TORONTO – I think that any man or woman who presents himself/herself for the highest levels of public office (Party leadership) deserves a nod of respect for trying to define a vision and for subsequently attempting to co-ordinate the rest of us towards its realization. On that score, Erin O’Toole is no less deserving than the next aspirant to the top job. It’s a role unsuited for the feint of heart or for the whiny types at school boards who are unaccustomed to scrutiny. And there is plenty of that. 

The country demands politicos with drive and an understanding of where the population may want to go and what it is prepared to sacrifice to get there. Generally, we all want unity, purpose and inclusion for all those who participate in the realization of a “grand ambition”.
Obviously, that’s not enough. Canada is a vast country. Canadians, like so many other peoples are “provincials”. We all want to see “meat on the bones” – ours.

Without exception, Canadians want their political representatives to show their stuff and always put the country first. Especially in a time of crisis. Not to be trite, they want managers who, when faced with flames, can tell the difference between firefighters and arsonists. It is a Canadian political problem, not a partisan issue restricted to a single party.

For their part, the Conservative Party conducted an investigation into why it did not win the last election. The country was/is divided by identity politics, a weaken economy, a subordinating of national interests to “international moralism” (issues that cannot be solved by any one country acting alone) or (ironically) regionalism etc… Yet the Conservatives were unable to present a viable alternative vision.

The Cumming’s Report from that investigation in essence concluded the obvious: O’Toole was the biggest electoral asset the other Parties have/had going for them.

It took a Truckers’ convoy to drive (no pun intended) home the point in rather dramatic fashion. It has been a forceful pan-Canadian manifestation of discontent by the average citizen since the more violent Winnipeg General Strike, 100 years ago, notwithstanding the aggressive, but vacuous, clumsy, and discreditable disinformation counter-campaign.

For example, “agents provocateurs” appeared with blackface masks, Confederate flags, swastikas, seemingly out of nowhere but the police refused to intervene. In fact, yesterday, the Ottawa police chief admitted the protest was beyond the ability of the police to manage. There was no “violence”; lots of inconvenience, yes, but that’s the point of demonstrations.

Even the RCMP had to withdraw their “claims” that protesters had “assaulted” their officers at the Canada-USA border. Whispers are morphing into wishes that it is time for the Armed Forces to intervene.

At the very least, the situation calls on “the bold” to seize the moment. There were not many around, if the reporting by mainstream media is any indication.

But there was one: Candice Bergen, MP Portage-Lisgar, Manitoba. Her colleagues in the Conservative caucus, almost immediately upon O’Toole’s resignation, voted her in as the interim Leader. She presents well; is experienced in Parliament; competent and not prone to the usual petty mudslinging that passes for debate.

I’ll bet Ms Bergen’s performance, going forward, will cause the other parties more than a little political grief. That may be good for our democratic institutions, irrespective of partisanship.

Pics from O’Toole’s and Bergen’s Twitter profiles