SASKATOON — People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier lost his seat in Parliament but vowed this is not the end of the movement started last month, reiterating that they will continue to be the party that will fight for all Canadians.
Incumbent Richard Lehoux of the Conservative Party is expected to win the riding of Beauce in Quebec, the post held by Bernier for 13 years. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party will remain in power but will still have a minority government after failing to capture the 170 seats needed for a majority.
Despite failing to regain his seat in Ottawa, the 58-year-old former Conservative remained in high spirits when he addressed his friends and PPC supporters in an election night rally — where most who attended were not wearing masks and some are allegedly unvaccinated — Monday at the Saskatoon Inn & Conference Centre.
“Canadian politics will never be the same again. When we started this campaign five weeks ago, everybody thought we would only be a footnote. At the beginning, the media did not even cover us, and then they had to start paying attention. They have to start paying attention because thousands of Canadians were coming to our rallies all across the country. Everywhere we look you can see purple, a sea of purple. My friends, this is not just a political party, it is a movement, it is an ideological revolution that we are starting now,” said Bernier.
That drew applause and loud cheers from his supporters.
He maintained none of the established parties, Liberal and Conservative, will fight for the rights of Canadians.
“And that is why today, the PPC has become Canada’s only real opposition party in Ottawa. The only party that opposed all this nonsense that is destroying our society, our economy and our country.”
Bernier also took the time to hit Trudeau’s handling of the pandemic.
“Today, over a million Canadians said that they have enough. Enough of the COVID hysteria, enough of the flattening of our rights and freedoms. Enough of the massive spending deficit and government overreaching. Enough of the lies of establishment politicians. Like me, they are mad, and they want to have their normal lives back. They don’t want the tyrannical Chinese model that you admire, Mr. Prime Minister. They don’t want that. We want freedom and we will have freedom.”
The PPC has also failed to earn a seat in Parliament but earned significant gains when it garnered more than five per cent in the popular vote, prompting Bernier to say he sees a brighter future for the movement that he started in 2018. PPC's presence in Saskatoon strengthened, if the number of supporters that showed up on Monday would be the basis.
“If we had a proportional voting system, we would have elected about 20 MPs today. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to carry on this fight in Parliament, but we will continue this battle to unite Canadians under the freedom umbrella,” Bernier said.
“Canadians who oppose the rise of tyranny and authoritarian government need a voice. We are going to be that voice. It is only the beginning; in two years our support has increased three times over. When the next election comes, we will be even be better prepared and this time we will win seats in Parliament.”
He thanked all the candidates and supporters who believed in their movement.
“Thank you to all the extraordinary teams across the country, all the fantastic candidates and organizers. You did an amazing job, thank you. We need you. Canadians need you to continue this fight for our country, for our freedom. Thank you, purple army. Stay strong and free.”
In other news, the Saskatoon Police Service appear to be investigating Monday night’s PPC election day rally.
“We see and hear many people’s tweets expressing concerns about masking at a local election event. As the concerns are regarding public health order, we will work with our partners in Public Health to investigate this further,” said SPS on Twitter.
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