- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor
Maxime Bernier, founder and leader of the People's Party of Canada (PPC), was received with enthusiasm by most of the crowd of one hundred and fifty at the Harmony Centre in Owen Sound Tuesday night.
Bill Townsend, candidate for the PPC for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, said after the meeting that he felt Bernier had clearly articulated the party's values and platform, and his presence in the riding had been able to close the gap between perception and reality.
In an interview before the meeting began, Bernier said the party had no place for white-nationalists or racists, as candidates or supporters. He said his almost-full slate of candidates across the country include people from all walks of life and many countries.
He said his position on immigration – reducing overall numbers to 100 -150,000 per year with 50 % of those being economic migrants - would bring Canada in line with the per capita immigration of the US and most European nations. Bernier claimed it would not have a negative affect on our ability to fill jobs Canadians don't want to do, or on a riding like ours where employers are experiencing an acute labour shortage. Townsend saiid prioritizing immigration based on employer needs and requests, for both skilled and unskilled labour, should make it easier to fill acute or even seasonal labour shortages.
On the subject of climate change, Bernier said he also wanted to correct the record. “I am not a climate change denier”, he said. “The climate is changing but there may be many different causes.” When asked if he agreed with Townsend's assertion at the recent Green New Deal meeting in Owen Sound that climate alarmism has become “a kind of doomsday cult”, he responded immediately. “Absolutely,” he said, saying that we should not base public policy on panic or emotion.
During the meeting he called Scheer and Trudeau hypocrites who know that their policies will not allow them to meet the targets of the Paris accord – an agreement from which he would withdraw Canada. He reiterated the PPC position that CO2 is not a pollutant, but essential for plant growth.
Bernier commented that Canadians had a strong, proud identity and there should be no “hyphenated” Canadians, a statement that was applauded. A second-generation Canadian whose family is from Pakistan asked why he could not retain the identity of his family and heritage at the same time as his beloved Canadian identity. Bernier seemed to back-peddle a little and say it was his choice, and that he should not forget everything from his background but add “flavour” to Canada.
Bernier promised a balanced budget within two years, and a simplified tax system including a 10% flat tax on businesses, and personal taxes of 15% for income between $15 and $100,000 and 25% above that.
PPC plans to increase the basic personal exemption from income tax to $15000 and reduce the cost of eggs, milk and poultry by transitioning away from supply management will affect only 10% of Canada's farmers but all of the country's low income residents, according to Bernier.
Bernier answered a question about Indigenous rights and pipelines by saying that consultation was necessary but ultimately the decisions were the responsibility of the federal government. The PPC platform on Indigenous relations is to be released in the next few days.
The idea of cutting the CBC off from federal funding was received enthusiastically by the room, as was changing our relationship with the United Nations and cutting funding from projects outside of Canada.
When asked by a Sun Times reporter if the numbers showed that C(conservative) rural ridings like ours had good potential for the People's Party, Bernier surprisingly answered that there were no numbers, no polling. He said the party will soon have candidates in every riding, and that ridings held by all political parties provide opportunities for seats for the PPC and for the party to hold the balance of power.
