Nothing but a ‘vanity project’: People’s Party of Canada is likely dead, experts say | National Post - Douglas Quan:
October 22, 2019 - "In the lead-up to this week’s federal election, media outlets around the world wondered whether right-wing fringe candidate Maxime Bernier and his People’s Party represented an expansion of the populist, nationalist and anti-establishment sentiment sweeping the United States and Europe. 'A "Mad Max" candidate offers a far-right jolt to the Canadian election,' read a headline in the New York Times. 'Can populism become popular in Canada?' asked the BBC.
"Judging from Monday night’s results, the answer appears to be a resounding no. The dismal outcome — the People’s Party clinched zero seats and less than 2 per cent of the popular vote.... While Bernier, who lost in his own riding of Beauce, Que., insisted in a concession speech that the movement was 'only getting started,' experts said the People’s Party likely would not survive.
“'The PPC is rather easily seen now as a vanity project of Bernier’s, and as a very ineffectual attempt to come up with a latter-day Reform Party challenge to more moderate conservatism,' said David Laycock, a political science professor at Simon Fraser University.
"Bernier, who held the Beauce riding since 2006, had served under the Conservative banner until last year when he narrowly lost the leadership contest to Andrew Scheer and then formed his own party. On Monday night, he garnered 28 per cent of the vote and placed second to Conservative Richard Lehoux.
"Some of the party’s other higher-profile candidates, such as Renata Ford, widow of the late Toronto mayor Rob Ford, and Lee Harding, former Saskatchewan director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, barely made a dent — coming in fourth in their respective ridings of Etobicoke North and Cypress Hills-Grasslands and capturing only 2.8 per cent of the vote.
"Bernier blamed 'nasty and shameless attacks' from opponents for the PPC’s poor showing. (Late last week, The Globe and Mail reported that strategist Warren Kinsella and his firm Daisy Group had been hired by the Conservatives to 'seek and destroy' Bernier’s party and portray its supporters as racist. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer refused to confirm or deny the allegation. Bernier filed a complaint with Elections Canada over the affair.)...
"The People’s Party ... is 'probably' dead, Laycock said. Bernier’s poor showing in Quebec indicates there isn’t a regional base for his conservative alternative. Furthermore, 'it is very hard to attract media attention without any MPs, especially when your leader can’t win his own seat.'”
Read more: https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/election-2019/nothing-but-a-vanity-project-peoples-party-of-canada-is-likely-dead-experts-say
'via Blog this'
October 22, 2019 - "In the lead-up to this week’s federal election, media outlets around the world wondered whether right-wing fringe candidate Maxime Bernier and his People’s Party represented an expansion of the populist, nationalist and anti-establishment sentiment sweeping the United States and Europe. 'A "Mad Max" candidate offers a far-right jolt to the Canadian election,' read a headline in the New York Times. 'Can populism become popular in Canada?' asked the BBC.
"Judging from Monday night’s results, the answer appears to be a resounding no. The dismal outcome — the People’s Party clinched zero seats and less than 2 per cent of the popular vote.... While Bernier, who lost in his own riding of Beauce, Que., insisted in a concession speech that the movement was 'only getting started,' experts said the People’s Party likely would not survive.
“'The PPC is rather easily seen now as a vanity project of Bernier’s, and as a very ineffectual attempt to come up with a latter-day Reform Party challenge to more moderate conservatism,' said David Laycock, a political science professor at Simon Fraser University.
"Bernier, who held the Beauce riding since 2006, had served under the Conservative banner until last year when he narrowly lost the leadership contest to Andrew Scheer and then formed his own party. On Monday night, he garnered 28 per cent of the vote and placed second to Conservative Richard Lehoux.
"Some of the party’s other higher-profile candidates, such as Renata Ford, widow of the late Toronto mayor Rob Ford, and Lee Harding, former Saskatchewan director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, barely made a dent — coming in fourth in their respective ridings of Etobicoke North and Cypress Hills-Grasslands and capturing only 2.8 per cent of the vote.
"Bernier blamed 'nasty and shameless attacks' from opponents for the PPC’s poor showing. (Late last week, The Globe and Mail reported that strategist Warren Kinsella and his firm Daisy Group had been hired by the Conservatives to 'seek and destroy' Bernier’s party and portray its supporters as racist. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer refused to confirm or deny the allegation. Bernier filed a complaint with Elections Canada over the affair.)...
"The People’s Party ... is 'probably' dead, Laycock said. Bernier’s poor showing in Quebec indicates there isn’t a regional base for his conservative alternative. Furthermore, 'it is very hard to attract media attention without any MPs, especially when your leader can’t win his own seat.'”
'via Blog this'
Bernier had some good ideas - the end of corporate welfare - but was cancelled to some degree by his anti-immigration message.
ReplyDeleteAnd there you go perpetuating the MYTH that Bernier is "anti-immigration." This - is - NOT - TRUE.
DeleteHe's anti-UNCONTROLLED-immigration; anti-IRRATIONAL-immigration. He had a lower number-per-year in mind, and targeted at specific Canadian economic needs.
That ISN'T "anti-immigration." STOP perpetuating the myth.