Cantin-Nantel: This leadership race is do-or-die for Social Conservatives

Since Andrew Scheer lost the 2019 Election, the mainstream media has pushed the narrative that the Conservatives lost because of Andrew Scheer’s socially conservative values. 

Conservatives, who are eager to beat Justin Trudeau in the next election, have accepted this narrative without thinking twice. It is now expected that the next leader of the party will be a “Red Tory.” 

This means a leader that personally supports abortion, and that will typically march in any pride parade, even those that ban police officers – although Erin O’Toole has indicated otherwise.

This misleading description also states that the next Tory leader cannot reverse any social policies that the Liberals have put in place in the last five years, including Bill C-16 and the upcoming Bill C-8.

As the leadership race commenced,  Peter MacKay and Erin O’Toole, who are both Red Tories, emerged as the front runners. 

Peter MacKay is an open supporter of Bill C-16 (which restricts free speech) and says that he would take away the voting rights of his cabinet on conscience issues. He has called social conservative ideas “stinking albatross,” and always backs down when the left attacks him. 

While Erin O’Toole calls himself a “True Blue Conservative,” his past voting record and campaign staff, including campaign chair Walied Soliman, make this claim unsupportable. Erin O’Toole has earned a “red light” rating from the Campaign Life Coalition, due to his support of abortion, the legalizing of marijuana, Bill C-16 and Bill C-279 (bathroom bill).

O’Toole had been recognized as a red tory candidate back in the 2017 leadership election, so it is strange that now in 2020, he has suddenly evolved into a blue conservative despite having changed next to none of his positions.

He talks about fighting political correctness and standing up for free speech, but his website contains no policy to substantiate that.

Red Tory establishment has a bone to pick with Social Conservatives, Sloan supports Karahalios

Another thing that should alarm every social conservative is the Leadership Election Organization Committee (LEOC). It is run by Lisa Raitt, who is known for her socially liberal views. 

It has been censoring social conservative voices, like Richard Décarie, who was barred from running in the race due to his personal religious beliefs. 

They have also considered removing Derek Sloan for his comments on Dr. Tam. They subsequently disqualified Jim Karahalios from running in the race, despite a judicial order that stated he should be allowed to run, and the fact the LEOC voted not to disqualify him the first time around. 

Peter MacKay and Erin O’Toole stand by the LEOC, which gives them no reason not to turn the LEOC into a committee that vets riding nomination candidates, which would be devastating for social conservative voices.

Derek Sloan, who supported Jim Karahalios, found his second disqualification “disheartening and disappointing.”

In an email to supporters, he states that while Karahalios’s style may not have appealed to everyone, he recognized that Karahalios appealed to many within the Party.

Grassroots democracy is the lifeblood of the party, and determining it’s leader is on the onus of its members and it’s members alone, says Sloan in that same email.

Dr. Leslyn Lewis on the LEOC

In correspondence with Dr. Lewis, she referred The National Telegraph to her statement on March 22nd, which can be read here:

The statement represents her thoughts on the matter today.

“I promise to lead a party that is honest, transparent, and accountable to our grassroots members,” she writes. “I firmly believe that when it comes to who should lead our party, the final say should be with you, our members.”

Dr. Lewis argues that “Disqualifying candidates for beliefs or viewpoints weakens confidence in our democratic process.”

“If candidate Jim Karahalios met the donation and signature requirements, then a disqualification should only happen if there is a clear violation of the rules. Otherwise, it should be left up to the members to decide. If Jim Karahalios violated the rules, then the reason should be communicated clearly to help build trust in the process. That was my position when Richard Décarie was disqualified, and it’s my position now.”

As a Leadership hopeful, she pledges open communication to ensure the party communicates clearly in regards to nominations and other party processes so that its members can continue to support the party in good faith.

This race defines the future of the CPC

This leadership race is crucial because it will define the future of conservatism in Canada. Our culture is becoming more “woke” and politically correct, and so is the Conservative party. 

Do we want our party to become like Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union of Germany, which is a “Conservative” party likened to Justin Trudeau’s Liberals? 

Do we want to follow the steps of Boris Johnson’s UK Conservatives, which won a vast majority while advocating for true conservative principles? 

Canada’s social conservatives need to speak out and have their voices heard.

For example, Derek Sloan and Leslyn Lewis are both social conservatives who are campaigning on what is objectively right and not what is “woke.” 

Both of them are proposing to ban sex-selective abortion, which is a proposal that 84% of Canadians agree with. This debunks the whole argument that Conservatives can’t win if they promise to reopen the abortion debate. 

Politicians are here to talk about issues that make some uncomfortable, and that includes abortion, which kills 100,000 preborn babies every year in Canada.  

I encourage every social conservative to put Derek Sloan and Leslyn Lewis on their ballot, as this is a crucial election. We cannot give red tories a blank cheque because we will regret it if we do.