Interim federal Conservative leader Candice Bergen says the party won’t attract disaffected Liberals into the fold by being “Liberal-lite.”
She made the statement in a video speech played to a room of conservative faithful and party stalwarts gathered in downtown Ottawa for a three-day conference.
Bergen, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, focused much of her speech on the importance of the party being proud of—and sticking to—its conservative values.
She told supporters that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has moved the Liberals further to the political left, leaving some older supporters looking for another option.
Bergen says the Conservative Party can be a new home for them, but only by being truly conservative.
The interim leader also encouraged leadership hopefuls to heed the advice provided in a letter to all campaigns by former Reform Party of Canada leader Preston Manning, for candidates to avoid personal attacks.
