Is Pierre Poilievre the new savior of Western Canada? Should the Maverick Party close shop now that a new CPC leader has been elected to "save" us?

 

Recently elected leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, in a surprisingly decisive victory, Poilievre has made many claims supporting a stronger west.  But what, if anything, has really changed?

 

Has Eastern Canada suddenly decided to give the West greater autonomy and equal standing? Have they woken up to the challenges we face in agriculture, commerce, and energy? Challenges that impact all of Canada and the world!

 

Poilievre is CPC leader because he won 193/199 Conservative EDAs in Ontario and Quebec and the 32 in the Maritimes.  Not because he won the 104 that sit west of Ontario.  In fact, we could have voted overwhelmingly for someone else, and Poilievre would still decisively be CPC leader.  

 

Both Scheer and O'Toole failed to dispose Trudeau because they could not get enough seats in the east, a fact that Poilievre is keenly aware of going into the next federal election. Although we fervently hope that Pierre will become the next Prime Minister of Canada will that make the difference?  

 

Most Western Canadians have fond memories of the decade Stephen Harper, an Alberta MP, sat in the PM chair.  But in those 10 years did we get pipelines to the west or east coast? Did we get a reduction in transfer payments to Quebec? Did any western province enact any of the autonomy measures in Harper's own 2001 Firewall Letter to Klein?   Measures that were re-advocated for most recently by Alberta's Fair Deal Panels.  Did Harper really make the West stronger or did he just not make our situation worse?

 

The Western Canadian struggle for self governance and autonomy was real long before Justin became PM.  Some of us remember when a liberal government, under his dad Pierre Trudeau, decimated western energy production and all but nationalized it.  Did subsequent Conservative governments safeguard that from ever happening again? Did Mulroney with the largest conservative government in Canadian history come to our defence?

 

We may hope that Pierre will rise and make the west stronger but that does not mean we stop preparing to be, once again, sold out for eastern vote earning priorities.  How many times does Lucy have to jerk the ball away for Charlie Brown to stop playing her game?

 

 

Governing in Canada is constitutionally rigged to favour the East. There is no other way to win but through Ontario and Quebec.  But both the NDP and the Bloc have proven there are other ways to earn concessions and gain leverage without ever being Government. 

 

If the Maverick Party had as little as 25 seats in Ottawa, we would be a strong voice for Western autonomy. With 70 seats we could be the official opposition and hold the balance of power.  Just like the Reform Party did in 1993. The Maverick party is not here to split the vote. We are here to free the Conservative Party to vigorously take the battle against the Liberals in the East.  No army has ever been able to win a decisive victory while fighting on two fronts. 

 

The Maverick Party invites you to invest in this Western Canada. We ask that you consider a small monthly, tax-deductible donation to help us stay true to Western Canadian priorities. $30/month earns a 75% tax receipt. Your real contribution of only $7.50/month is barely more than the cost of a Starbucks coffee and less than a single after work beverage.

 

If we are going to hold Pierre's feet to the fire and the promises he made, then we need to pay professionals and fund projects that will take us to the next level so we can be a real force in the next federal election.

 

Join our cause. Become a member and donate at www.maverickparty.ca. Let us hope for the best together but stay prepared for the worst. 

 

Colin Krieger, Maverick Party Leader 

Your public servant.