You might think that a French Canadian, fluently bilingual leader might improve the Conservatives' prospects in Quebec. Chantal Hebert writes that's not happening:
The latest Conservative leader has his work cut out for him. In Canada’s second largest province, Poilievre is not only much less popular than his main rivals, but he is also off to a poorer start than his three predecessors.
In voting intentions, the Conservative party lags far behind both the leading Liberals and the Bloc Québécois. At 19 per cent, the party’s Quebec tally is its lowest provincial score.
Poilievre’s leadership numbers are even more dismal. At year’s end, an Angus Reid poll showed that almost two-thirds of Quebec voters have a poor opinion of the Conservative leader.
The Conservatives have almost always had a problem in Quebec. The Mulroney years were an exception:
It was also the only instance in recent history that a Quebec-based leader was at the helm of a united conservative party.
And Mulroney was a native son. Poilievre is not:
If anything, Poilievre’s leadership campaign and its aftermath have compounded the long-standing disadvantage that attends his outsider status in Quebec.
On his way to his first-ballot victory, Poilievre ran a take-no-prisoners campaign against Jean Charest. He might have elicited more admiration in the province had he beaten the former premier fair and square in the debating arena. But after a first brush with his main rival, Poilievre opted to be a no-show on the debate podium. It is hard to earn respect in absentia.
The collateral damage to the party in Quebec as a result of a scorched earth front-runner campaign was compounded by the departure of the party’s former Quebec lieutenant from the federal caucus.
Prior to his decision to sit as an Independent, Alain Rayes was one of the better-known Conservative MPs in the province, as well as a strong recruiter for a party that does not easily attract Quebec talent.
As it happens, both Charest and Rayes command larger audiences in Quebec than Poilievre. That may be even truer four months into the latter’s leadership tenure than it was on the morning after his leadership victory.
Stephen Harper became prime minister without much support from Quebec. But that has only happened once. The simple truth is that you can't make it to the prime minister's office without strong support in la belle province.
Image: The Toronto Star
12 comments:
And you won't get strong support from la belle province unless you're in tune with what Quebecers want - Trudeau Sr, Mulroney, Chretien, Martin, and Trudeau Jr were all Quebec MPs. This drives western Canada nuts. Eastern Canada doesn't seem to be as fussed about it, maybe because we expect our MPs to care about things beyond the oil and gas industry.
Cap
The West has been alienated for a long time, Cap. The solution to that problem is hard to come by.
I’ve described Mr Poilievre via Twitter
as a ‘Partisan pantywaist’ & why not here..?
If that’s the main ingredient of ‘Leadership’
well call me dumbfounded .. 🦎
Leadership these days, sal, is as rare as an earth mineral.
Owen, I very rarely disagree with you, BUT, I was born and raised in BC as was my mother and her mother before her. I do not feel the least bit alienated from the rest of Canada - even if we do have those majestic Rockies to separate us from poor old whining Alberta. They are typically referred to as the Prairie provinces once the Rocky Mountain passes. Its another reason why some of us with a long family history here tend to see BC as "the west".
Don't get me wrong, I bear no animosity, but I do get rather tired of the whining and snivelling about how poor Alberta thinks they support the rest of Canada and yet, get absolutely no benefit (or recognition) from this majestic gift on offer to the rest of us ungrateful Canadians.
However, the first year I retired, we planned (with another couple) that the first thing we would do was take our RVs and plan 4 months to travel from Vancouver Island to the Atlantic east coast as well as go to Newfoundland. We planned 2 weeks in each province and I can honestly say that all across this great country we met the most wonderful fellow Canadians you ever want to meet, in each and every province.
I wish all Canadians could find a way to at least do a part of that and spend most of your time in the many small towns and their residents who made a point of thanking us for stopping there. That trip helped us to gain a sense of pride in our country rather than waste time focusing on some of our differences.
My wife and I have traveled from Quebec to BC and as far east as Halifax, Lulymay. I used to say that in order to get a high school diploma every graduating student should have traveled across the country on the ground.
If we all did that, we'd feel a lot better about the country we've been given.
It is sometimes hard to separate the politics of a country and it’s citizens. As an example, many of us Canucks have some disdain towards Americans because of what the US Government does to the rest of the world, but when we meet and talk to individual Americans, they, generally speaking, are very nice people.
Same goes for Individual Albertans. DF
A point well taken, DF.
Yes, the provinces are great whinners. They whine they pay too much, they don't get enough, etc. Quebec, if a party wants to form government in Canada, they have to have sufficient support in Quebec. It has a large population and they are organized. One thing I admired about Quebors was once it was political, it was what was best for Quebec first.
Trudeau Sr. was correct and not much has changed in the intervening years.
The comment that Quebecors take a dim view of P>P> Not surprising. They understand he is not good for Quebec. He isn't good for Canada, but a lot of Canadians don't see it. They think of themselves and is PP good for them personally. If you have some money, the Conservatives might be your choice because they're great with tax exemption, low taxes, etc. Quebec has some great social programs and they're looking to Ottawa to maintain funding to their province. Quebec was the first province to introduce affordable day care.
The Conservatives would have been better off to stick with O'Toole. Giving him more exposure would have helped in case people really got tired of the Liberals. As it is, its one loss and you're out. Its not that OToole was any great shakes, but when you saw him on t.v. he wasn't objectionable Scheer and PP certainly are. PP just comes across as a nasty piece of business. If he ever becomes P.M. expect him to be worse than Harper.
The Conservatives are perpetually unhappy, e.a.f.
5:19 pm. I tend to agree with you. However what is missing from the "poor" Alberta treatment claim, is the fact the three Western Provinces, Manitoba (not so Much), Sask and Albert have not been able to shake the CCF nor the German attitudes. Albertans could take a six month trip to Newfoundland and learn a few things. If ever there is a Province ignored it isn't Alberta but Newfoundland. Perhaps a little research would help. Alberta's whinning has become nauseating. Anyong
You're right, Anyong. Alberta could learn a few things from Newfoundland.
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