The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) is going to need energy and a vision for the country if it hopes to form government in the next federal election, according to former Member of Parliament Brad Trost.
“People are unsure of (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau. There’s a lot of support for him, but it’s barely lukewarm,” Trost said on June 24 during a meet-and-greet event at the Rotary Pavilion in Wakamow Valley in which 17 people attended. “People are willing to look for something else in other parts of the country, but we have to give them that vision and — 1, 2, 3, — here’s why the Conservatives are delivering for the future.”
Trost is one of four candidates seeking the nomination for the Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan constituency.
“Lower, simpler, fairer taxes” is one characteristic of a vision for Canada, which could help raise people’s standards of living, he said. This is one piece of advice he said he has given Conservative leader Erin O’Toole.
A second vision-like characteristic that Trost thought was important is ensuring that agricultural policy isn’t forgotten while crafting overall policies for the country. This could mean developing transportation practices that support agriculture, such as enhancing rail or ensuring goods and products can be exported to the United States with ease.
A third characteristic is ensuring Western Canada has a proper voice in Confederation. Trost pointed to Alberta holding a referendum on equalization this fall; while that issue doesn’t have the same effect in Saskatchewan, he still thought it was important to support the vote.
“I like the idea of taking out all natural resources from the equalization formula. I think that was always the best thing to go,” he added. “The party isn’t there, so that’s not an issue I can push in the general election, but it is something I have supported in internal party debates.”
Trost — who was an MP from 2004 to 2019 in Saskatoon and is an outspoken pro-life and social conservative — thought it was important for the Conservatives to stick to their principles while listening to voters’ concerns instead of attempting to stay away from certain topics. He pointed out that candidates should respond to voters’ questions, especially if they inquire about touchy subjects.
During the meet-and-greet, one of the main topics attendees — especially long-time Conservative members — had was whether the party could defeat the Liberal Party in the next election.
“It’s very simple: they want to beat the Liberals,” said Trost. “They want someone with energy. They want someone who’s clear — clearly conservative — and they want someone who’s prepared to stand for the party (and) not just in the riding, but literally across the country.”
Trost and his team have been doing plenty of campaigning recently by phone — there are roughly 1,000 eligible people on past and renewable memberships — and by door-knocking in Moose Jaw. The ground-pounding in The Friendly City has included dropping off membership forms for people who want to become members.
He acknowledged that holding in-person events has been a slow process since they take time to set up and because he wants people to be comfortable during the ongoing pandemic.
“… No candidate ever deserves a voter’s vote. You always have to earn them,” added Trost. “And to do that, you have to show you’re willing to listen, you have to show you’re accessible, and you have to show you stand for their values.”
Trost plans to door-knock in Moose Jaw on Saturday, June 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., while he plans to be in Davidson that evening.
For more information, visit www.bradtrost.ca.
