"Dissention in the Tory Ranks?" Canadian News Update - May 10, 2023 Bill Kelly's Commentary
Centre Icers consider forming a new, "less extreme" Conservative party
Dissention in the Tory Ranks?
A couple of years ago, we told you the story of a group called the Centre Ice Conservatives, which was a group of long-time Conservative politicians led by Rick Peterson, a perennial leadership contender every time the Conservatives need to select a new leader, which has been often of late.
Anyway, this group was formed to try to take the Conservative Party back from the radical elements that now seem to drive Conservative ideology and policy.
Since the Conservatives overwhelmingly selected Pierre Poilievere last year, it seems that the Centre Ice Canadians, as they are now called, haven’t had much impact on their Party.
But sources tell me that the Centre Icers are still around and still considering forming a new Conservative party that promotes conservative policies, without the extremist views espoused by Poilievre and his team.
Not sure how that will work out, but I can tell the Centre Icers that there are some Liberals that feel your pain, because they too, feel abandoned by the direction that the Liberal leader has shifted their Party and they feel like political orphans looking for a safe harbour.
The disenchantment within the political parties mirrors the disenchantment felt by voters. Canadian involvement in the political process has diminished significantly recently.
But it’s not because voters aren’t paying attention.
They are paying attention and frankly, they don’t like what they see!