Leslin Lewis says she is making her second attempt to become the leader of the Conservative Party, and she is confident she can unite the party while promoting socio-conservative positions.
During successive leadership races, federal conservatives discuss which direction the party should go and whether it is possible to choose a leader who will appeal to both the progressives and the party base.
This dynamic is again at work in the current campaign, with a field of eight party-confirmed candidates and all from different parts of the conservative spectrum.
In an interview with CTV’s Question Period, Lewis said she considers herself a conservative candidate with socially conservative policies and the ability to win with a platform that opposes abortion, the vaccine mandate and the carbon tax.
Asked if she thought her policy would increase the party’s appeal to Canadians to help it win in key battlefields such as Ontario and Quebec, Lewis said yes.
“If you look at big cities like GTA, like big city centers, you’ll see that the majority, a large number of people, are immigrants. And these people share conservative values. “They are people who took risks and took risks to leave their homes, to come here for the Canadian dream of owning a home, educating their children, and also having strong faith and family values,” Lewis said. “They are a population that can be reached by our socially conservative values. And I believe that if they see each other in the party, they will gravitate towards the party. “
In the 2021 campaign, then-leader Erin O’Toole sought to win the support of more progressive voters by declaring herself a pro-choice and ally of the LGBTQ2 + community, two things her predecessor did not do. However, O’Toole was still in hot water when he did not distance himself far enough from the candidates who posted online comments against climate change and vaccination.
Lewis said what went wrong with the campaign was that the party was not sticking to the message.
“I think it’s important that whatever your messages, your policies, stick to,” she said.
“YOU SHOULDN’T TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT DIVIDE US”
As for what some of Lewis’s positions would be, although she has been asked many times, she would not say whether she would repeal abortion rights in Canada, but said she believes women who are in “unhappy” situations , should have access to support, such as “pregnancy care centers” and access for adoption.
“The reason I did so well last time was because I’m a unifier. I believe in building bridges. I am for life. I believe that the people who are for choice can talk. In fact, many of my closest friends are for choice and we have great conversations, “Lewis said. “We don’t need to talk about the things that divide us.”
Lewis, who has not disclosed her vaccination status against COVID-19, was one of the first conservative supporters of the Convoy of Freedom truck protests and rejected her colleague Jean Charest’s proposal that the leadership contenders who supported the convoy must be disqualified.
She also said in an interview that she had not read the memorandum circulated by some organizers, which suggested their intention to remove elected officials. The document was later withdrawn after collecting 320,000 signatures.
Lewis denied that the participants had ever intended to replace the democratically elected government, saying that if that were true, charges of rebellion would be raised.
“No one has been accused of rioting. If that was true, why were the accusations of accidents? ”She said.
“I support democracy. I support the people who stood before Parliament and wanted the elected officials to pay their salaries. “Some of these people came from British Columbia and need to be heard,” Lewis said.
Lewis also defended some of her reports of a pandemic, including raising concerns about Canada’s health sovereignty if a proposed World Health Organization pandemic treaty is pursued, and questioned the vaccination of children.
She said she was using her position as an elected official to address concerns raised by others, including parents.
Asked if she said it was not her personal belief, but questions raised by her constituents, Lewis said “absolutely”.
Regarding climate change, Lewis said he was among conservatives who supported the abolition of the carbon tax.
“I don’t believe the carbon tax really improves the environment,” she said. Instead, Lewis suggested that she generally pursue policies that reduce emissions, stimulate business and “encourage people to recycle.”
Lewis also talked about finding ways to improve instead of getting rid of the Liberal children’s care deals with the provinces, building more homes and cutting red tape to reduce the rapidly growing housing process, and said will maintain supply management to protect Canadian producers.
Add Comment