But that caucus unity is being put to the test and will be under the microscope until next May’s leadership election, as more candidates jump into the Conservative race and some hopefuls stake out controversial positions that have already rankled fellow caucus members.
Advertisement
How and who decides what Canadian values are, and how do we test for compliance?
To me, her suggestion would cloud the issue, more than clarify it.
“After much soul-searching, advice from trusted friends and weighing of the impact on my young family, I have decided not to seek the leadership of the party”, the former cabinet minister from Nova Scotia said in a statement Monday.
“We’ll talk about that”.
Keeping the debate civil during leadership races is hard for any party, with the political stakes enormous and the heart and soul of a party on the line.
Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch says she’s heard from Tories unhappy with her proposal to screen immigrants on their values, but predicts she will be elected leader because she’s the one talking about what Canadians care about.
As well, 43 per cent of people who personally disagree with same-sex marriage say immigrants should be banned from coming to Canada if they don’t support same-sex marriage. The criticism of the proposal also include her own party.
Earlier Monday, Tony Clement went at the issue in another way, unveiling a national security plan that would include putting people at high risk of committing terrorist acts behind bars if they can not be monitored around the clock. He stressed that Leitch’s immigration proposal is “Orwellian” and “dog-whistle” politics.
After the caucus retreat Wednesday, Leitch said she expects her opponents will discuss who’s proposing the biggest tax cut, while she goes where the voters actually are. “Together we will stand up to those who don’t want to discuss Canadian values and whose politically correct elitism remains tone deaf to the views of most Canadians”.
“It appears that the fortunes of Kellie Leitch have risen from the ashes in her bid to become the next leader of the Conservative party”.
“In their shirtless selfie delirium, Liberals have ceded the ground on who’s the defender of Canadian values”, she said.
Jim Armour, a former director of communications to Stephen Harper while in opposition and veteran on the frontlines of past Conservative and Canadian Alliance leadership campaigns, said it’s important for the party to separate its leadership contest from its duties in Parliament.
Advertisement
“In relation to the leadership race, as long as everything is fair, that everybody is being treated equally, that nobody is seen to be getting preferential treatment, then all that functions fairly well”.
