Monday, August 19, 2019

People's Party holds 1st national conference

Bernier tries to walk line between libertarianism and identity politics at People’s Party’s first national convention | Toronto Star - Alex Boutilier:

August 18, 2019 - "Sunday afternoon, ... at the PPC’s first national convention ... Benjamin Dichter — a former Conservative candidate in Toronto-Danforth and co-founder of LGBTory — was warning the crowd about 'political Islam' and how it has infiltrated both Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party and Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives....

"Dichter, who stood at Bernier’s side in a closing news conference, declined to say what he meant by 'political Islam,' and instead recommended a book. Bernier also declined to explain what he thinks 'political Islam' signifies. When asked if he subscribes to Dichter’s position, Bernier dodged the question.... 'It’s important to have that discussion [about “political Islam”] in Canada,' Bernier told reporters.... '["Political Islam"] can be a threat, yes, and we have to have that discussion'....

"A year after his dramatic split from the Conservative party and the formation of the PPC, Bernier still insists his fledgling political movement is all about individual liberty and personal responsibility. But somehow, the conversation around the PPC keeps going back to other topics, such as drastic cuts to immigration and doing away with Canada’s official multiculturalism.

"The party said 500 people — candidates and party volunteers — attended the three-day conference at a hotel near the Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, just a short drive away from Parliament Hill.... The conference was largely closed to the public — party volunteers and candidates only....

"Bernier has ... lost organizers in Vancouver and practically an entire electoral district association in Winnipeg over concerns his libertarian project was being hijacked by far-right voices. The Star has previously reported that far-right personalities have recommended their followers join the PPC to find a more mainstream avenue to promote their fringe beliefs.

"Bernier told conference attendees that the PPC would campaign on their founding values: the principles of individual freedom and personal responsibility, fairness and respect ... — suggesting it’s a central message the party hopes to tell Canadians in the upcoming election campaign.

"But culture and identity are at the very top of the PPC’s platform. Bernier has pledged to end Canada’s official multiculturalism policy, cut annual immigration levels by more than half, and promote “Canadian values” and freedom of speech. In his speech to the crowd, Bernier tied his project to the 'growing populist option that is quickly taking its place in almost every western democracy'....

"The PPC has polled between 0 and 5 per cent according to CBC’s compilation of public polling over the last month. Bernier’s most passionate support seems to live on message boards, blogs and YouTube channels. It’s an open question how that will manifest at ballot boxes.

"Even if public polling is lowballing Bernier’s popular support, there is the further question of how concentrated that support is in individual ridings. While a party can poll at 5 per cent nationally, that doesn’t necessarily translate into enough votes to win a given riding in Canada’s first-past-the-post system."

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