’s reputation as a kind people.
There’s also been a seeming uptick in racial violence in Canada. Whether it’s the rise in Islamaphobic attacks on Muslim women in Edmonton and elsewhere, or the increase in hate crimes against Canadians of Asian descent, or the continued inability to squash anti-semitism, or ongoing racism against our Indigenous people or more, Canada seems to be in a darker place than I can recall in my now half century in this country.
Against this backdrop, what we really need is a Prime Minister who can inspire all Canadians to believe that they belong to and are part of Canada. A Prime Minister who can at least be seen as someone who works to unite Canadians. A Prime Minister who truly believes that even if we have political differences, we all matter.
Instead, we’re stuck with Justin Trudeau.
A PM who preached feminism, but summarily dismissed two strong independent women for having the gall to disagree with him. As an aside, just how much better would our Covid19 response have been had Dr. Jane Philpott, now Dean of Queen’s University Faculty of Health Sciences, been in cabinet?
A PM who preached reconciliation with the Indigenous people, but still hasn’t delivered on clean drinking water on reserves. To show you just how much he thinks of the Indigenous, he decided to go on vacation during National Truth and Reconciliation Day.
And finally, yes, a PM who decided to deride and debase those who were involved in the “Freedom Convoy”. Yes, they went too far and should have gone home sooner (I’ve written that before). But the reality is that it was only a small minority of that convoy that were incorrigible racists. A real PM would have met with the group even though they disagreed with his views. It would have shown he listened to Canadians from all sides of the political spectrum. But instead, he chose to be a divisive force, instead of a unifying one.
Which brings me back to the Conservative leadership race. Conservatives face a choice not just of leaders, but of the type of party they want to build. Do we want a party that divides Canadians and marginalizes some groups but from the other end of the political spectrum? Basically a conservative version of Trudeau that will insult and deride those with progressive/liberal views.
Or do we want a truly inclusive conservative party? One that is open to all people. A party based on the principal of sound fiscal management and fair treatment for each and every single Canadian, regardless of background? Even if we have some differences of opinion on how to get there.
Of the current main candidates it strikes me that Pierre Poilievre is best suited to being an “attack dog”. No shame in that, every party needs one. Remember Sheila Copps for the Liberals back in the day? (Google her young ones). But being a good attack dog doesn’t mean you can lead a country.
Leslyn Lewis is clearly a brilliant lawyer but too inexperienced to be PM.
Jean Charest would be a fine leader and I would vote for him if he won. But the reality is that despite being from Quebec, where the party needs to win seats, he carries a lot of baggage as a career politician. This can hamper an election campaign.
This is why to my mind, Patrick Brown is the best choice for leader. He has worked hard to build relationships with many different communities in Canada. He is mayor of an incredibly diverse city (Brampton) and reached out many different minority groups. He’s realized that in order to build a better Canada, one must be able to sell a conservative vision to minority groups that historically have voted Liberal.
The best way to do that is to talk to them and engage them (which he’s done). And in so doing, surprise, surprise, find out that many of these groups value hard work, fair (but not excess) taxes, and fiscal responsibility, i.e. bread and butter conservative values.
For the sake of all Canadians and our children, the Conservatives need to win the next general election. The best way to do that is with a leader who understands the changing demographics of Canada, but also understands that at heart, Canadians are fiscally responsible, kind, and believe everyone matters. That leader is Patrick Brown.
I urge you to joint the Patrick Brown campaign by clicking below.
justanoldcountrydoctor 