Between a hike in the Rockies with her daughter and a signing session at a Vancouver bookstore, Tasha Kheiriddin is defending the publication of her book in the midst of the Conservative Party leadership race.
She ensures to remain objective and repeats that there is no conflict, even if she ensures the co-presidency of the campaign of Jean Charest.
The book was intended to provide advice to the Conservative Party following its third straight election defeat last fall, she said. It has nothing to do with racing.
The book was due to be published in English and French in November 2022, but its release in Shakespeare’s language has been moved up due to the leadership race, the outcome of which will have an undeniable effect on the future of this political party. .
Aim for a return to power
In The Right Path, the author explores the themes of freedom, elitism, populism and the creation of opportunities for all. She charts a course that she believes will bring the Conservative Party back to power.
” The word “freedom” has been tarnished by the convoy [de camionneurs] and now seems synonymous with “anarchy”. “Freedom” is no longer a word that unites, but that divides. It became the illustration of “us” against “them”. The people against the elite. And this is a major problem. »
For Ms. Kheiriddin, these calls for freedom ignore collective responsibilities in favor of excessive individualism. There’s nothing moderate or conservative about it
, she says. She believes that those who fuel this way of thinking, like Pierre Poilievre, are throwing oil on the fire rather than trying to improve the situation.
From left to right, top to bottom: Pierre Poilievre, Leslyn Lewis, Jean Charest, Roman Baber, Patrick Brown (who is no longer in the race) and Scott Aitchison.
Photo: Radio-Canada
The author observes that the Conservative Party is torn into two camps. On the one hand, the one she calls the convoy curators
more populist and which supports Pierre Poilievre, and on the other, that of the conservative club
which represents theestablishment of the party, that is to say business people and professionals who brought to power former prime ministers of Canada like Brian Mulroney and Stephen Harper as well as Mike Harris in Ontario.
Inequalities as political vectors
Tasha Kheiriddin believes that the populist fringe exposes real problems of economic and social inequalities, but with too simplistic solutions for a complex situation
in particular by conveying a venomous anti-elite message.
” Every parent dreams of their child who plays hockey becoming an elite player in the NHL or get an award for excellence in school. The objective should not be to eliminate the elite, but to give everyone a chance to reach this level. When Pierre Poilievre’s supporters say they hate elites, what they really mean is that they hate the unfair inequalities that hold them back. »
Ms Kheiriddin tries to reconcile populists convoy curators
and the pragmatists conservative club
for them to find a meeting point and form a coalition of conservatives of common sense
a nod to Mike Harris’ slogan, common sense revolution
when he took power in Ontario more than 25 years ago.
It’s very easy for a populist to point
argues the strategist in an interview. gatekeepers, c’est une réaction normale quand les élites ont perdu le contact avec la réalité. Mais ça ne règle pas le problème, qui est le manque de mobilité sociale.”,”text”:”Dire qu’on va se débarrasser des gatekeepers, c’est une réaction normale quand les élites ont perdu le contact avec la réalité. Mais ça ne règle pas le problème, qui est le manque de mobilité sociale.”}}”>Say we’re gonna get rid of gatekeepers, it is a normal reaction when the elites have lost touch with reality. But that does not solve the problem, which is the lack of social mobility.
Towards a new party?
Regardless of who wins the leadership race, she said, these two factions of the Conservative Party will have to find a way to work together or there could be another schism within the party.
” Given the bitter climate that reigns in the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party, it will be very difficult for supporters of one of the two camps to live in harmony with the other camp. A centrist party will alienate populists. And vice versa. There is a third possibility: the recreation of a liberal-conservative party, like the one that founded Canada. »
I don’t promote [d’un nouveau parti], defends the conservative strategist, but I emphasize that it is a possibility, because it has already happened in the past. But that’s not my preferred solution.
The rifts within the conservative movement work in favor of the liberals, argues Ms. Kheiriddin, who fears that the founding of a new party produce Liberal governments for the next decade
as was the case in the days of the Reform Party and the Canadian Alliance.
My favorite solution, she summarizes, is for the Conservative Party to reconcile its various elements and propose solutions that respond to the demands of populism in a way that responds to people’s real frustration.
What if the Conservatives can’t do it? Yes, there is a real danger that the current party cannot become a vehicle that could win power.