Dear Editor:
A prime minister needs to be able to build relationships, cooperate with others and lead from a position of respect. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s trip to the Arctic showed a lack of respect for the premier, the Indigenous leaders and the citizens.
While he had decades to work on a relationship with Premier Ford, Poilievre only made a phone call when he hoped to borrow against another Conservative’s popularity and appear more progressive than he is. When dealing with the members of other political parties, Poilievre’s default position is to attack and insult. This will not translate well into the leadership skills needed as the Head of Parliament.
Poilievre’s stubborn refusal to get his security clearance has become a potential liability for his participation in world meetings and could impede his ability to continue with trading and security partnerships the Liberal team has begun building.
Poilievre talks about the Canadian dream for all Canadians, but he does not mean all Canadians. He does not recognize the existence of gender-diverse Canadians. His party would take away the decision making rights of transgender youth and their parents and choose which bathrooms and change rooms transgender women would use.
And although Pierre talks about his father’s values, he does not mention that his father began living as a gay man in the 1970s and 30 years later Pierre voted against gay marriage.
In Poilievre’s vision of Canada, you might not be Canadian, because you might not even exist.
We need a prime minister who understands complex national and international finances. CBC reported that in an attempt to Canadianize his portfolio, Poilievre bought into Vanguard. While the companies within this group are Canadian, the profits ultimately go back to America. And confusingly one of the fund’s largest components is Brookfield. If Poilievre makes these kinds of gaffes with his own financial choices, do want him holding the reigns to ours?
When you consider the attitudes and skills needed to be an effective prime minister, there are simply too many red flags that come up with Poilievre. And unfortunately for the federal Conservatives, under his right-wing leadership they no longer represent a progressive alternative. It is time to be fully aware and say no to Pierre.
Joanne Mitchell,
Fergus