Never shying away from controversy, People’s Party of Canada (PPC) Leader Maxime Bernier made his first campaign promise: not to attempt to buy Canadians’ votes like other candidates undoubtedly will.
The promise came on August 17 at his first campaign rally in Etobicoke, Ontario.
My first promise of the campaign: I promise not to make costly and unrealistic promises every day to buy your vote like the other leaders! #VotePPC pic.twitter.com/pxUwMwOHVu
— Maxime Bernier (@MaximeBernier) August 17, 2021
During the rally, Bernier lamented the typical platitudes and routine nature of impossible promises made every election.
“Election campaigns are a very predictable affair,” Bernier began. “We already know that every day over the next five weeks, the leaders of the establishment parties will make costly and unrealistic promises to bribe Canadians and buy their votes.
“They will promise new spending programs that we cannot afford; tax credits to specific electoral clientele; subsidies to some businesses and industries; grants and privileges to influential special interests; funding for projects in various communities that should be the responsibility of provinces or municipalities – all of this financed by borrowed money.”
Having worked in politics for the last 16 years, after a fruitful business career, Bernier has become only too accustomed to the empty promises game and has seen two separate administrations buffer the federal government while not improving Canadians’ quality of life in any noticeable way.
Bernier, referring to the “vote-buying game” as a “bidding war”, explained that this ruse is merely a means of controlling more of the economy.
“At the People’s Party, we’re doing politics differently,” Bernier continued. “I promise not to play this silly game. I will not be appealing to your immediate self-interest but to your intelligence and your love of our country. During this campaign, we will only make realistic, responsible promises to reform and improve the way Canada is governed for the benefit of all Canadians. Thank you.”
While the PPC failed to win any seats in 2019, the first year after Bernier formed the party, there is reason to believe that this may change.
Conservative voters have expressed disdain over Erin O’Toole’s frequent endorsement of Liberal Party policies during the pandemic and many are looking for an alternative.
However, many Conservatives who would like a better party, or at least better leader, have also voiced their concerns of whatever vote-splitting may occur by voting for the burgeoning PPC.
Notably, Conservative commentator Lauren Chen has thrown her full endorsement behind the PPC and addressed said concerns of vote splitting on Twitter and her Locals channel.
“Canada is having an election in around a month,” Chen said in a tweet. “If you want lower immigration; if you want free markets; if you want Canada to reopen; if you want freedom in general; [then] there is only [one] choice, it’s not the ‘Conservative’ Party, it’s the People’s Party.”
"But you'll split the vote!"
Here's a quick video on why I'm voting @peoplespca this election, and why it's not splitting the vote since I would never vote for the "Conservative" party anyway…https://t.co/tK4RfNjLxY
— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) August 17, 2021
In her video, Chen vents many of her frustrations, accusing O’Toole of being “Trudeau-lite” and effectively for the same policies, a controlled-opposition talking head that few of his constituents want or need.
Chen is one of the first high-profile commentators to ditch the CPC trap and endorse the man everyone expected to lead the Conservative Party during the 2017 Conservative Leadership race. However, given the fast-imploding state of the Conservative Party, she surely will not be the last.
