CAN GOOD OLD BOY MP AITCHISON WIN FEDERAL CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP?
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
PARRY SOUND-MUSKOKA — Can an obscure MP from the middle of the country become leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada?
We’ll find out starting this afternoon when Scott Aitchison officially declares his “bold, ambitious and hopeful” federal leadership campaign candidacy at the Canvas Brewing Company in Huntsville, where he was its last mayor.
The two-term member of Parliament comes out of the gate behind veteran high profile politicians Pierre Poilievre, Jean Charest, Patrick Brown and Leslyn Lewis who came third in the 2020 race that elected Erin O’Toole.
Aitchison is the PCP’s labour critic, who in the House of Commons debate on the Liberals’ Emergencies Act called it a “dramatic over-reach.”
He did, however, get the government to add bereavement benefits for parents who have lost a child, as part of Bill C-3 to provide 10 days of paid sick leave for workers in federally regulated workplaces.
And he made an election-style statement in the House recently saying leadership takes strong leaders.
Aitchison’s platform, while built on political consensus, is in his own party about dividing and conquering those within the race.
He may be coming out of the back of the field, but he wants to come up the middle. While letting the others fight it out at the top, he must realistically expect at best to be the No. 2 pick on ranked ballots come September’s final count.
But he kicked off his bid with a folksy good old boy video that some compared to truck commercial, as plaid-clad he climbed into his pickup truck in clear shot aimed at Alberta, middle-Canada Conservatives and gun-supporting party members in his riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka.
See for yourself at https://twitter.com/i/status/1504196397742100486
Aitchison also set out some of his platform thoughts earlier this week
in this op-ed piece below for the Toronto Sun:
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with Canada that cannot be fixed with everything that is right about Canada.
For too long politicians have sought to further our divisions and exploit them for their own benefit. This trend is damaging the very fabric of Canada. We need a new approach. That is why I am running to lead the Conservative Party of Canada.
We are a nation of 38 million diverse and distinct people, all with unique hopes and dreams. We need to have the courage of our convictions to offer solutions to today’s challenges, backed by the rule of law that must apply to everyone, equally.
Our pluralistic nation, in its best form, is one of tenacity. We are a nation of inspiration, of innovation, of creativity. Our country is one where you can be anything you want to be and do anything you want to do. These are foundational principles we can build upon, but we do ourselves a disservice if we fail to admit that our nation is currently divided and fractured. There is a fundamental element of respect lacking in our politics, and this must change if we are to succeed.
For years, our political system has been set up to win elections on the basis of fear and division, obsessed with partisan advantage at a great expense to us all. We have been led to believe that those who disagree with us are our enemies, and that contrary points are automatically unworthy of consideration.
We have stopped listening to each other and that must change.
When I served as the Mayor of Huntsville, I quickly learned that in order to succeed in public service, you must reach out to others to build consensus. In municipal politics, it’s about delivering results; it’s about putting words and ideas into action. People treat each other with respect; they work towards a common goal and relentlessly focus on overcoming obstacles to find solutions.
Canada needs a new approach to our politics that brings back respect for each other, our institutions, and to inspire people to contribute with common sense solutions. I believe in the value of teamwork and collaboration.
I believe that Canadians are tired of the partisan gridlock and bickering back and forth. Our nation is yearning for leadership that rises above the noise – leadership that inspires rather than divides, that seeks unity and hope rather than fear and anger.
We must be mindful of the vast challenges our great country faces. Whether it’s a war overseas that threatens democracies everywhere, families here at home who have seen gas prices soar, or the younger Canadians unsure of how they’ll ever be able to own a home.
The bottom line is that Canada faces serious challenges, and now more than ever that we need a new approach to solve them.
We need to work harder than we ever have before to realize our common purpose so people can build the lives and families they aspire to. Unity doesn’t mean we will agree with each other all the time. But we agree on Canada’s potential, its values, and the importance of our freedoms.
Unity means we share a common responsibility as the current custodians of this land, to leave it better for those who will come after us. In unity, there is strength – and in strength, there are results.
So let’s be bold, let’s be ambitious and filled with hope. Let’s turn optimism into results and let’s work together to build a more perfect country.
Canada isn’t easy. We have to give everything we’ve got to build it up. But I know that we can do it united and with a daring commitment to ensuring our best days lie ahead.”
EMAIL: [email protected]
28 years of ‘Local Online Journalism’
Twitter: @muskokatoday, Facebook: mclairmont1
Leave comments at end of story
SUBSCRIBE for $25 by e-transferring to [email protected]
Or go online to https://muskokatoday.com/subscriptions
