Stéphanie Chouinard

Inserted 2 years ago

“One of the problems that Mr O'Toole faces is the problem of authenticity. This is true for Canadians who are paying attention - but it's particularly true for his base. This [pivoting to the centre] was a good strategy in order to gain the Conservative leadership. And I know why he tried to pull his party towards the centre during this campaign. Some of the ideological leanings of a sizable part of his party - on abortion, LGBTQ rights, the environment and gun control - are just not palatable to the average Canadian. If the party opts to turf out O'Toole and hold a leadership race a rightwing candidate would probably win. But a shift to the right means totally alienating urban voters, as well as the vast majority of Quebec. This is becoming a real problem for the conservatives.”

Theguardian

Professor of political science at the Royal Military College of Canada