Moe avoids heat conservatives have been feeling
How Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government survived this long, hot summer of conservative discontent is a fascinating political story.
Maybe it’s partly because the hot summer — nine of the 10 hottest years ever recorded have been in the last decade, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — is, strangely, of little interest here in Saskatchewan.
Always of greater political consequence in this province than environmental or social issues are issues of the economy, government competence and integrity.
Saskatchewan’s economy may be floundering, but the government isn’t yet branded as especially incompetent or corrupt — especially after dodging a potential bullet when the RCMP announced it would not be laying charges in the Global Transportation Hub (GTH) fiasco.
Most critical to Moe’s Sask. Party this summer, it avoided the bozo eruptions we saw from Jason Kenney’s candidates in the United Conservative Party in Alberta, from Doug
Ford’s Progressive Conservative government in Ontario and certainly from federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s pack.
Perhaps the Sask. Party is more disciplined. Perhaps it’s done a better job of vetting candidates, leaving it with a comparatively solid team.
It’s noteworthy that since former MLA Bill Boyd was kicked out of caucus a year ago for his dalliance in Chinese investment in his irrigation business, there have been few major Sask. Party mishaps. This is a rather amazing accomplishment at the best of times, but more amazing when you consider this party went through a leadership race and change in the premier’s office.
And it’s especially impressive when you compare it with what we’re getting from Scheer’s Conservatives, who seem determined to make any other conservative operation look stable and pleasantly reasoned.
The problems for the federal Conservatives were percolating long before Maxime Bernier’s dramatic departure last week, which may split the right going into next year’s federal election.
Before his infamous tweets on immigration and Prime Minister Justice Trudeau’s “radical multiculturalism,” prominent Tories like Regina’s Denise Batters were already spewing nonsense (later retracted) about how Liberal MP Omar Alghabra’s birthplace (Saudi Arabia) somehow impacted his ability to talk about human rights and Canada’s diplomatic row with that country.
It’s been a weekly, if not daily, occurrence in Scheer’s ranks: MP Shannon Stubbs questioned a judge’s qualifications because he represented Omar Khadr. Ontario MP Larry Miller withdrew a social media posting promoting the fake news that Muslims support pedophilia. Social media is bringing out the worst in federal Conservatives ... or maybe just exposing it.
The problem was never more evident than the incident with the Quebec woman — later revealed to have ties to a racist, anti-muslim organization — who heckled Trudeau on the cost of federal immigration policies.
For all of Trudeau’s buffoonery on the border crossings issue (and, frankly, most every critical federal file), the zeal in which Scheer, immigration critic Michelle Rempel and most other high-ranking Conservatives embraced this unhinged woman and her staged video rantings was disturbing.
It’s a trend. Whether it’s Rebel Media or some anonymous online redneck, Conservatives too eagerly embrace any ally solely on the basis of a willingness to spew anti-trudeau venom. Pro tip to all political parties: Hang around those who are unhinged and people begin to think you, too, might have a couple of loose screws.
Maybe this is who the Conservatives are now — a party whose extremists have been emboldened in this Trump era. After all, this is a federal party that, post-bernier departure, had little problem passing a resolution this weekend axing Canadian-birthright citizenship.
Whatever the case, Moe — who clearly still values his right-of-centre coalition and recognizes the need for a big tent — can’t afford to be tied to the extreme right. Even photo ops with Scheer, Ford or former prime minister Stephen Harper are unhelpful in maintaining the Sask. Party’s comparatively pristine, independent brand.
Right now, conservatives have a brand problem.