Tory leadership candidates speak out of variety of issues
They all agree on this: The Conservatives must defeat Justin Trudeau’s government in 2019.
But some of the 12 Conservative leadership candidates who spoke Thursday in Lethbridge took opposing views on a variety of issues.
Wedge politics is no route to success, some said. The federal Tories must restore their “big blue tent.”
Business taxes should be slashed or reduced to zero, others said. Or, regardless of their income, every Canadian should be levied a flat 15 per cent for their income tax.
Supply management of dairy products, eggs and poultry should be abolished, one said, while others defended the policy as a way to protect the family farm.
Some in a generally friendly audience of about 250 shouted “Boo” after Maxime Bernier led the attack on supply management. Canadians are paying too much for those products, he held — and 94 per cent of the nation’s farmers are doing well without market protection.
Alberta MP Deepak Obhrai warned competitors and party faithful they must not rely on wedge issues to win votes in the next election. As the “dean of the caucus,” he said, that was a lesson he learned from Preston Manning.
“We need a big blue tent,” he
emphasized. “We should not play wedge politics.”
But Saskatchewan MP Andrew Sheer and several others held that freedom of speech must be more important than shying away from criticizing groups in society. He’s against the current House of Commons motion standing against Islamophobia, he said, and he voted against previous initiatives to guard against homophobia and “transphobia.”
Pierre Lemieux went further, criticizing former prime minister Stephen Harper’s stand that debate on issues like a woman’s right to abortion was closed.
MPs should be allowed to take moral positions “and be able to articulate them,” he said.
Immigration critic Kellie Leitch repeated her claim that just one in 10 people moving to Canada last year actually sat down for an interview with an immigration official.
“We are a beacon of hope for the world,” she said, but immigrants should be screened more careful to ensure they understand “Canadian values” like respect for the law and equality for women.
Saskatoon MO Brad Trost promised to cut the CBC adrift if he became prime minister, while Steven Blaney backed construction of export pipelines for Alberta’s oil.
But “We need politicians to stay out of it,” though President Donald Trump has signalled support for a new line into the U.S.
Reflecting on the last election, Erin O’Toole said the Conservatives were seen as “out of touch, mean-spirited” and “waging a war on science.”
“To win, we must show we are smart and compassionate,” he counselled.
While Trudeau became prime minister on a raft of promises, said Lisa Raitt, he has “no intention of fulfilling them.”
“He has no ability to move Canada forward,” even though he’s spending heavily and will leave the next Conservative government with many problems. “We must win in 2019,” she said.