The People's Party Of Canada has seemingly faded from the scene. The party that went by that name has been largely inactive. But the political ferment and fervour once associated with that movement have grown more intense as it has been mimicked by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
There is one difference between then and now that could alter that trajectory. The PPC was driven largely by conservatism. It never had a singular leader of its own whose brand was a driving force in itself. The current movement is essentially copycatted by Poilievre. Its future, short-term and long, will depend largely on him.
So imagine my bewilderment when Poilievre's mysterious turnaround from Harper to far right came. Most became aware of Poilievre's shortcomings – and continue to compensate for them. Perhaps, they view their leader as a self-regulatory strategy, riding the disciplinary coattails of the more fortunate and experienced politicos.
Taken together, within the social self-regulatory process, by which we draw close to others to compensate for our own flaws, the overwhelming evidence suggests that the two leaders and their platforms couldn't possibly be any different.
Perhaps the mere presence of Poilievre signals the fall of actual conservatism. But there remains the possibility that should Poilievre be more of an albatross for his party, it would indeed be an irony if he ultimately saved Bernier from another political shellacking.
William Perry
Victoria
