- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor

In last year's Conservative leadership race, MP Erin O'Toole was the favourite among Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound party members. When the preferential ballot process was down to the 13th round and O'Toole was out, more than one in three local Conservatives still put Maxime Bernier higher than Andrew Scheer, who ultimately won the leadership by a margin of less than 2%.
Now that Bernier has officially left the Conservative Party of Canada, what are local party members thinking?
The CPC's base across Canada is predominantly rural. Bernier's support in the leadership race was generally more urban. Does Bernier speak to concerns that local Conservatives share, or have they come firmly behind the leadership and direction of Andrew Scheer?

In his statement about why he is leaving the Conservative party, Bernier addresses retaliatory tariffs, agricultural supply management, corporate welfare, "wasteful agencies", corruption and "conservative principles" - all subjects discussed by local Conservatives.

Heading into next year's federal election year, Bernier says "to win the battle of ideas, we have to defend them openly, with passion and conviction."

As always, the Owen Sound Hub is willing to share in that debate, and welcomes opinion pieces and letters from local readers. [email protected]