QUEBEC CITY—Canada should stop apologizing for its past, long-time Conservative supporter Lt.-Gen. Michel Maisonneuve said in his keynote address at the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) convention held in Quebec City on Sept. 7.
“We must stop apologizing. We need to acknowledge the past and learn from it, not erase it,” Mr. Maisonneuve told a crowd of CPC delegates and volunteers gathered at the Centre des congrès de Québec to vote on policy resolutions during the three-day convention.
While mentioning rising living costs and saying the current Liberal government has failed to address them, Mr. Maisonneuve, who is known for his pro-freedom talks, drew the most response from the crowd when talking about the need to celebrate Canada.
“Our Fathers of Confederation were not perfect, but they created a country that became the Canada that we know today, and they did that without a bloody civil war,” said Mr. Maisonneuve, who shared the stage with his wife, retired Maj. Barbara Maisonneuve.
Pointing to the Canadian flag, Mr. Maisonneuve added that this is the flag that should be flying on government buildings.
“The red maple leaf is the flag that can and should unite all Canadians,” he said.
“It is the flag, it stands for all our freedoms as Canadians without regard to special interests, as all equal under the law.”
As the crowd cheered with a standing ovation, he said: “I’m glad you agree with me.”
Ms. Maisonneuve got her own standing ovation when she made an apparent reference to when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refused to hear the grievance of convoy protesters in 2022.
“If Canadians feel strongly about something, the prime minister should listen, not attack and insult them,” she said.
‘Axe the Tax’
The night’s talks began with an address by CPC President Robert Batherson, who, like party leader Pierre Poilievre in his recent public addresses, kept the focus on the economy and cost-of-living issues.“Who is ready to axe the tax?” Mr. Batherson said, repeating a CPC chant that was also repeated by different speakers throughout the night.
Addressing delegates and supporters, Mr. Batherson asked them to work “like we never worked before” to ensure a CPC government after the next election.
The event was hosted by Quebec MP Pierre Paul-Hus and Calgary MP Stephanie Kusie, who, like Mr. Batherson, emphasized cost-of-living issues, and how their party is the one that can make things right.
“Our new leader is talking about the issues that matter most to Canadians: lowering prices, being able to do more with your paycheque, creating more affordable housing, making our communities safer, and protecting our freedoms as Canadians,” Mr. Paul-Hus said in his talk.
While in English Canada the party refers to the tax as the doing of the “Liberal-NDP coalition,” Mr. Paul-Hus called it a “Trudeau-Blanchet tax,” taking aim at Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet.
Grassroots
But while the policy proposals being voted on at the convention include a number of items on tax and economic issues, on the table are also a number of other items ranging from foreign affairs and national defence to veteran affairs and freedom of speech.The proposals will be voted on and adopted at the convention. The party leader is not bound by the resolutions, however, and the party’s direction will ultimately be determined by the leader.
Nonetheless, the event gives a chance for party grassroots to make their positions known to the leadership.
“These are the people that make up the party, that make the party so strong. I’m so proud to be here with them in Quebec City out of all places, and it’s so good to see and feel the excitement here,” Conservative shadow minister of finance Jasraj Singh Hallan told The Epoch Times.
Proposals
One of the proposed resolutions on foreign policy calls for taking a strong stance against the Beijing regime.“The Conservative Party will adopt an assertive foreign policy toward authoritarian dictatorships, including the Chinese Communist Party, focused on upholding Canada’s values respecting human rights and democratic principles,” reads the submission sponsored by the Wellington-Halton Hills electoral district association (EDA).
Another proposal asks for “NORAD modernization,” while another asks for compensation of indigenous veterans who lost Indian status following service.
A proposal sponsored by the Lethbridge EDA focuses on “free and independent press and media,” calling for minimizing “government intervention and regulation in the market,” and protecting freedom of speech “from government and special interest narratives.”
Another proposal by the North Okanaga-Shuswap EDA asks for banning sex-change surgeries for minors, as has been done in a number of states in the United States.
“A Conservative government will protect children by prohibiting life altering medicinal or surgical interventions on minors under 18 to treat gender confusion or dysphoria, and encourage positive mental and physical health support for all Canadians suffering from gender dysphoria and related mental health challenges,” reads the proposal.
The event will conclude on Sept. 9, and will feature an address by Mr. Poilievre on Sept. 8.
