In the Conservative Party of Canada’s race to elect a new leader, Quebecers have a uniquely crystallized choice: the francophone-hors-Québec candidate who espouses the sound-and-fury school of politics, or the former premier of the province whose bipartisan biography includes decades of service on the province’s, and the country’s, major political and policy dilemmas. Longtime La Presse editor and former independent senator André Pratte predicts that the known quantity will prevail. 

André Pratte

The Quebec political world is restless. This summer will be extraordinarily busy. Not only is everyone preparing for the next provincial election on October 3rd, but many are keenly interested in the Conservative Party of Canada’s leadership race. Indeed, we have not felt such excitement, or seen that much involvement in federal politics, since the Mulroney years.

Conservatives who had abandoned the party have bought their membership cards, attended rallies and debates, donated hundreds of dollars. Many more have become new members. Why? Quebecers know that this contest is not any ordinary leadership race: this is about what kind of politics we want in Canada.

Two options are on the table: one is politics “à l’américaine”, a populist, divisive, Trumpist style that is not appropriate for a country like Canada; the other is a serious, competent, experienced, unifying leadership, the kind of leadership that the country and the province need.

This is the question that Conservatives should ask themselves: do they want their party to resemble the American Republican Party, or do they want a truly Canadian political party, founded on core Canadian, conservative values? If the members choose the first option, Quebec will inevitably come out the loser.

First, the chances are that under this scenario, a divided party, led by a leader who feeds on division, will not be elected to form the next government of Canada. At least 10 more years in power for the Liberals. It is not good for Canada to be governed by the same political party for too long.

Second, if, by chance, under this scenario, the Conservatives managed to win the election, they would do so without proper representation from Québec; Quebecers will not vote for anything resembling Trumpism. And a federal government without Quebec representatives in Cabinet and caucus is always bad news for the province, as for any other region of the country.

Except for the 2012 student strike, which did enjoy widespread support, Quebecers loathe disorder. They respect the institutions and the laws that allow our cherished democracy to function and that make Canada one of the freest countries in the world. Without those institutions and those laws, without “gatekeepers”, there is no freedom; the rule of the mob replaces the rule of law. 

Isn’t it paradoxical for a prominent politician to talk about freedom while supporting an illegal demonstration that deprived thousands of people of their right to work and their freedom of movement? That candidate says he only supported “legal” truckers. That argument does not hold; the mere fact of blocking Wellington Street for three weeks was illegal; which “truckers” were legal?

Please note that I put the word “truckers” in brackets: the “truckers” who blockaded Ottawa were not representative of the thousands of truckers who, throughout the pandemic, continued to deliver the goods that are essential for the country’s economy and for our daily lives.

Quebecers watched with horror as Donald Trump’s commandos stormed Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021; they do not want that to happen here. Which is why they did not allow the truckers to blockade the National Assembly in Québec City. Many of us wonder what would happen if a populist leader of the Conservative Party lost the next election: would he pretend that the election was “stolen”? Would he call for his “truckers” to storm Parliament?

A Trumpist leader would divide the country, pitting region against region, community against community, class against class, because that’s what Trumpist “populists” do, that’s who they are. They vilify moderation and compromise as signs of weakness, when, in fact, they are the pillars of our federation. 

Quebecers, like all Canadians, are concerned about the state of the economy, especially the stratospheric rise in the prices of many products. By nature, on economic and financial matters, Quebecers are cautious. They expect their governments to be rigorous, prudent managers of the public purse. In periods of economic uncertainty, they want leaders who will keep both hands on the wheel and who know what they are doing. A candidate who encourages Canadians to put their hard-earned savings into cryptocurrencies instead of Canadian dollars does not fit the bill. 

The first rule of Warren Buffet’s investment strategy is to put your money into things that you know and understand. Who understands Bitcoin? Also, a reminder: if you had invested US $6,800 in Bitcoin last November, that investment would be worth $2,100 on June 15. 

Like his role model, that candidate likes firing people. He would fire the governor of the Bank of Canada. He would fire those whom he calls “the gatekeepers”, “whether they be the consulting class, politicians, bureaucrats, or agencies.” Since, as an MP all his professional life, he is certainly a gatekeeper, would he fire himself?

Would he fire the judges of the Supreme Court if they rendered a decision he didn’t like? Would he fire the head of the CRTC? The auditor general? The head of Elections Canada? Governing a country is not a reality show; getting rid of people is very poor leadership. Serious, seasoned leadership is working with people, not against them. 

Trumpist populists take no prisoners. For them, adversaries are enemies. Therefore, you cannot sit down with them in attempts to settle your differences; they go for the kill. I know this type of politician. I have faced them in the Senate. Those people don’t build bridges between ideologies, regions, or creeds, they burn them down. Not surprisingly, those Senators now support the Trumpist candidate.

Fortunately, the majority of Conservative Senators are of another breed. As an independent Senator, I could and would work with them and find non-partisan pathways toward solutions. Whether appointed by Brian Mulroney or by Stephen Harper, they are good, committed, pragmatic Conservatives. Canadian Conservatives, not Trumpist Republicans. 

Diversity – regional, cultural, economic – is Canada’s strength. It makes Canada a place unique in the world for its peace, its opportunities, and its freedom. But diversity is also what makes our federation particularly vulnerable to divisive politics. We need a national leadership that is audacious yet wise; ambitious yet cautious. We need a national leadership that highlights the common ground between us and unites us. Quebec Conservatives know that their province can only end up on the wrong side of extreme wedge politics. This is why, in this leadership race, they will not vote for the Trumpist candidate.  

Contributing Writer André Pratte, former editor-in-chief of La Presse, and a former member of the Senate of Canada, is a Director of Navigator. He is supporting Jean Charest in the Conservative leadership campaign.