Last fall, Canadian Conservatives learned a valuable lesson. That no matter how much Justin Trudeau damaged our nation’s finances and failed our industry, and despite every manner of misstep embarrassing Canada and himself, he can’t be relied on solely to beat himself.
The Conservatives failed in 2019 to present a hopeful, positive alternative, and that failure was compounded by Andrew Scheer’s inability to give clear answers to difficult questions while still seeming overly scripted and inauthentic.
Now, after five years of weak prices, a hostile federal government, and finally a nascent recovery being nipped in the bud by the demand shock from COVID-19, Canada’s oil industry, like all of Canada’s economy, is sitting on a precipice. Conditions are ripe for a new wave of small companies to emerge and drive the next chapter in the saga of Alberta’s energy industry, but the investors who would fund them need to have a federal government they can trust not to pull the rug out from under them.
Leslyn Lewis is far and away the best candidate to present the positive, inspiring story Conservatives need to tell to win the next election.
She has lived the true Canadian dream, coming from a working class immigrant background, to earn four degrees including a Masters in Environmental Studies and a PhD in International Law, and then found her own successful law firm. Now, she can defend Canadian values and our identity with an unmatched passion.
She is a strong defender of Canada’s resource industries, and will repeal bills C-69 and C-48 as well as eliminating the federal carbon tax. With her environmental background she is able to coherently argue for sensible environmental protections, while showing that Trudeau’s carbon tax is a sham that just damages our economy while doing nothing to prevent climate change.
At a time when people are more aware than ever that some of our institutions need reforms to treat everyone fairly, many on the left have pushed well past suggesting common sense changes and want to throw away much of the good that is Canada and our history and culture. Leslyn has the perspective to be able offer conservative solutions, and promote true conservative values while also speaking authentically and forthrightly about issues of race , and to do so without abandoning the things that made Canada great.
Leslyn has taken strong positions on protecting Canada’s sovereignty in the world. She will ensure that Canada only joins international agreements and UN programs which serve our interests, she will stand up to countries that try to blackmail us by kidnapping Canadian citizens, and she will strengthen and secure our borders and our immigration system.
As many Conservatives had warned over the last 5 years, Trudeau’s profligate spending during good times left Canada’s fiscal position weakened to the point that we were the first major country to receive a credit downgrade due to stimulus spending in response to COVID-19. While stimulus spending in these times was necessary, it means it is more vital than ever to have a principled yet compassionate conservative like Leslyn to restore sanity to our nation’s budgeting and guide us through the coming reckoning.
Just a few months ago, Trudeau’s popularity was sagging again due to his ineffectual response to the Coastal Gas Link protests. However the COVID crisis has reset the clock and given many politicians a boost in support. We run a grave risk of Trudeau being able to call an early election and coast to a renewed majority before the hangover and tough choices needed to right the country’s finances start to hit home.
Peter MacKay has been touted as the frontrunner of the race, but he has often been unwilling to stick to and defend principled views in the face of even moderate criticism from the left and the media, at the same time he’s too bland to break through and disrupt Trudeau’s glide back to a majority.
Only Leslyn Lewis has the ability to shake up both the image and the substance of the Conservative Party to compete and win the next election.
To vote in the Conservative leadership race, you must be a member of the Conservative Party of Canada as of May 15, 2020. If you aren’t sure if you have a current membership, click here or call 1-866-808-8407.
All current members of the party will receive a voting package in the mail some time in July (if you have moved recently call 1-866-808-8407 to make sure the party has your current address).
This will include your ballot which must be returned to the party by mail by August 21.
If you are a member don’t receive your ballot by July 31, call 1-866-808-8407.
If you want to support Leslyn, any Canadian citizen or permanent resident regardless of party membership, can donate to her campaign here.