The People’s Party of Canada run in first election

Last summer, member of parliament Maxime Bernier created and launched the People Party of Canada. Along with being the founder, Bernier is also the leader of the new Canadian political party.

A former member of the Conservative Party of Canada, Bernier, has represented the riding of Beauce, QC. for 13 years.

In August of 2018, he left the Conservative Party of Canada to sit as an independent MP and announced the launch of his new party – The People’s Party of Canada.

First elected in 2006, Bernier has been the minister of industry,  minister foreign affairs and minister state for small business and tourism.

He cites his reasons for leaving the Conservative Party as a growing divide between policies that he feels are going more centre instead of right. 

Bernier explained, “Is the Conservative Party of Canada still a true small-c conservative party? You know my answer to this. It’s no. That’s why I resigned in August and created a new party.” 

Bernier continued, “I have come to the conclusion that the Conservative Party cannot be reformed and that if I want to do politics differently, I need to do it elsewhere.”

Former National Defence employee and PPC candidate for the riding of Banff, Airdrie, Alberta, Nadine Wellwood, said, “When I first heard an interview with Maxime Bernier, I was pleasantly surprised and somewhat shocked, that a politician had the courage to speak up on principles and say what was not always popular, but needed to be said. I kept a close eye on this “unicorn” of politics and now feel that Canadians finally have a voice that speaks for all of us; our families and our country.”

The People’s Party calls themselves the “principled alternative” and is committed to reducing the size of government. Their electoral platform covers many issues:

In regards to the military, their website notes a People’s Party government will: 

• Recognize and respect the unique sacrifices of those who serve and have served in Canada’s Armed Forces.

• Enshrine in legislation the country’s obligations to our veterans in a Military Covenant between the government and those who serve in the Armed Forces.

• Reinstate the fair disability pension as previously provided for by the Pension Act. The pension will apply retroactively to 2006, and lump-sum payments received since then will be treated as advance payments.

• Instigate a line-by-line review of the New Veterans Charter (including the Enhanced New Veterans Charter Act of 2011), to determine which policies and programs should be retained, simplify the system and make it easier to navigate.

• Reemphasize the legislative guarantee of the “Benefit of doubt” standard under the Pension Act.

And when it comes to foreign policy, the party’s platform is summed up in five points:

• Continue to work closely with our allies to maintain a peaceful international order, but will not get involved in foreign conflicts unless we have a compelling strategic interest in doing so.

• Prioritize relations with our main trading and defence partner, and work with the Trump administration, or whoever occupies the White House, to reinforce our friendship and cooperation.

• Withdraw from all UN commitments, including the Global Compact on Migrations and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, that threaten our sovereignty, and reduce our presence in UN institutions to a minimum.

• Liberalize trade with as many countries as possible, while ensuring our security and protecting our economy from the threat of potentially hostile foreign investors.

• Save billions of dollars by phasing out development aid and focus Canadian international assistance exclusively on emergency humanitarian action in cases such as health crises, major conflicts, and natural disasters.

For more information about the party and learn more about their policies, visit their official website here.