Is Maxime Bernier The Leader Canada Desperately Needs?
It is no mystery as to what Maxime Bernier thinks, believes and stands for. The man seems to have no filter. He consistently speaks his mind. One could never find him guilty of keeping an opinion to himself. Want to know where he stands on an issue? Simply ask him. In a world where politicians commonly talk in circles and speak without saying anything, Maxime Bernier is an outlier.
Maxime Bernier is the outspoken leader of the People’s Party of Canada (PPC). He is a former Cabinet minister and member of the Conservative Party of Canada. A lawyer by trade, Mr. Bernier worked a number of positions in law, finance and banking, over the course of two decades, prior to entering politics.
Today, Mr. Bernier is perhaps most well-known for making statements and holding positions that fly in the face of politically correct and approved narratives. He has been doing so for years. Mr. Bernier is not known for pulling his punches. He does not hold back. He is a sometimes brash, other times polished, yet always outspoken advocate for Canada and Canadians. Like him or hate him, Mr. Bernier is, above all else, a staunch supporter of freedom and equality.
Earlier this year, I listened to a longform interview with Maxime Bernier. The juxtaposition of how he presented himself, versus who the media had led me to believe he was, piqued my interest and led me down the rabbit hole to more interviews. While, for years, many in the press have portrayed him in unflattering light and labelled him, among many other things, a crazy, far-right extremist, nothing he said in the interviews came across as crazy or extreme. In fact, he presented himself as a measured, intelligent man as he strung together logical statements alongside coherent and well-researched thoughts and opinions. When he spoke, he gave the impression of a man who cares deeply for his country. He was not the man I had been persuaded to believe that he was. Not at all.
For instance, when speaking on immigration, which has become one of his so-called divisive issues, Bernier makes statements suggesting we keep immigration at a “reasonable and sustainable level” and that we prioritize skilled immigrants able to fill roles we are in need of filling. Those do not sound like the words of a mad-man as much as they do a man who desires to keep his country strong and thriving. It also sounds, very much, like Canada’s immigration policy of generations past. Sometimes there’s no school like the old school.
His statements and sentiments come across as measured and sensible. However, because he does not support the current Canadian government policy of mass, largely unchecked, immigration, he has been labelled with such epithets as “racist” and “xenophobic” despite any evidence to support such strong claims. Simply because someone does not support a system of mass immigration that does not, by default, suggest they are racist. Segregating people into ethnic groups and enforcing hiring practices that discriminate along the lines of race is, however, racist – such as policies that fall under the umbrella of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Mr. Bernier has made it crystal clear that he is opposed to such policies and opposed to racist beliefs and ideologies.
We live in a world where many ideas, statements and claims are factually correct yet politically incorrect. It takes a brave soul to state what is factually correct despite it being politically incorrect. Maxime Bernier has proven, time and time again, to be one of the brave souls among us. Whether you like what he has to say or not, he will tell you the truth. He will not sugarcoat it. He will not beat around the bush. His approach will, inherently, ruffle feathers. That’s part of what makes him unpopular to a certain crowd.
A true leader must have a vision for the future and must be able to communicate that vision. A true leader must be able to see where the current path leads and assess, for instance, if it leads toward financial ruin or prosperity, and adjust course as needed.
The Canadian ship is headed towards financial ruin if we do not chart a new course. Our current leaders are not only unwilling to change course, they are unwilling to admit that danger lies on the horizon, despite best-evidence warning as much. Thus, one reason to oppose mass immigration is that it has been implored, by misguided governments, as a means to fudge the numbers and inflate GDP. By flooding low-economic migrants into a country, GDP will increase by default, however, GDP per capita (the measure that truly matters) does not increase accordingly. Compared to our neighbours in the USA, we have been growing increasingly poorer over the past generation, declining from a per capita GDP of 80.4% of the USA level in 2012 to 72.3% in 2022. And there is no end in sight to this widening gap. Our current political leadership is not strong or capable enough to correct-course. Is Maxime Bernier?
Most politicians adapt to the times. They are chameleons, ever-changing their colours to match what they think the public wants them to be in order to get elected.
Other politicians, and certainly far fewer of them than we deserve, refuse to become chameleons. They refuse to change their colour strictly to placate the public in order to win votes. They refuse to pander to audiences. For better or worse, they simply cannot help themselves but to be the people they are. They do not come off as fake or phony. They simply seem… real.
This political type does not wear a figurative mask. They do not read from a script. They ad lib. When asked, they answer questions, not by spewing pre-ordained and memorized lines, but by speaking their conscience. They speak their minds. They speak from the heart. They are genuine and we can feel that. As a result, they may not always be the most popular, but they are pragmatic.
The unfortunate reality is that these types of people often fail to make it to political prominence, primarily because they refuse to change who they are, become obedient to a political party master, and compromise their personal beliefs and morals in order to climb the ladder. It can be difficult to make the team when you refuse to play the game. To put it plainly, people of this persuasion refuse to sell their souls to the devil. As a dire consequence of being unwilling to bend to the will of the political goliaths, these politicians and political hopefuls may struggle to gain a large following and especially a parliamentary seat with the major parties.
This is for a number of reasons. Mainstream media has been in the crosshairs for quite some time now, often rightfully so. The major problem with the organizations referred to as mainstream media is that they are beholden to advertisers for revenue. Some, such as the CBC in Canada, are beholden to the federal government as they receive largescale funding from the government. According to the CBC, government funding accounts for approximately 70% of their budget, representing a figure of $1.24 billion in federal funds in 2022.
Because it is unwise to bite the hand that feeds, broadcasting organizations must stay loyal to those paying the bills – whether they be pharmaceutical companies pushing once lucrative COVID-19 vaccines, or federal governments providing them substantial funding. The point is that any political figure seen to want to cut funding may be painted in an undesirable light by said organization, and understandably so. It’s self-preservation.
In 2016, when Maxime Bernier was a Conservative Party leadership candidate, he proposed making deep structural changes to the CBC and cutting back on their budget. To summarize his proposal, it was to make the CBC more independent of taxpayer funding and to become more of a public broadcaster in the sense of an organization like PBS. It would be safe to assume this would not make many at the CBC happy and would give ample reason for the organization to vilify Bernier.
It is not unreasonable to assume that positions like this led to strongly negative media coverage of Mr. Bernier over the years. It is for this reason that some people I have spoken with, who only loosely follow politics, have made claims like “Isn’t Maxime Bernier that crazy guy?” or “Maxime Bernier is an alt-right idiot.” When asked to expand upon these statements, the claimants were unable to do so and quickly changed tune and said they did not know much at all about Maxime Bernier and that they had simply heard these claims and regurgitated them - claims, of course, that are largely unfounded. Maxime Bernier is neither alt-right nor crazy. He is certainly not an idiot. Love him or loathe him, one would have to admit that he is an intelligent man.
What this agenda-driven behaviour does is to illustrate that the media can dissuade the majority of people from supporting a certain politician by casting aspersions and putting fear or doubt in the mind of the public. Few people dig any deeper than the surface when getting their news, a disposition the media are well aware of and use to their full advantage.
Despite the negative attention and often unfair, unfounded and untrue personal attacks, people, the likes of Maxime Bernier, refuse to change who they are. Despite relentless pressure to change or to disappear, they stay true to themselves and to their beliefs. As can be easily seen, it can be difficult for outliers, like this, to gain prominence in politics.
However, if they stay the course, sometimes the will of the people comes around to them. Maxime Bernier has been spouting the same talking points for years. He has been consistent. Many of the things he has warned Canadians about for a number of years are coming to, or have already come to, fruition. Some of these subjects include the drivers behind the increased housing prices and cost of living, the troubles associated with mass immigration, and social and cultural problems that arise from basing government policy on feelings and identity politics, as opposed to best-evidence.
Canada has faced a leadership problem these past few years. That may be putting it lightly. We have people in leadership roles who appear absent of any and all leadership skills, skills that include critical thinking, relationship building, conflict management, creativity, and the ability to bring people together. In the same way that we would not put a person devoid of medical skills in the role of a family physician, we should not place people in leadership roles who do not possess leadership qualities.
Poor leadership in Canada, beginning at the top with our prime minister, has resulted in cultural, societal and economic downturns. We are not unique in this phenomenon. Numerous countries around the world have suffered from poor and weak leaders and, as a result, many are turning to populist parties and leaders.
Populism is a term often vilified by what is now commonly referred to as the “liberal media.” They warn us of the dangers of populism and teach us that populist leaders are to be feared. However, populism, by definition, simply refers to a political position that endeavours to appeal to the mass of regular people who believe their common concerns are being disregarded by the political elite. That doesn’t sound so scary, does it? In line with the definition, Maxime Bernier would be considered to be a populist.
Another term the media commonly uses to vilify these types of leaders and political movements is to refer to them, derogatorily, as nationalists. They will attempt to convince us that nationalism is a bad thing and, again, something to be feared. However, at its root, nationalism simply refers to a person or group who strongly identifies with their own nation and supports its interests over those of other nations. What that means is that anyone described as a nationalist puts his or her family first. Simply, it is a natural human tendency and not one that should strike fear in anyone. For, we cannot offer support to another before we first get our own affairs in order. A drowning man cannot come to the aid of another.
However, the media will often make the jump from populist, to nationalist, to alt-right, to extremist, to racist and so on, in regard to epithets commonly labelled upon people and political leaders who are fed up with government policies that do nothing but harm their own citizens. Again, this is hardly something to fear. Simply because someone is patriotic and has a deep love of their country and its people, it does not mean they are a danger to society. Quite the opposite.
We have seen plenty of cowardice in politics. As of late, our political landscape has been inundated with weak men. It was G. Michael Hopf who wrote that “weak men create hard times.” While that quote has been used ad nauseum in recent years, the statement is proving true right in front of our very eyes in Canada and in many countries around the world.
One should judge a man based on his actions. Based on his actions, Maxime Bernier appears to be many things, but a weak man he is not. He has a track record of putting his money where his mouth is. He has a history of sticking his neck out for what he believes to be right. That is not the behaviour of a weak man.
A strong man stands by his beliefs, whether they are popular or not, for no other reason than because he believes them to be correct. A strong man, at times, will make bold statements and hold forceful opinions. These opinions are not held because they are controversial but because they are based on personal beliefs or best-evidence.
Maxime Bernier appears to stand strongly in support of personal freedoms and liberties. These are ideological foundations that we should all hold near and dear. However, they are being eroded away by our current political administration.
Of course, Mr. Bernier is not perfect. None of us are. And do I agree with every position held by Maxime Bernier? Of course not. However, I do not believe that should be the point of focus when electing a politician: the reason being that most of us do not agree with each other on every issue. My wife and I certainly do not agree on everything, yet we live under the same roof and love each other. To be honest, I don’t even agree with myself all of the time. That shows its face in the form of self-doubt and second-guessing, an affliction to which I suffer daily.
The point is that we do not need to agree, on every issue, with the men and women for whom we cast ballots. Were that the prerequisite, few of us would ever cast a vote. Instead, I believe it is far more important to vote for someone who has proven to be trustworthy, honest and well-intentioned.
If we want change, if we truly do not like the direction in which our nation is heading, and if we are upset with the status quo machine, then we cannot merely continue to elect the same old politicians, from the same old parties, all of whom are part of the status quo machine. If we truly want change then we must elect agents of change. None of the establishment parties and politicians are agents of change. How do we know this? Well, they have generations of track records that show us as much.
For instance, in Canada we had a Conservative government at the helm for approximately ten years prior to our current Liberal government. Canadians grew tired of the Conservatives, thought someone else could do a better job, and then elected the Liberal Party. Under the leadership of Justin Trudeau, the federal Liberals have now been in charge for approximately nine years, and Canadians, by and large, have grown tired of them. If recent polling results are any indication, the Conservatives are favoured to win the next election by a safe margin.
Thus, our over-prescribed remedy, as a populace, is to elect the group we were fed up with last decade to replace the group we are fed up with this decade. And we do that over and over again, decade after decade. Does that sound silly to anyone else?
Perhaps, it is time for true change. Perhaps, it is time to give someone else a shot. If the status quo machine is broken, the solution is not to swap out faulty parts with other faulty parts. We need new parts.
What we do not need is more chameleons. We do not need more people who change who they are, how they act and how they speak in order to fit the role and persona of the caricature that they believe will get them elected. We do not need more people fluent in doublespeak, more people who are void of honest opinions, and more people who do plenty of talking while simultaneously saying absolutely nothing.
Those types of people are not trustworthy. They will do anything to obtain status and control. As a rule of thumb, anyone who desires power and influence, above all else, is the last person who should ever be placed in a position of power and influence.
Justin Trudeau, for instance, has fully embraced what is now commonly called woke culture, aka the far-left, aka socialism. He has pushed the Liberal Party much further to the political left than they have ever resided: this to the detriment of the Canadian people. Along the way, Justin Trudeau has pandered to every group of the political left. He wears different costumes, makes different statements, and holds different opinions depending upon which group he is addressing or impressing. A perpetually pandering politician is a ship without an anchor.
His main political rival, Pierre Poilievre, has done more or less the same thing, simply for the other team. Poilievre had rebranded himself lately, which is part of what I am referring to when I refer to many in the political world as chameleons. For years, he has been known as Pierre the Pitbull. Now, as we get closer to an election and his party is polling favourably, he is trying to smooth his image. He has changed his colours. He has re-emerged as Pierre the Family Man.
What people should be aware of is that he is still the same person. Simply because he ditched the glasses, hit the gym, and is trying to yell a little less, that does not mean that he has truly transformed into a different person. And at the heart of matters, Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre agree on the majority of issues and policies, many of which are the matters that are harming Canada, such as mass immigration.
For the majority of those in politics, the act of becoming an elected politician is viewed in the same light as achieving a job promotion. The purpose of the pursuit is not altruism. The number one goal is not to make the world a better place. The goal is not to fight for your people and to do battle for your constituents. No, the primary goal of the majority of politicians is to merely get that job promotion. Goal number one is to get elected. Goal number two is to be re-elected. Everything else is goal number three or lower.
For the majority of politicians and political hopefuls, the most alluring factors are to achieve status, influence, prestige, a good paycheck and an excellent pension. Those in pursuit of politics for those reasons are your chameleons. They are the politicians we should be weary of.
However, this political type is so common, so normalized, that as a population we have grown to accept this character type as a politician. My argument is that we need to remove our blinders, see these people for who they truly are – spineless yes-men and sycophants who have sold their souls to the devil – and to stop voting them into political office.
The majority of people running for politics, at least those representing the mainstream political parties, have been towing the party line for years. They have volunteered, put in their time, kissed the right assess and, most importantly, have refrained from stating as many personal beliefs and opinions as possible in favour of spewing pre-approved party talking points. In other words, these are fake human beings.
Maxime Bernier was outcast from the Conservative party for having his own mind. He became critical of the establishment parties. A man who was once an insider has become an outsider. He started his own political party with a goal of bringing honest, well-intentioned and evidence-based policies into government. He believes a politician and a political party should put the best interests of the people they govern above personal interests. In the world of politics, that is a rare disposition.
Bernier and the PPC’s positions can be quickly and easily explored on their party website. The platform includes such pledges as ending DEI and “restoring equal rights for all,” reducing immigration levels and “prioritizing skilled immigrants,” a gentle phase out of supply management “making dairy, poultry, and eggs more affordable,” and encouraging freedom of expression by “protecting Canadians from censorship and discrimination.”
The argument I am making is that before forming personal opinions, do some research. Before stating bold claims, such as that the politician someone just brought up in conversation is “crazy,” do your due diligence. Do your homework. Do not simply regurgitate an opinion you heard from an opinion journalist on MSNBC or CNN or Fox News or CBC as if it is gospel. Seek out and find interviews. Longform interviews, commonly on podcasts, are often preferable as it gives people time to expand upon their positions and speak, off script, for extended periods of time. It gives one the opportunity to get a better feel for a person – much more so than a ten-second, sometimes out of context, soundbite on the news.
Before the next election, I implore you to do some deep diving into political leaders and their political parties. Forget what you have heard on television or what you have skimmed in clickbait headlines. Read their platforms. Listen to their interviews. Ask yourself if what they are saying makes sense. Ask yourself if they seem genuine and trustworthy. Then, and only then, go out and cast your vote.