Local People’s Party of Canada movement continues to build
The local People’s Party of Canada Electoral District Association (EDA) will be meeting in Coboconk this weekend as it prepares to run a candidate in next year’s election in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock (H-KL-B).
The People’s Party of Canada was formed on September 14, 2018 by Maxime Bernier, who had finished second in the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leadership. Bernier left the CPC over policy disagreements. He has been known over his years in politics as ‘the Albertan from Quebec’ and ‘Mad Max.’
In a lengthy and freewheeling interview with The Lindsay Advocate, Clinton Desveaux, executive director of the PPC, confirmed that an electoral district association has already been formed in our riding. The meeting this weekend is to continue the many things a political party must do exist locally.
The H-KL-B association is one of three hundred that have been formed since October 1, 2018. “This only leaves 38 more to form, and we will have an association formed in every riding in the country. The Reform Party never had EDAs in every riding across the country,” explained Devereaux. (There are currently 338 federal ridings.)
The incredible speed at which the party is forming is a testament to both modern communication and a different political climate, according to Devereaux. In terms of creating a fifth national party, “what took the Reform Party 10 years, we did in three months. What they accomplished in three years, we accomplished in three weeks.”
The party’s policy platform is being developed during this process as well. The PPC website lists some founding policy positions announced by Bernier. “The PPC’s platform will be mostly based on the same policies,” according to the website.
Much attention at the start of the PPC focussed on Bernier’s comments on “extreme immigration.” However recent statements by Andrew Scheer on Canada signing the UN agreement on immigration — that even Stephen Harper’s former Immigration Minister have described as “factually incorrect” — has pundits claiming that this is nothing more than Scheer trying to outflank Bernier on the immigration file. Some are suggesting that this is an indication that the Conservatives are more worried about the PPC than they are letting on.
On the local level, members will continue to organize, and prepare for the process of candidate selection — a process that will begin to take shape in mid-January, according to Devereaux.
When issues about “left” and “right” were discussed, Devereaux suggested that such definitions are “beyond dated.”
“Is corporate welfare, for example, a left wing issue or a right wing issue,” Devereaux asked rhetorically.
The local meeting for the People’s Party of Canada is Dec. 16 in Coboconk at the Gull’s Nest Restaurant at 2 pm. For more information on the People’s Party of Canada contact their website.
