Despite a professional comedian’s wisecracks that drew both guffaws and groans this afternoon (Sunday) at the Napanee Lions Club hall there was no doubt who the real star of the show was.
Maxime Bernier, the leader of the fledgling People’s Party of Canada, had the near capacity crowd of 200 cheering several times during a passionate stump speech that hammered home the party’s platform plank by plank.
“We now have 41,000 members, said the former Conservative Party cabinet minister. “We are growing faster than the Green Party did and they’ve been around for 10 years! People come to us because we put Canada first and we have common sense policies that Canadians can relate to. People are sick and tired of traditional politics and politicians. They have no respect for them!”
Depending on the poll the PPC currently has 3 to 4% voter support. Presently the Conservatives and Liberals and virtually tied at just over 33% support each.
Crowd at PPC rally in Napanee. (Photo: Quinte News)
Bernier spoke on all of the party’s main policies. Among them is the phasing out of the supply management system in the dairy, milk, and the poultry industries.
“My riding of Beauce in Quebec has 6,000 dairy producers in it. That’s the most of any riding in Canada. Yes, what I say about getting rid of the unfair and expensive cartel (supply management) doesn’t sit well with them. But cartels are bad economics and bad business. I’ve been saying that for years and I and the People’s Party of Canada won’t compromise on our convictions. The cartel is a tax on poor people. They’re paying too much money for milk, cheese, and chicken!”
One man challenged Bernier saying “how can Canadian farmers ever compete against Americans? They’ll crush us!”
Bernier understood the concern but did not veer from his position that free markets were the way to go and that his party would give existing farmers money and five years to either leave the business or invest, to compete with anyone in the world.
Bay of Quinte riding PPC candidate Paul Bordonaro (Photo: Quinte News)
Bernier also spent considerable time explaining his party’s position on immigration. We have the highest number of immigrants per capita (at over 300,000 a year) and over 70% of them aren’t “economic immigrants”, people with the skills our country needs. We’ll cut that to 150,000 immigrants a year and interview them to find out their skills and whether they believe in the ideals of western society such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and free markets.”
Bernier also stressed the need to cut the deficit and the debt. “We’re paying billions a year just paying the interest. Over a few years we’ll balance the budget by saving billions by ending corporate welfare, dropping support for the CBC and other media, stopping the giveaway of over 2 billion dollars a year to African nations to fight climate change.”
He drew a lot of laughs from the crowd when he said “does anyone really believe those nations are using that money to fight climate change?”
“We put Canada first and Canadians first. The other parties tell you what you want to hear and are more worried about people offshore than their own citizens.
Hastings-Lennox and Addington PPC candidate Adam Gray. (Photo: Quinte News)
Bernier said the biggest challenge for the party was becoming more well known as only about 50% of the population had heard of the party.
“A big day for us will be soon, on September 16. That’s the day the decision comes down on whether we’ll be allowed on the national televised debates. We have a petition with over 30,000 signatures demanding we be on them. If we get a yes I guarantee you’ll see a real debate. You’ll see the best debate ever!”
“If we don’t win the election we can hold the balance of power. I think the other parties are in for a huge surprise on election day!”
Several speakers spoke in advance of the leader explaining why they joined the People’s Party of Canada.
Locally, Paul Bordonaro will run for the party in Bay of Quinte riding. The candidate in Hastings-Lennox and Addington riding is Adam Gray. Frank Vaughan will carry the PPC flag in Northumberland-Peterborough South.
