9 Comments
Nov 12Liked by Gene Balfour

It's a shame you totally ignore the PPC.

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I don’t expect the PPC to form the next government and defeat Trudeau or even perform better than the NDP or BQ. Even the Green Party has elected more MPs than the PPC.

I know Jamie Schmale, my local CONSERVATIVE MP, personally and know him to hold Libertarian-Conservative values similar to my own. If a PPC candidate in my riding had more to offer my riding than Jamie, I would consider voting for him. I was the PPC candidate in 2019 and even then I know Jamie to be a better choice than me to represent the people of the HKLB riding than me.

Elections are not about what team you cheer for, but what results you can achieve to better your circumstances for superior governance. Clearly the Conservatives are a better choice than the PPC in my riding, and in my hope to demolish the Liberals and NDP (and BQ?). I like what the PPC stands for but see no realist way in the next election to win a majority.

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Nov 13Liked by Gene Balfour

Sounds like you will end up with a whipped backbencher. Libertarian ideas do not fly far within the CPC. You surely know how the CPC works internally, from candidate appointments to policy development.

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I understand your loyalty to your preferred brand. I was loyal to the Libertarian brand since 2007 hoping for a miracle and being disappointed in every election as I was the one time I ran as a PPC candidate.

In 2019, at the first PPC Convention held in Ottawa with hundreds of attendees, I met many PPC supporters and candidates. People are people. Some I agree with and others I don’t. People run in elections for a variety of reasons and not all of them as honourable.

Parliament sits hundreds of MPs. Each has one vote which is usually whipped or coerced around Party priorities - some honourable, some not. Each sitting MPs, who allegedly represents the people who elected them as their representative, will often ignore the constituents’ concerns in favour of Party politics. If the PPC elects 3 MPs next year, how much influence will they have to steer a majority Conservative government towards PPC priorities? Unless aligned, PPC will be the backbenchers who watch the show helplessly.

PPC is helping to influence Canadian voters to shape a political culture towards more Conservative, even quasi- Libertarian values. As a Libertarians candidate, I try to do the same. We are both in the same boat and nothing much will change until the PPC wins at least 30% of the popular vote in future elections.

I respect your efforts to build the PPC bland. Every new party needs its “missionaries” who are dedicated to “converting the heathens” to the “one true church”.

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I wouldn’t last a minute inside the CPC. Would speak my mind and would get slapped Can’t see myself aligning with any mainstream party. Never have. The Libertarians make a lot of sense, but are not very active.

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Nov 12Liked by Gene Balfour

I am not really a good judge of character, often giving people the benefit of any doubt that may arise. But I have to say I was watching Andrew Coine (I hope I spelled that correctly) on CBC Thursday night panel 10 years ago commenting on Trudeau becoming the Liberal Party leader. I was STUNNED that he could even think for a moment this EMPTY VESSEL would in any way be good for Canada. OUR DEAR LEADER had neon signs of insincerity, vacuousness, lack of seriousness, lack of intelligence and nothing going for him other than his last name FLASHING BRIGHTLY. Trudeau was in no way qualified to lead ANYTHING and certainly not Canada. How did I seem to know this when PROFESSIONALS and EXPERTS could not see this? I have no idea. Sometimes I think it is willful blindness and strict adherence to THE CULT. I am embarrassed for the women thar fawned over this little jerk, who turned out to be a major destroyer of this country.

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50 years of “pragmatic” voting got us into the mess we are in. First past the post is a big contributing factor but voter apathy, and this includes strategic voting, leads to entrenched mediocrity, lack of democracy, and a massive state apparatus.

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With Pierre will be an other disaster! PPC with Maxime is the only hope.

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Gene Balfour

just now

Author

I don’t expect the PPC to form the next government and defeat Trudeau or even perform better than the NDP or BQ. Even the Green Party has elected more MPs than the PPC.

I know Jamie Schmale, my local CONSERVATIVE MP, personally and know him to hold Libertarian-Conservative values similar to my own. If a PPC candidate in my riding had more to offer my riding than Jamie, I would consider voting for him. I was the PPC candidate in 2019 and even then I know Jamie to be a better choice than me to represent the people of the HKLB riding than me.

Elections are not about what team you cheer for, but what results you can achieve to better your circumstances for superior governance. Clearly the Conservatives are a better choice than the PPC in my riding, and in my hope to demolish the Liberals and NDP (and BQ?). I like what the PPC stands for but see no realist way in the next election to win a majority.

Expand full comment