At the edge of a country road, Walter Hiebert puts up a Maxime Bernier election poster that had been torn down during the night.
People crush the posters with their cars. Both camps are victims, says this supporter of the People’s Party.
The man is bearded and wears a straw hat. He is a farmer and a Mennonite, like 20% of the people of southern Manitoba. His life unfolds according to the rhythm of the seasons and religion.
Walter Hiebert is a supporter of Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party.
Photo: Radio Canada
Walter Hiebert puts it bluntly: He fears the establishment of a new international order dictated by the World Economic Forum, a non-profit foundation that brings together businesspeople, billionaires and politicians.
Between hammer blows and a drill, Mr. Hiebert begins a barrage of real or imagined complaints against the federal government.
Ottawa, he said, wants to restrict Canadians’ freedom of movement to better control climate change; influencing children in school to become transgender; eliminate its agricultural and religious identity.
“We need to bring the Bible back into our schools and fight against the government that wants to limit Canadian independence. Otherwise our freedoms will disappear. »
— A quote from Walter Hiebert
An abiding vision of southern Manitoba, amidst the open plains of corn, soybeans and canola. A fertile ground for the political ideas of Maxime Bernier.
A Beauceron in Manitoba
“People here share my values,” said Maxime Bernier, leader of the People’s Party, who ran as a candidate in Portage-Lisgar.
Maxime Bernier has been knocking on doors in the Portage-Lisgar equestrian sport for the past few weeks.
Photo: Radio Canada
1600 miles from his hometown of Beauce, the politician is courting those who share his anti-vaccination, anti-abortion and anti-establishment positions.
Headquarters is in Winkler, a small town in southern Manitoba where barely one in five people is vaccinated against COVID-19. His election campaign is primarily aimed at Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party.
“The Conservative Party takes their vote for granted. Pierre Poilievre is curator in name only. He’s not talking about a culture war. we talk about it »
– A quote from Maxime Bernier, leader of the People’s Party of Canada
While going door to door, he meets a mother who has chosen to homeschool her children because she believes school promotes transgender ideology in her classes and schools.
“We don’t like this transgender business and all the sexing of kids in school,” she admits. She wants her children to stay pure. Maxime Bernier promises to help him.
Maxime Bernier argues that these people are also disappointed with the Conservative Party and the fact that Mr Poilievre does not talk about the files that are important to them. Give me a chance, I’ll defend your ideas in Ottawa. Maybe that will force Poilievre to talk about it.
CPC candidate Branden Leslie worked on the campaign team for resigning Conservative MP Candice Bergen.
Photo: Radio Canada / Benoit Roussel
To those who believe his candidacy could split the Conservative vote, he replies that it is a by-election. Take the opportunity to vote on your values. Cast a protest vote against the Conservatives.
In 2021, the PP received 22% of the vote, a record outside of Beauce. Thanks are due in particular to the resistance to hygiene measures and a candidate of Mennonite origin who is well-known in his community.
Maxime Bernier wants to repeat the feat. But the post-pandemic context has changed. Reaching 22% again seems optimistic, even for the chef, who himself is lowering expectations. Our national average is 5%. So anything over 5% is a good thing.
Conservatism or Populism?
Alain Philippot can see his fields as far as the eye can see while listening to his cattle bellowing.
Here, the earth is the focus of everyday life. Political habits run deep. Portage-Lisgar, it’s true blue. You can set up a round haystack, paint it blue and it will win the election.
Alain Philippot, dairy farmer from Saint-Claude, Manitoba
Photo: Radio Canada / Benoit Roussel
But yesterday’s blue doesn’t mean the same thing to this French-Manitoban farmer.
“It worries me when you become more populist. When our ideas are based on ideologies without facts. »
— A quote from Alain Philippot, milk producer
In particular, he regrets the shift to the right of the new conservative leader, who wants to compete with Maxime Bernier.
Mr. Poilievre courts the disillusioned. Those who are angry with the government believe Mr. Philippot. We know he is against many things. But he doesn’t say what his plan is.
It’s a bit the same for the local Conservative candidate. Brendan Leslie turned down our numerous interview requests. But on Twitter, he sometimes flirts with some bogus theories, particularly about the World Economic Forum.
Raymond Hébert is Professor Emeritus at the Université de Saint-Boniface.
Photo: Radio Canada / Benoit Roussel
Raymond Hébert, professor emeritus at the Université de Saint-Boniface, sees an American influence and possibly a Maxime Bernier effect.
It’s like forcing Pierre Poilievre to court the strong right or the extreme right, he says. Still, he adds, it’s a group of voters who already believe in him.
“To win a general election, you have to go beyond that. Go to urban areas, to progressives or moderates. And that’s not what Pierre Poilievre does. »
— A quote from Raymond Hébert, Professor Emeritus at the Université de Saint-Boniface
The Poilievre Challenge
The announcer’s nasal voice echoes through the speakers. The little white balls panic in the abacus. All players have their color marker in hand. It’s bingo time at the Portage la Prairie Legion.
Usually we try to avoid talking about politics. But this evening, the natural returns at a gallop. Players bemoan Ottawa’s carbon tax, Liberal overspending and general alienation from Western Canada.
Clearly the Liberals are failing here and Conservative candidate Branden Leslie has the edge.
Johanne Brzezinski and her husband
Photo: Radio Canada / Benoit Roussel
Branden is a good boy, a “portage boy”. “Your mother often comes to play bingo with us,” says Nathalie Verway. We have to do a good job in Ottawa.
No one in the room doubted Branden Leslie’s win in Monday’s semifinals. But their leader, Pierre Poilievre, sometimes makes a bad impression.
Between two bingo games, Johanne Brzezinski bites her lip. I don’t have anything good to say about him, so I’ll keep quiet, she’s slipping. His neighbour, Mrs Lemieux, also contributes. He looks too much like Donald Trump. Her overly aggressive attitude angers a lot of people, she says.
He has the potential to become prime minister, adds Thomas Alexander, but he has yet to prove himself.
Pierre Poilievre and Maxime Bernier both aim to seduce the enraged Canadian right. But the post-pandemic context has changed. Monday’s result could shed some light on whether their strategy is still the right one.
In collaboration with Marie Chabot-Johnson