Conservative Member of Parliament Maxime Bernier has quit the Conservative Party to start his own party:
The divorce between Mr. Bernier and the Conservative Party goes back to his ouster in June from his role as the innovation critic in Mr. Scheer’s shadow cabinet. The Quebec MP had alleged Mr. Scheer won the leadership in large part because he had the support of “fake Conservatives” set up by the dairy lobby.
Bernier’s departure stirred rage on one side for splitting the vote, accolades on the other side from a strong base that vowed to rally behind him. Bernier gave a statement on his website about why he opted to leave the Conservative Party. It contained a number of core differences of conviction and policy, but his issue relating to diversity, and which touches on the subject matter of Jihad Watch, was as follows:
Instead of leading as a principled Conservative and defending the interests of Canada and Canadians, Andrew Scheer is following the Trudeau Liberals….. The same thing happened in reaction to my tweets on diversity and multiculturalism…. Do we want to emphasize our ethnic and religious differences, and exploit them to buy votes, as the Liberals are doing? Or emphasize what unites us and the values that can guarantee social cohesion? Just like in other Western societies grappling with this issue, a large number of Canadians, and certainly the vast majority of Conservatives, are worried that we are heading in the wrong direction. But it’s not politically correct to raise such questions.
Maxime Bernier took issue with Trudeau’s brand of multiculturalism and sent out a tweet that got him into hot water. He expressed rational concerns about Trudeau’s “extreme Liberal multiculturalism.” He was chastised for it amid calls for his resignation. “My leader told me and every other Canadian that I don’t have any influence in the party,” Bernier said, referring to Scheer’s statement that Bernier didn’t speak for the Conservatives. Scheer released the statement after days of controversy over Bernier saying “more diversity” would destroy Canada.
The bizarre reaction to real Canadian concerns reflected just how far Canada has drifted into totalitarianism, thanks to the Liberal government of Canada. Fear is rampant — the fear of hurting the feelings of some immigrants, primarily Muslims. The “Islamophobia” battering ram is in full operation. Pluralism, open discussion, real dialogue and truth need to return to the public square. Identity politics has reigned supreme under the Trudeau government, and it is disconcerting now to see it under a Conservative umbrella. The Conservatives simply cannot afford to be so fearful as to “cave” to “Trudeau’s cult of diversity,” as Bernier was rightly trying to warn against. According to a Toronto Sun article, “Maxime Bernier tweet hardly warrants outrage,” but that’s exactly what it drew.
Bernier quit at a crucial time, as the Conservative Party of Canada’s National Policy Convention is coming up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Conservative Members of Parliament (MP’s) will plan campaign strategies leading up to Election 2019, and vote on national policies. Already it has been preceded by fireworks and party divisions, due to spats between Andrew Scheer and Bernier.
There are significant points from the Conservative Party of Canada National Policy Convention Package that look rather promising, but given the reaction to Bernier, can the Conservative Party of Canada live up to its own policy, or will it kowtow to “extreme Liberal multiculturalism”? Here are some key points taken from the National Policy Committee Convention package:
Freedom of Speech
“The Conservative Party recognizes freedom of speech is a hallmark of a free society. Compelled speech in any form is a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Individual freedoms of thought, belief, opinion, and expression supersede all compelled speech.”
Financing Terrorism
“Conservatives believe that any form of remuneration from our government never be paid to convicted terrorists. Canada must never finance terrorism directly nor indirectly.”
Charging Terrorism With Treason
“Canada must not be a safe haven for international terrorist operatives…. Canada should stand and support its allies by providing all necessary support to defeat the scourge of transnational terrorism….. terrorism can only be defeated by a sustained and comprehensive approach involving Canada’s active participation and collaboration with its allies. The Government of Canada shall use its military, law enforcement resources and intelligence agencies to prevent attacks, disrupt criminal networks, and cut off avenues of financing for increasingly determined and sophisticated terrorist groups and individuals.”
Immigration and Refugees
The Conservative platform stipulates its intention to restore a responsible immigration and refugee process:
“We believe the government should promote the integrity and fairness of our refugee determination system, and should ensure that decisions are made expeditiously and with respect for due process and the safety of Canadians.”
And an end to the free-for-all at Canada’s borders:
“The Conservative Party believes in stopping all illegal entries in Canada. To ensure the safety and the respect of our borders, the Party commits that a Conservative government will take the required steps to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S. to close the gaps relating to illegal entries in Canada.”
The National Policy Committee Convention Package is undoubtedly a positive one, but there are reasons for concern about whether the party is prepared to implement its own written policy: contrary to the reference to free speech as a “hallmark of a free society,” Scheer banned Rebel Media from sending any of its reporters to the Halifax Convention, while the most Conservative-critical leftist media are welcomed. Also among its exhibitors is “The Canadian Muslim Vote.” I received multiple emails, alarmed that this group was participating while Rebel Media was banned. On the Board of The Canadian Muslim Vote is Ingrid Mattson, whose reputation precedes her, but yet she still somehow is accepted into the Islamic mainstream in Canada, welcomed with open arms by Liberals and fearful Conservatives. I was unable to verify her attendance officially in Halifax, but via email (unverified), I was informed that she will be in attendance. In a National Post story about Mattson:
“Dr. Mattson was elected president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). This group has been described as a “key component of the [Saudi-sponsored] Wahhabi lobby”…… ISNA also was identified as an un-indicted co-conspirator in the 2007-2009 case of U.S. v. Holy Land Foundation, which involved the covert financing of the terrorist group Hamas…..She has been disturbingly equivocal about Wahhabism……In 2001, for instance, she told a CNN chat forum: “This is not a sect. It is the name of a reform movement that began 200 years ago to rid Islamic societies of cultural practices and rigid interpretation that had acquired over the centuries. It really was analogous to the European protestant reformation……”
The participation of The Canadian Muslim Vote is reason for prudent questions and discussion, but will such queries be met by the Conservative caucus majority with nervousness and accusations of “racism” and “Islamophobia”? Widespread apprehensions about “diversity” and “multiculturalism” have not arisen out of nowhere; they are the result of steady news about the proliferation of Wahhabi ideology, national divisions, Canada’s imposition of “anti-Islamophobia” motion M-103, which enables witch-hunts against those who criticize Islam, the threat posed by Islamic supremacists globally, and chaos across Europe as a result of suicidal immigration policies. The more discussion is forced underground in obedience to political correctness, the more tensions will arise.
It is too early to predict what direction the Conservative Party of Canada will take, and more importantly, where Canadians will place their trust on election day. Politicians are public servants, and before they speak, they should remember who put them in office. One thing is for certain: the Conservative Party of Canada needs to brush up on its commitment to traditional values as written in its policy package; otherwise, Maxime Bernier will be the new Donald Trump of Canada. Canada simply cannot afford to continue along the path of totalitarianism at the hands of a weak Conservative government, or a Liberal government with a leader who supports open borders and welcomes in Islamic State militants.
The former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper, tweeted:
“It is clear that Max never accepted the result of the leadership vote and seeks only to divide Conservatives. His decision today allows the Conservative Party of Canada to move forward united behind our Leader.”
One needs to remember that Harper did not have the open dissension in his ranks that is today present among the Conservatives; nor did he waver in his support for democracy, for Israel and for Conservative values. Under his leadership came the cutting-off of funds for the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) and the International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy-Canada (IRFAN).
Under the current Liberal government, however, CAF financing is now being restored at taxpayer expense. Harper’s government also introduced the Zero Tolerance Against Barbaric Practices Act, which drew much criticism for being unfriendly to “immigrants,”. The Harper government also shut down the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa. The Trudeau government has tried to restore diplomatic ties with Iran. The Iranian embassy was being used to “mobilize loyalists of Islamic Republic to infiltrate the Canadian Government and, some terrorism experts worried, attack the United States”; it had become infiltrated with Khamenei thugs who were being “hand-picked to infiltrate and influence the Canadian government’s image of the Islamic regime, thereby affecting the political decision-making process and affecting policies.”
In the memorable words of former Conservative Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird in a speech to the United Nations, with reference to “Canada’s values: freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law” post-9/11: “Canada does not just go along to get along.”
My own hope, which is shared by many, is that pride and self-interest will not prevail over the national interest. Bernier should be encouraged to return to the Conservative Party, since he accurately represents the Conservative voice on issues of “diversity” and “multiculturalism,” as well as on NAFTA. Canada needs open dialogue, pluralism (for which Islamic supremacists have no tolerance), unity, and a tough defense against Islamization and the increasing aggressiveness of jihadist interests.
“Maxime Bernier quits Conservatives to start new party,” by Laura Payton, CTV News, August 23, 2018:
OTTAWA — Maxime Bernier, the long-time Conservative MP with an equally long history of creating headaches for leaders of the current official opposition, is quitting the party to start his own libertarian version.
The rogue MP for Beauce, Que. announced Thursday that he’s leaving the Conservative Party of Canada after weeks of disputes with his colleagues over immigration and supply management, Canada’s price-support system for dairy and poultry farmers.
Bernier says the party has “all but abandoned its core conservative principles” and harshly criticized it for bowing to polls and focus groups in order to set policy.
“I am in politics to defend ideas – real conservative ideas – because I passionately care about the future of our country,” Bernier told reporters in Ottawa, adding that he isn’t convinced that party leader Andrew Scheer wouldn’t be a “more moderate” version of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were he to win next year’s federal election.
“I’ve come to realize this party is too intellectually and morally corrupt to be reformed,” he said.
Bernier says he wants to create a new party and is going to travel the country consulting conservatives. He says he hasn’t spoken recently to any of his former caucus colleagues, and that he last had a conversation with Scheer more than a week ago. It was after that conversation that he decided to start the new party, Bernier said.
“My leader told me and every other Canadian that I don’t have any influence in the party,” he said, referring to Scheer’s statement that Bernier didn’t speak for the Conservatives. Scheer released the statement after days of controversy over Bernier saying “more diversity” would destroy Canada, and after several Conservative MPs spoke out against Bernier.
Bernier will keep his seat in the House of Commons, and said he plans to run in the next election. He says he isn’t stepping down and will let voters in his riding decide whether they want an independent MP because it’s not him who changed.
“It’s the party who changed. I didn’t change. I’m the same guy. I believe in the same ideas,” he said.
He dropped the bombshell announcement in Ottawa just hours before his former colleagues were to meet in Halifax for the party’s biennial policy convention…..