Canadian Politics

[Wideleft]

13 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Dude, don't lecture me or anyone else here about not being informed enough to vote. You're way out of line. Not appreciated. 

7 hours ago, Wanna-B-Fanboy said:

A weird way of apologizing... 

Stranger way to get people to listen to the information that people need (seriously- thanks for that, it was really informative and drive home what Smith is all about). 

You insult someone and essentially tell them they are too ignorant and shouldn't vote, then go on to inform them of what Smith stands for in hopes that the person doesn't vote for Smith- seems counter productive. 

Not what he said.

[Wideleft]

Just to recap.  If any Albertan is even considering voting for Danielle Smith, they are either a True Believer, totally ignorant of her character (she had a popular radio talk-show, after all) or voting against the NDP out of spite.  

Don't be offended if people call you out for waffling on this one when the choice is so clear and don't blame people who call you out for waffling as your reason to keep voting for the "Conservative" brand.  

Same goes for the Federal Cons and the American Republicans.  This s**t is getting existential.

[17to85]

I had to snap at my father in law on the weekend cause he's on team blue because orange lady bad. 

[blue_gold_84]

2 minutes ago, Wideleft said:

Just to recap.  If any Albertan is even considering voting for Danielle Smith, they are either a True Believer, totally ignorant of her character (she had a popular radio talk-show, after all) or voting against the NDP out of spite.  

Don't be offended if people call you out for waffling on this one when the choice is so clear and don't blame people who call you out for waffling as your reason to keep voting for the "Conservative" brand.  

Same goes for the Federal Cons and the American Republicans.  This s**t is getting existential.

John Kenneth Galbraith hit the nail on the head back in the early 60s, IMO. ****'s only festered since that time.

[Wideleft]

1 minute ago, blue_gold_84 said:

John Kenneth Galbraith hit the nail on the head back in the early 60s, IMO. ****'s only festered since that time.

You piqued my interest.

"The final problem threatening societies like the US concerns the pervasive bias in favour of privately produced goods and services at the expense of those provided by government. Inadequate public provision, Galbraith argues, hampers the most effective use of society’s expanded productive capacity while unnecessarily impoverishing most citizens’ lives. This outcome is due to an amalgam of the factors and forces identified earlier in the book – namely, the debt-fuelled process of want creation, the malign impact of vested interests, the ideology of market fundamentalism and the associated attack on the proper economic role of the state. Galbraith’s analysis raises issues that have recently resurfaced in heated debates over privatization. It also strongly resonates with recent developments in environmental economics and policy. In short, Galbraith’s theory of social balance remains one of the enduring contributions of The Affluent Society, fifty years after its publication and counting."

[blue_gold_84]

Just now, Wideleft said:

You piqued my interest.

"The final problem threatening societies like the US concerns the pervasive bias in favour of privately produced goods and services at the expense of those provided by government. Inadequate public provision, Galbraith argues, hampers the most effective use of society’s expanded productive capacity while unnecessarily impoverishing most citizens’ lives. This outcome is due to an amalgam of the factors and forces identified earlier in the book – namely, the debt-fuelled process of want creation, the malign impact of vested interests, the ideology of market fundamentalism and the associated attack on the proper economic role of the state. Galbraith’s analysis raises issues that have recently resurfaced in heated debates over privatization. It also strongly resonates with recent developments in environmental economics and policy. In short, Galbraith’s theory of social balance remains one of the enduring contributions of The Affluent Society, fifty years after its publication and counting."

And this one (from 1963):

Quote

The modern conservative is not even especially modern. He is engaged, on the contrary, in one of man’s oldest, best financed, most applauded, and, on the whole, least successful exercises in moral philosophy. That is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. It is an exercise which always involves a certain number of internal contradictions and even a few absurdities. The conspicuously wealthy turn up urging the character-building value of privation for the poor. The man who has struck it rich in minerals, oil, or other bounties of nature is found explaining the debilitating effect of unearned income from the state. The corporate executive who is a superlative success as an organization man weighs in on the evils of bureaucracy. Federal aid to education is feared by those who live in suburbs that could easily forgo this danger, and by people whose children are in public schools. Socialized medicine is condemned by men emerging from Walter Reed Hospital. Social Security is viewed with alarm by those who have the comfortable cushion of an inherited income. Those who are immediately threatened by public efforts to meet their needs — whether widows, small farmers, hospitalized veterans, or the unemployed — are almost always oblivious to the danger.

60 ******* years ago.

[HardCoreBlue]

50 minutes ago, Wideleft said:

Just to recap.  If any Albertan is even considering voting for Danielle Smith, they are either a True Believer, totally ignorant of her character (she had a popular radio talk-show, after all) or voting against the NDP out of spite.  

Don't be offended if people call you out for waffling on this one when the choice is so clear and don't blame people who call you out for waffling as your reason to keep voting for the "Conservative" brand.  

Same goes for the Federal Cons and the American Republicans.  This s**t is getting existential.

Case in point. A letter to the editor in the Edmonton Sun. The last sentence and the editors 'clever' (3 word) response sums it up.

I have been an eligible voter here in Alberta for about 50 years, and have always been a die-hard Conservative supporter. Danielle Smith was not my first choice as our UCP premier, but I was OK with her as my second choice. She has disappointed me with the lack of thought that she has put into many of her comments, and then having to stumble and stagger her way out of the mess. Her flapping lips have put her into so much trouble. I will definitely be voting UCP though, and could never for NDP.

Les Derksen

(No easy options.)

[blue_gold_84]

Les Derksen sounds like a useful idiot. Pathetic.

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

1 hour ago, Wideleft said:

Not what he said.

Yeah, I was paraphrasing, with a bit of exaggeration. Regardless, if some one said that to me, I would be pretty much, "well, **** you too."

[JCon]

9 minutes ago, HardCoreBlue said:

Case in point. A letter to the editor in the Edmonton Sun. The last sentence and the editors 'clever' (3 word) response sums it up.

I have been an eligible voter here in Alberta for about 50 years, and have always been a die-hard Conservative supporter. Danielle Smith was not my first choice as our UCP premier, but I was OK with her as my second choice. She has disappointed me with the lack of thought that she has put into many of her comments, and then having to stumble and stagger her way out of the mess. Her flapping lips have put her into so much trouble. I will definitely be voting UCP though, and could never for NDP.

Les Derksen

(No easy options.)

Cult. 

[blue_gold_84]

2 hours ago, Wanna-B-Fanboy said:

Yeah, I was paraphrasing, with a bit of exaggeration. Regardless, if some one said that to me, I would be pretty much, "well, **** you too."

What exactly was offensive about his post? @Fatty Liver made a salient point: if you don't know who you're voting for, what good is it to vote?

I'm all for exercising one's democratic right and casting a ballot in an election, but it does nobody an iota of good if a voter casts a ballot while being uninformed of the platform/ideas of the candidate or party he selects.

Edited May 16, 2023 by blue_gold_84

[Tracker]

1 hour ago, blue_gold_84 said:

And this one (from 1963):

60 ******* years ago.

Galbraith was deemed to be a dangerous radical and was actually investigated by the FBI in the 70's.

[GCn20]

19 hours ago, blue_gold_84 said:

Probably best to take opinion-based polling with a massive grain of salt these days. Pollsters/polling firms aren't necessarily ensuring those they poll are adequately informed.

It is not their job to inform. It is their job to run a poll. Whether you like it or not uninformed voters make up the majority of all votes cast in every election. 

19 hours ago, Noeller said:

Yeah, this is the one that came out Saturday that we talked about already.... but the lady who reported today is shockingly accurate in the last few elections. It's bad news, without question, but all we can do is pray that Calgary smartens up. One thing I can say for a fact, I'm seeing WAY more NDP lawn signs in both Calgary and Rural than I can remember seeing. Not sure it correlates, but it's interesting...

It does correlate. 

[blue_gold_84]

6 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

It is not their job to inform.

Did I say it was? No.

7 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

It is their job to run a poll.

[Bigblue204]

41 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Galbraith was deemed to be a dangerous radical and was actually investigated by the FBI in the 70's.

So was MLK...not comparing... just demonstrating an investigation by the FBI does not equal bad automatically.

37 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

It is not their job to inform. It is their job to run a poll. Whether you like it or not uninformed voters make up the majority of all votes cast in every election. 

It does correlate. 

just like most political polls

[Wideleft]

There is a reason why all major political parties contract their own polling services and also a reason why some polls are leaked or minimized.

The persuasion game in politics has many tentacles.

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

56 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

What exactly was offensive about his post? @Fatty Liver made a salient point: if you don't know who you're voting for, what good is to vote?

I'm all for exercising one's democratic right and casting a ballot in an election, but it does nobody an iota of good if a voter casts a ballot while being uninformed of the platform/ideas of a candidate or party he selects.

It just seemed dismissive and snarky... 

He clearly feels torn, he has been keeping up with the news and he is clearly engaged and is not blindly voting cons this time... he clearly sees a huge issue with voting for Smith. He may not have done an indepth study on her iconography or gone through a ton of videos of her... but he is being open minded and is trying to make informed choice... he just not at the level others are... 

So all I am saying, it read as dismissive and frankly a little "**** youish". I guess tone is really susceptible to misinterpretation over text.

 

Anuways, I agree whole heartedly with the second paragraph.

[Wideleft]

Maxime Bernier admits to breaking COVID-19 public health orders in Manitoba

Charges related to failing to isolate have been stayed

 

Darren Bernhardt, Bartley Kives · CBC News · Posted: May 16, 2023 10:36 AM CDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

 

Maxime Bernier has been ordered to pay more than $2,000 in fines after admitting in a Winnipeg court on Tuesday to two violations of public health orders in Manitoba.

The People's Party of Canada leader was charged in June 2021 for attending rallies with more people than allowed at the time under COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Manitoba.

Bernier, the PPC leader since the party's inception in 2018, travelled to Manitoba during the height of the province's third wave of COVID-19.

In an agreed statement of facts, Bernier's lawyer and the Crown said the politician planned to attend 10 public events in Manitoba, both to campaign ahead of the 2021 federal election and to speak out against public health restrictions.

On June 11, 2021, Bernier was slated to speak in Niverville, St-Pierre-Jolys, St. Malo, Morden and Winkler. Court was told provincial officials warned Bernier he could face fines if he made those appearances.

Bernier nonetheless travelled to Niverville, where he was observed by Manitoba public health officers and RCMP. Police issued him one ticket for violating the rule against gathering and a second ticket for failing to isolate after entering the province without being vaccinated, court was told. 

In Niverville, Bernier was warned he could receive more fines if he attended another gathering. He continued to St-Pierre-Jolys, where police arrested him, placed him in custody for 12 hours and charged him with two counts of failing to comply with public health orders.

Two more counts followed in January, replacing the tickets Bernier received in Niverville. 

Two of the four charges were stayed earlier this spring.

Crown attorney Shaun Sass asked provincial court Judge Anne Krahn to issue Bernier $3,300 in fines, arguing the penalties should serve as a deterrent against violations of provincial rules and not just licensing fees for breaking the law.

Sass also commended Bernier for admitting the violations and thus saving taxpayers the expense of a three-day trial.

Stiegerwald, Bernier's lawyer, asked Krahn to simply issue reprimands, arguing the pending federal election constituted an exceptional and unique circumstance for the pandemic public health violation.

• People's Party Leader Maxime Bernier attends 3 Manitoba rallies, doesn't quarantine upon entering province

• People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier arrested by RCMP in Manitoba

Krahn disagreed. Societies have rules and if citizens wish to challenge them, they ought to do so in court, she said.

"Otherwise we end up in chaos: everyone can decide for themselves, 'I don't think the law is constitutional. I don't have to follow it,'" she said.

Krahn issued a reprimand for the first violation and fined Bernier $1,296 — the ticket value — for the second one. Court costs and surcharges brought the total fine to $2,008.30. 

Steigerwald requested the fines be a donation to the Manitoba Association of Women's Shelters, but Krahn declined. It should not be up to the court to choose what charities are beneficiaries, she said, and she did not wish to allow Bernier one more opportunity to appear to protest.

Bernier has 30 days to pay.

In the courtroom, Bernier complained he was a victim of "political repression" and repeated misinformation about the lethality of COVID-19 and the efficacy of vaccines.

"For me, it was important to do what I did. I'm not guilty of any crimes," he said. "It's too sad what happened in our country at that time. Censorship was everywhere."

• People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier leaves Manitoba after arrest for breaking pandemic rules

Bernier told reporters outside the courthouse that his time in jail was a "big punishment for a non-criminal crime and for fighting for freedom of choice and freedom of assembly in a free country."

Steigerwald, who clutched at his tie when Bernier spoke inside the court, called the outcome of the trial a success because 50 per cent of the charges against his client were dropped.

Bernier said he saved Manitoba taxpayers money by admitting to two charges, thereby cutting short the court time that would have been required to fight them.

Last week Bernier announced his intention to run in the federal riding of Portage-Lisgar in an upcoming byelection.

The Manitoba riding was held previously by longtime Conservative MP Candice Bergen, who served as the party's interim leader last year and stepped down in February.

• Maxime Bernier says race for Portage-Lisgar byelection is between him and fake conservative

Bernier is a former Conservative cabinet minister who quit the caucus in 2018 to found the PPC.

He told reporters he believes the court appearance will help his bid for the federal seat.

"I believe people in Portage-Lisgar will look at that saying that, 'Maxime Bernier's a politician that is standing up for us, for freedom, for our Constitution, for our values,'" he said.

The Portage-Lisgar byelection is one of four that will be held June 19.

Earlier this month, Conservative Party of Canada members nominated Branden Leslie, a former Conservative campaign manager in the riding, as their candidate.

Asked what differentiates him from his Conservative rival, who also stands against vaccine mandates and COVID-related lockdowns, Bernier accused Leslie of only appealing to that base now.

"I was the only national politician, the only one, who spoke against these measures during that time, when it was happening. And I paid the price," Bernier said.

• Southern Manitoba libraries battle defunding attempts over sex-ed content in children's books

He also spoke out against "all that idea of transition and gender ideology," which he says the Conservatives are too afraid to speak against.

Bernier said "there's only two sexes. That's based on biology and science."

Asked what he thought of the push by some people to ban a few children's sexual education books from the southern Manitoba library system, Bernier said he was in full support of the effort.

"Why [are we] pushing the sexualization of our children in our society? We don't need that," he said, adding he met on Monday with some of the parents who are leading the charge for the ban.

Clarifications

• We initially reported that Maxime Bernier pleaded guilty. In fact, he admitted to a violation of public health orders.
  May 16, 2023 2:41 PM CT

[Tracker]

1 hour ago, Wideleft said:

Maxime Bernier admits to breaking COVID-19 public health orders in Manitoba

Charges related to failing to isolate have been stayed

 

Darren Bernhardt, Bartley Kives · CBC News · Posted: May 16, 2023 10:36 AM CDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

 

Maxime Bernier has been ordered to pay more than $2,000 in fines after admitting in a Winnipeg court on Tuesday to two violations of public health orders in Manitoba.

The People's Party of Canada leader was charged in June 2021 for attending rallies with more people than allowed at the time under COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Manitoba.

Bernier, the PPC leader since the party's inception in 2018, travelled to Manitoba during the height of the province's third wave of COVID-19.

In an agreed statement of facts, Bernier's lawyer and the Crown said the politician planned to attend 10 public events in Manitoba, both to campaign ahead of the 2021 federal election and to speak out against public health restrictions.

On June 11, 2021, Bernier was slated to speak in Niverville, St-Pierre-Jolys, St. Malo, Morden and Winkler. Court was told provincial officials warned Bernier he could face fines if he made those appearances.

Bernier nonetheless travelled to Niverville, where he was observed by Manitoba public health officers and RCMP. Police issued him one ticket for violating the rule against gathering and a second ticket for failing to isolate after entering the province without being vaccinated, court was told. 

In Niverville, Bernier was warned he could receive more fines if he attended another gathering. He continued to St-Pierre-Jolys, where police arrested him, placed him in custody for 12 hours and charged him with two counts of failing to comply with public health orders.

Two more counts followed in January, replacing the tickets Bernier received in Niverville. 

Two of the four charges were stayed earlier this spring.

Crown attorney Shaun Sass asked provincial court Judge Anne Krahn to issue Bernier $3,300 in fines, arguing the penalties should serve as a deterrent against violations of provincial rules and not just licensing fees for breaking the law.

Sass also commended Bernier for admitting the violations and thus saving taxpayers the expense of a three-day trial.

Stiegerwald, Bernier's lawyer, asked Krahn to simply issue reprimands, arguing the pending federal election constituted an exceptional and unique circumstance for the pandemic public health violation.

• People's Party Leader Maxime Bernier attends 3 Manitoba rallies, doesn't quarantine upon entering province

• People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier arrested by RCMP in Manitoba

Krahn disagreed. Societies have rules and if citizens wish to challenge them, they ought to do so in court, she said.

"Otherwise we end up in chaos: everyone can decide for themselves, 'I don't think the law is constitutional. I don't have to follow it,'" she said.

Krahn issued a reprimand for the first violation and fined Bernier $1,296 — the ticket value — for the second one. Court costs and surcharges brought the total fine to $2,008.30. 

Steigerwald requested the fines be a donation to the Manitoba Association of Women's Shelters, but Krahn declined. It should not be up to the court to choose what charities are beneficiaries, she said, and she did not wish to allow Bernier one more opportunity to appear to protest.

Bernier has 30 days to pay.

In the courtroom, Bernier complained he was a victim of "political repression" and repeated misinformation about the lethality of COVID-19 and the efficacy of vaccines.

"For me, it was important to do what I did. I'm not guilty of any crimes," he said. "It's too sad what happened in our country at that time. Censorship was everywhere."

• People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier leaves Manitoba after arrest for breaking pandemic rules

Bernier told reporters outside the courthouse that his time in jail was a "big punishment for a non-criminal crime and for fighting for freedom of choice and freedom of assembly in a free country."

Steigerwald, who clutched at his tie when Bernier spoke inside the court, called the outcome of the trial a success because 50 per cent of the charges against his client were dropped.

Bernier said he saved Manitoba taxpayers money by admitting to two charges, thereby cutting short the court time that would have been required to fight them.

Last week Bernier announced his intention to run in the federal riding of Portage-Lisgar in an upcoming byelection.

The Manitoba riding was held previously by longtime Conservative MP Candice Bergen, who served as the party's interim leader last year and stepped down in February.

• Maxime Bernier says race for Portage-Lisgar byelection is between him and fake conservative

Bernier is a former Conservative cabinet minister who quit the caucus in 2018 to found the PPC.

He told reporters he believes the court appearance will help his bid for the federal seat.

"I believe people in Portage-Lisgar will look at that saying that, 'Maxime Bernier's a politician that is standing up for us, for freedom, for our Constitution, for our values,'" he said.

The Portage-Lisgar byelection is one of four that will be held June 19.

Earlier this month, Conservative Party of Canada members nominated Branden Leslie, a former Conservative campaign manager in the riding, as their candidate.

Asked what differentiates him from his Conservative rival, who also stands against vaccine mandates and COVID-related lockdowns, Bernier accused Leslie of only appealing to that base now.

"I was the only national politician, the only one, who spoke against these measures during that time, when it was happening. And I paid the price," Bernier said.

• Southern Manitoba libraries battle defunding attempts over sex-ed content in children's books

He also spoke out against "all that idea of transition and gender ideology," which he says the Conservatives are too afraid to speak against.

Bernier said "there's only two sexes. That's based on biology and science."

Asked what he thought of the push by some people to ban a few children's sexual education books from the southern Manitoba library system, Bernier said he was in full support of the effort.

"Why [are we] pushing the sexualization of our children in our society? We don't need that," he said, adding he met on Monday with some of the parents who are leading the charge for the ban.

Clarifications

• We initially reported that Maxime Bernier pleaded guilty. In fact, he admitted to a violation of public health orders.
  May 16, 2023 2:41 PM CT

WHAT. AN. IDIOT.

[Sard]

1 hour ago, Wideleft said:

Maxime Bernier admits to breaking COVID-19 public health orders in Manitoba

Charges related to failing to isolate have been stayed

 

Darren Bernhardt, Bartley Kives · CBC News · Posted: May 16, 2023 10:36 AM CDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

 

Maxime Bernier has been ordered to pay more than $2,000 in fines after admitting in a Winnipeg court on Tuesday to two violations of public health orders in Manitoba.

The People's Party of Canada leader was charged in June 2021 for attending rallies with more people than allowed at the time under COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Manitoba.

Bernier, the PPC leader since the party's inception in 2018, travelled to Manitoba during the height of the province's third wave of COVID-19.

In an agreed statement of facts, Bernier's lawyer and the Crown said the politician planned to attend 10 public events in Manitoba, both to campaign ahead of the 2021 federal election and to speak out against public health restrictions.

On June 11, 2021, Bernier was slated to speak in Niverville, St-Pierre-Jolys, St. Malo, Morden and Winkler. Court was told provincial officials warned Bernier he could face fines if he made those appearances.

Bernier nonetheless travelled to Niverville, where he was observed by Manitoba public health officers and RCMP. Police issued him one ticket for violating the rule against gathering and a second ticket for failing to isolate after entering the province without being vaccinated, court was told. 

In Niverville, Bernier was warned he could receive more fines if he attended another gathering. He continued to St-Pierre-Jolys, where police arrested him, placed him in custody for 12 hours and charged him with two counts of failing to comply with public health orders.

Two more counts followed in January, replacing the tickets Bernier received in Niverville. 

Two of the four charges were stayed earlier this spring.

Crown attorney Shaun Sass asked provincial court Judge Anne Krahn to issue Bernier $3,300 in fines, arguing the penalties should serve as a deterrent against violations of provincial rules and not just licensing fees for breaking the law.

Sass also commended Bernier for admitting the violations and thus saving taxpayers the expense of a three-day trial.

Stiegerwald, Bernier's lawyer, asked Krahn to simply issue reprimands, arguing the pending federal election constituted an exceptional and unique circumstance for the pandemic public health violation.

• People's Party Leader Maxime Bernier attends 3 Manitoba rallies, doesn't quarantine upon entering province

• People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier arrested by RCMP in Manitoba

Krahn disagreed. Societies have rules and if citizens wish to challenge them, they ought to do so in court, she said.

"Otherwise we end up in chaos: everyone can decide for themselves, 'I don't think the law is constitutional. I don't have to follow it,'" she said.

Krahn issued a reprimand for the first violation and fined Bernier $1,296 — the ticket value — for the second one. Court costs and surcharges brought the total fine to $2,008.30. 

Steigerwald requested the fines be a donation to the Manitoba Association of Women's Shelters, but Krahn declined. It should not be up to the court to choose what charities are beneficiaries, she said, and she did not wish to allow Bernier one more opportunity to appear to protest.

Bernier has 30 days to pay.

In the courtroom, Bernier complained he was a victim of "political repression" and repeated misinformation about the lethality of COVID-19 and the efficacy of vaccines.

"For me, it was important to do what I did. I'm not guilty of any crimes," he said. "It's too sad what happened in our country at that time. Censorship was everywhere."

• People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier leaves Manitoba after arrest for breaking pandemic rules

Bernier told reporters outside the courthouse that his time in jail was a "big punishment for a non-criminal crime and for fighting for freedom of choice and freedom of assembly in a free country."

Steigerwald, who clutched at his tie when Bernier spoke inside the court, called the outcome of the trial a success because 50 per cent of the charges against his client were dropped.

Bernier said he saved Manitoba taxpayers money by admitting to two charges, thereby cutting short the court time that would have been required to fight them.

Last week Bernier announced his intention to run in the federal riding of Portage-Lisgar in an upcoming byelection.

The Manitoba riding was held previously by longtime Conservative MP Candice Bergen, who served as the party's interim leader last year and stepped down in February.

• Maxime Bernier says race for Portage-Lisgar byelection is between him and fake conservative

Bernier is a former Conservative cabinet minister who quit the caucus in 2018 to found the PPC.

He told reporters he believes the court appearance will help his bid for the federal seat.

"I believe people in Portage-Lisgar will look at that saying that, 'Maxime Bernier's a politician that is standing up for us, for freedom, for our Constitution, for our values,'" he said.

The Portage-Lisgar byelection is one of four that will be held June 19.

Earlier this month, Conservative Party of Canada members nominated Branden Leslie, a former Conservative campaign manager in the riding, as their candidate.

Asked what differentiates him from his Conservative rival, who also stands against vaccine mandates and COVID-related lockdowns, Bernier accused Leslie of only appealing to that base now.

"I was the only national politician, the only one, who spoke against these measures during that time, when it was happening. And I paid the price," Bernier said.

• Southern Manitoba libraries battle defunding attempts over sex-ed content in children's books

He also spoke out against "all that idea of transition and gender ideology," which he says the Conservatives are too afraid to speak against.

Bernier said "there's only two sexes. That's based on biology and science."

Asked what he thought of the push by some people to ban a few children's sexual education books from the southern Manitoba library system, Bernier said he was in full support of the effort.

"Why [are we] pushing the sexualization of our children in our society? We don't need that," he said, adding he met on Monday with some of the parents who are leading the charge for the ban.

Clarifications

• We initially reported that Maxime Bernier pleaded guilty. In fact, he admitted to a violation of public health orders.
  May 16, 2023 2:41 PM CT

How is talking about gender identity "sexualization of our children"?  Just because the word sex is used in place of gender does not make it sexualization.

 

Like Tracker said... WHAT. AN. IDIOT.

[Tracker]

2 minutes ago, Sard said:

How is talking about gender identity "sexualization of our children"?  Just because the word sex is used in place of gender does not make it sexualization.

 

Like Tracker said... WHAT. AN. IDIOT.

Bernier, like several other Canadian politicians, are copying the Trumpian model of trying to gain power by appealing to  the mouth-breathers. Fools, one and all, who get laughed at behind closed doors by those who they support.

[HardCoreBlue]

7 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Bernier, like several other Canadian politicians, are copying the Trumpian model of trying to gain power by appealing to  the mouth-breathers. Fools, one and all, who get laughed at behind closed doors by those who they support.

So predictable.

Fact: Lazy opportunist narcissistic disingenuous morally bankrupt people who are not here to govern and lead a country of Canadians from all walks of life.

Counter: Yea but everyone's bad. Don't lecture me you radical lefty libtard WOKE Socialist Dictator. F Trudeau Wake Up!

Sigh

The dumbing down is in full effect and I have no solution other than to think globally and act locally everywhere you can in your communities personally and professionally.

[JCon]

It's fake outrage. The worst people. 

[SpeedFlex27]

12 hours ago, Wideleft said:

Not what he said.

Yeah that's what he did. I don't need a lecture from someone half my age about my right to vote. 

2 hours ago, JCon said:

It's fake outrage. The worst people. 

Bernier is scum of the Earth. A real POS.

[blue_gold_84]

What the **** does age have to do with anything?