Letter: Conservatives ushering Canadians down path of anger and division

MP Mel Arnold says Canada needs leadership.

I completely agree.

After all, Canadians are dealing with one crisis after another: wildfires, floods, inflation and a worldwide pandemic that has ruined livelihoods and disabled or killed tens of thousands of Canadians.

We’ve seen Ottawa’s streets occupied and Canada’s borders blockaded. Protesters are spitting on, hitting, shoving and threatening residents and journalists – actions defined under the Canadian Criminal Code as assault.

During the 2008 global financial crisis, the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) led the country with skill. Then (as now) Canadians were frightened, but the competence, good judgement and integrity of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty engendered confidence and calm.

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Quite frankly, leadership like that has become woefully absent in today’s CPC.

In my view, Prime Minister Trudeau has made some spectacular blunders, but the CPC has not been without fault.

Their response has included:

• Failing to hold a serious debate on the Emergencies Act. It was astonishing to see the Opposition unable to mount a cogent argument;

• Backing protesters who are creating economic and reputational damage to Canada, disregarding the law, obstructing others’ rights to earn a living, and threatening people in their own neighbourhoods;

• Claiming to stand up for all Canadians, but directing MPs to make the blockades the PM’s problem (now, they’re the country’s problem), telling protesters to keep going, and cozying up to far right extremist elements. I don’t feel the CPC is standing up for peaceable Canadians anymore;

• Ushering Canadians down a dark path of anger and division. Drunken commentary and sanctimonious bullying (personified by Senator MacDonald, MP Poilievre, interim leader Bergen and others) is not leadership;

• Abandoning its role as Canada’s party of law and order. How on Earth did the CPC fail to promptly call for the lawlessness to end or barely bat an eye when protesters urinated on the National War Memorial and danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? My great uncle lies in a war grave in France and he did not die for this.

By implicitly or explicitly endorsing disorder, the CPC has emboldened violent protesters across the country – including in my own community where protesters have been intimidating and assaulting essential workers and senior citizens for nearly two years.

Yes, Canada needs leadership, but leaders must demonstrate competence, good judgement and integrity. Please, let’s see it.

Carole Jeffries

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