Maxime Bernier? Federal CPC Leader?

August1991 · December 29, 2015

Claude Wagner tried to be leader in 1976 but he lost. So then I reckoned that no Catholic could be Conservative leader.

But Joe Clark was a Catholic. Indeed, John Thompson was Canada's first Catholic PM (and first Catholic Conservative leader, through conversion and marriage to a woman named Affleck no less).

And then there's Brian Mulroney.

Unlike the Liberals, the Tories may have chosen Catholics as leaders but the Tories have never chosen a leader with a French family name.

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So, Maxime Bernier? Future Prime Minister of Canada?

Edited December 29, 2015 by August1991

overthere · December 29, 2015

He is a man from Quebec. That is all that matters in Canadian politics. We must maintain the natural order.

Topaz · December 29, 2015

I doubt he has a chance, remember as a minister he forgot some of his work behind on a bus, or train or whatever transportation he was taking.

Shady · December 29, 2015

I doubt that will mean very much in an actual campaign.

Queenmandy85 · December 29, 2015

He doesn't have a clue about science.

Shady · December 29, 2015

It's ok. Justin doesn't have a clue about economics.

waldo · December 29, 2015

He is a man from Quebec. That is all that matters in Canadian politics. We must maintain the natural order.

really? Of Canada's 23 Prime Minister's, 6 were born in Quebec... Sir John Abbott, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Louis St. Laurent, Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney and Jean Chrétien.

oh wait... you can bring that up to 10 if you want to go by constituency they were elected from... but that includes Paul Martin from that "Anglo enclave" in Montreal!

c'mon... the west... uhhh... was in!

Newfoundlander · December 29, 2015

I doubt he has a chance, remember as a minister he forgot some of his work behind on a bus, or train or whatever transportation he was taking.

No he left it at his girlfriend's house. It was a big deal but a bit different than leaving it on some type of public transportation.

Newfoundlander · December 29, 2015

Bernier is well educated with a good professional background, him and his father are well known in Quebec, and he's done exceptionally well in his own riding. He faced a political scandal - Lisa Raitt faced a similar one - that cost him his cabinet post but that was 8 years ago. While I don't think he can win he will likely have a large following. I imagine he could also gain traction with younger Canadians. If Bernier enters he'll add a lost to the race and I think a future leader will adopt some of his policy positions.

Argus · December 29, 2015

No he left it at his girlfriend's house. It was a big deal but a bit different than leaving it on some type of public transportation.

His girlfriend had Hells Angels associates, if I recall. So yes, a big deal.

Edited December 29, 2015 by Argus

Queenmandy85 · December 29, 2015

Bernier is well educated with a good professional background, him and his father are well known in Quebec, and he's done exceptionally well in his own riding. He faced a political scandal - Lisa Raitt faced a similar one - that cost him his cabinet post but that was 8 years ago. While I don't think he can win he will likely have a large following. I imagine he could also gain traction with younger Canadians. If Bernier enters he'll add a lost to the race and I think a future leader will adopt some of his policy positions.

An education without a strong emphasis on the hard sciences is no education. We have too many lawyers and merchants in politics.

Keepitsimple · December 29, 2015

really? Of Canada's 23 Prime Minister's, 6 were born in Quebec... Sir John Abbott, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Louis St. Laurent, Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney and Jean Chrétien.

oh wait... you can bring that up to 10 if you want to go by constituency they were elected from... but that includes Paul Martin from that "Anglo enclave" in Montreal!

c'mon... the west... uhhh... was in!

Thank you for your insight Waldo......so for the last half century, every elected Prime Minister - with the sole exception of Harper, was from Quebec. I think the point has been well made - there's a distinct advantage in coming from Quebec, no?

Edited December 29, 2015 by Keepitsimple

waldo · December 29, 2015

Thank you for your insight Waldo......so for the last half century, every elected Prime Minister - with the sole exception of Harper, was from Quebec. I think the point has been well made - there's a distinct advantage in coming from Quebec, no?

c'mon Simple... from 1960 forward... how can you forget Diefenbaker, Pearson, Clark? That's 4 of 9 Simple... 4 of 9! Please keep your self-declared "schooling" coming! :lol:

Argus · December 29, 2015

c'mon Simple... from 1960 forward... how can you forget Diefenbaker, Pearson, Clark? That's 4 of 9 Simple... 4 of 9! Please keep your self-declared "schooling" coming!

On the other hand, since Pearson, we have had a Quebec PM for 37 of the last 50 years, which seems somewhat ... disproportionate.

Keepitsimple · December 30, 2015

c'mon Simple... from 1960 forward... how can you forget Diefenbaker, Pearson, Clark? That's 4 of 9 Simple... 4 of 9! Please keep your self-declared "schooling" coming!

Excellent work Waldo - I did indeed forget about Joe Clark's 10 months as PM. Now really Waldo, I said "elected" Prime Ministers....Kim Campbell and John Turner were not - as the populace soon proved with each only serving months in office. How much schooling do you need before you realize that - except for Harper - there does indeed appear to be an advantage coming from Quebec since Pierre the Elder was PM?

Machjo · December 30, 2015

Claude Wagner tried to be leader in 1976 but he lost. So then I reckoned that no Catholic could be Conservative leader.

But Joe Clark was a Catholic. Indeed, John Thompson was Canada's first Catholic PM (and first Catholic Conservative leader, through conversion and marriage to a woman named Affleck no less).

And then there's Brian Mulroney.

Unlike the Liberals, the Tories may have chosen Catholics as leaders but the Tories have never chosen a leader with a French family name.

========

So, Maxime Bernier? Future Prime Minister of Canada?

In present Canadian politics, English, French, Protestant and Roman Catholic are all politically correct.

The farther the candidate strays from these standards (British is generally politically correct too), the less politically correct he becomes, a US immigrant Deaf female mixed-race Ojibwe-Chinese Muslim being close to the least politically correct imaginable.

Smallc · December 30, 2015

Excellent work Waldo - I did indeed forget about Joe Clark's 10 months as PM. Now really Waldo, I said "elected" Prime Ministers....Kim Campbell and John Turner were not

We don't have elected PMs, just MPs. That's utterly irrelevant.

Queenmandy85 · December 30, 2015

Excellent work Waldo - I did indeed forget about Joe Clark's 10 months as PM. Now really Waldo, I said "elected" Prime Ministers....Kim Campbell and John Turner were not - as the populace soon proved with each only serving months in office. How much schooling do you need before you realize that - except for Harper - there does indeed appear to be an advantage coming from Quebec since Pierre the Elder was PM?

Therefore, it is in the best interests of the Conservative Party to elect a leader from Quebec. Please, God, don't let it be an idiot like Bernier.

Edited December 30, 2015 by Queenmandy85

Keepitsimple · December 30, 2015

We don't have elected PMs, just MPs. That's utterly irrelevant.

Quite true - but not irrelevant. Both John Turner and Kim Campbell inherited the leadership and served for a few months - but as the following elections showed, neither had a chance and were soundly trounced.....giving credence to the fact that being from Quebec seems to have had its advantages all the way back to Pierre Trudeau. While Harper proved it wasn't impossible, it sure makes winning an election a lot easier if you can be popular in Quebec - that's just common sense.

Smallc · December 30, 2015

What matters is Ontario. Sure, Quebec makes it easier, but that would be for the same reason that Ontario is necessary - population.

Argus · December 30, 2015

What matters is Ontario. Sure, Quebec makes it easier, but that would be for the same reason that Ontario is necessary - population.

Ontario voters have never shown any particular preference for voting for a party with a leader from that province. Quebecers on the other hand, will rarely vote for a party unless the leader is one of them, or there is no alternative.

overthere · December 31, 2015

really? Of Canada's 23 Prime Minister's, 6 were born in Quebec... Sir John Abbott, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Louis St. Laurent, Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney and Jean Chrétien.

oh wait... you can bring that up to 10 if you want to go by constituency they were elected from... but that includes Paul Martin from that "Anglo enclave" in Montreal!

c'mon... the west... uhhh... was in!

More recently, we have Trudeau Sr, Mulroney, Chreteien, Martin and Trudeau Jr.

OK, we had people like Turner, Campbell, Clark for a ~~few minutes few days few months~~ a couple of years. And then the great Satan Cometh.

Doesn't it please you mightily that we have A Man From Quebec again Waldo? I remember how crabby when we had He Who Must Not Be Named in office.

It s the natural order that we have most often- by far- men from a province has become an economic backwater. And God Bless Justin for ridding us of those vermin from elsewhere..

August1991 · January 7, 2016

In present Canadian politics, English, French, Protestant and Roman Catholic are all politically correct.

The farther the candidate strays from these standards (British is generally politically correct too), the less politically correct he becomes, a US immigrant Deaf female mixed-race Ojibwe-Chinese Muslim being close to the least politically correct imaginable.

Kinda neat. Since 1891, we Canadians have chosen as a federal leader a person who is neither of our religion (John Thompson) nor of our native language (Wilfrid Laurier).

And Amercans think it's cool to elect a black guy in 2000s. Clueless.