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Opposition Leaders Get Mixed Results

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The Green Party of Canada is returning the two seats it had at the dissolution of the last parliament and adding a third seat, this time in Atlantic Canada.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who won her B.C. riding in Saanich-Gulf Islands, also watched Jenica Atwin win her riding in Fredericton.

While only a small tripling of the party’s overall seat count, May said three seats can still get a lot done in Ottawa.

“We know we can work hard with a sense of duty and deep ethics we can make a really significant contribution in a minority parliament — and we will,” May echoed to her B.C. crowd.

Prior to Monday, The Green Party leader said she was willing to work with all parties in the event of a minority situation.

A strong showing in televised debates midway through the campaign wasn’t enough for NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who’s NDP lost the most ground Monday night among parties.

Despite the setback, Singh still retained his seat and tried to assure supporters that an NDP vote was not a wasted one.

“I want to talk to the many Canadians that rejected the call to vote out of fear and thank them for voting for hope,” Singh told his gallery of supporters.

The NDP lost 15 seats, dropping to 25 overall, with many voters in Quebec pulling their support and plugging it back into the Bloc Quebecois, which won 22 seats more than in 2015, surging to 32 in the new government.

While the NDP’s large loss on election night came in the form of crumbling Quebec support, People’s Party Leader Maxime Bernier lost his own seat in Quebec, the only seat the party had to his former Conservatives, in what was seen as a devastating loss for the PPC leader.

Bernier was defeated by Conservative Richard Lehoux but used his speaking opportunity Monday night to underline the rapid growth of his party despite being shutout at the polls.

“We will be stronger the next time. We will continue to fight for freedom, responsibility, fairness and respect. It’s only the beginning for the Peoples Party,” Bernier said Monday speaking to his supporters.

“Hundreds of thousands of Canadians supported the PPC today,” Bernier added. We are the fastest growing political party in Canadian history. We will continue to grow in the coming months and years.”

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People’s Party Of Canada Officially Launches Campaign

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Maxime Bernier launched the People’s Party of Canada campaign with a speech to supporters in Quebec on Sunday.

In his own riding of Beauce, Quebec, Bernier unveiled the pillars of its platform, which include “bold policies” centered around “fairness and respect.”

“This is the final sprint in a marathon that started a year ago,” he said. One year ago, Bernier left Conservative Party, which he refers to as “morally and intellectually corrupt,” to form his own party.

In his speech, he outlined his party’s position on many different issues, including climate change.

“All the other parties want to impose a carbon tax or more regulation to fight climate change. The People’s Party is the only party that will not impose any new tax or regulation,” he said.

Bernier also brought up the upcoming debate, which he has not been invited to participate in.

“We are the fasted growing political party in Canadian history. Why are other parties so afraid of us that they want to prevent me from participating in the leader’s debate?” he said.

He believes one of the reasons his counterparts won’t debate him is because he “does politics differently.”

As part of his platform, Bernier says if elected, he would reduce Canada’s presence in the United Nations “to a minimum.”

“We will help Canadians first before helping other countries. The People’s Party is the only party that will redraw (sic) from the global compact on migration and on the Paris Accord,” he said.

Bernier says he wants to put Canada first, and would also decrease foreign aid spending if elected.

Lowering taxes and protecting free speech are also key platform points for the PPC.

Bernier notes that voting numbers are down, with only one third of eligible voters showing up to the polls.

“They see the deception, and they don’t believe anything will come, any change will come, until today, because we are the only alternative.”

The PPC’s are currently running over 300 candidates in ridings across the country.