By Canadian Press

Bergen says Conservatives won’t attract disaffected Liberals by being ‘Liberal-lite’

May 6, 2022 | 9:03 AM

OTTAWA — Interim federal Conservative leader Candice Bergen says the party will not attract disaffected Liberals into the fold by being a “Liberal-lite” version of their main rivals.

“We don’t give them a home in our party by becoming Liberal-lite,” she said Friday. “We welcome them to our Conservative home by being consistently Conservative.”

She made the statement in a video speech played to a room of members of the conservative movement and party stalwarts gathered in downtown Ottawa for a three-day conference.

Her remarks come the day after five out of the six candidates vying for former leader Erin O’Toole’s job debated one another on stage, striking into each other’s political pasts and what level of support they voiced for the “Freedom Convoy,” along with the overall cause of fighting vaccine and mask mandates.  

Bergen, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, focused much of her speech on the importance of the party being proud of — and sticking to — its conservative values. 

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Her path to her current role was paved, in part, with concerns Conservative MPs and party members had with O’Toole’s efforts to grow support for the party. He moderated some of its policies and brand — an approach critics slammed as trying to be “Liberal-lite.”

Months of frustration among caucus members culminated in one-third of Tory MPs forcing a vote on his leadership, where a majority opted to dump him. 

Bergen told Friday’s crowd that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has moved the Liberals further to the political left, leaving some older supporters looking for another option. 

She said the Conservative party can be a new home for them, but only by being truly conservative. 

The interim leader also encouraged leadership hopefuls to heed the advice provided in a letter to all campaigns by former Reform Party of Canada leader Preston Manning, for candidates to avoid personal attacks. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2022.

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press