An announcement by Maxime Bernier last week has the potential to change the landscape of the political right in Canada.
During the Conservative Party of Canada’s convention in Halifax last week, Bernier announced that he was quitting the Conservatives and starting a new right-of-centre party.
As a result, those already on the political right will be faced with the choice of supporting the existing Conservatives or Bernier’s new party when it forms.
The announcement caught many by surprise.
Bernier had been a strong force in the federal Conservative Party since he was elected in the Quebec riding of Beauce in 2006.
Over the years, he has held portfolios including Minister of Industry, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism.) And after the 2015 election, when the Conservatives became the official opposition, he was appointed Critic for Economic Development and Innovation.
Last year, in a bid to become the Conservative Party leader, he narrowly lost to Andrew Scheer. It was an extremely close race, with Scheer receiving 50.95 per cent support and Bernier receiving 49.05 per cent support.
While Scheer and Bernier both held to Conservative values of lower taxes and fiscal responsibility, there were differences.
Scheer, whose political involvement began during the era of Preston Manning’s Reform Party and later the Canadian Alliance, placed a high value on unity and spoke of compassion during his leadership campaign.
Bernier came across as someone bolder, more outspoken and more of a risk-taker.
In the days leading up to the Halifax convention, Bernier posted messages on Twitter, taking issue with Canada’s immigration policy and with increasing diversity.
He had not raised this issue of immigration and diversity during the 2017 leadership campaign.
Immigration policy is a concern for all Canadian parties, but suggesting limits on diversity is a characteristic of the extreme right wing or the alt-right.
The choice for those on the political right is between a centre-right position represented by the Conservatives and a far-right position represented by Bernier’s new party.
Whether this change of tone will benefit Bernier and his new party remains to be seen.
Scheer’s emphasis on unity resonates with many on the right.
But others want a different tone and message.
There are some on the right in Canada who support alt-right ideas and could easily be drawn to a party to the right of the Conservatives.
Over the last few years, I have been watching as a growing number of friends and acquaintances on the right are taking a harsher, more extreme attitude about politics, and especially about immigration and diversity.
And I have heard comments, from people here in Summerland and from elsewhere in Canada, which are more in line with the extreme right than with the existing Conservative Party of Canada.
For those who lean far to the right, Bernier’s proposed party could be seen as a welcoming beacon. Bernier already has some supporters.
But even if they are willing to join this new party, are there enough to make Bernier’s party viable?
And if so, will the party have enough support from the voters to replace Justin Trudeau’s Liberals?
The next federal election is in October, 2019. That’s a short timeline for Bernier to build a new party.
It’s also not much time for the existing Conservatives to gain the support they need — especially if they lose some support to a new right-wing party.
No matter what happens next, the political right in Canada is about to undergo some significant changes.
John Arendt is the editor of the Summerland Review.
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