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People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier was running late for his meeting with the Vancouver Sun and Province editorial board.

His aide was the recently elected vice-president of a Vancouver Island constituency association, a voluble, stay-at-home mom who has never been involved in politics before. Wobbling off to try to locate her leader, I empathized as she confided that it was the first time in seven years that she had worn high heels.

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Bernier arrived all suave and Gallic in a well-fitted blue suit, topped with a camel coat and apologies in both official languages, bringing his quixotic campaign to B.C. on the first stop of a Western Canadian roadshow.

He was flanked by political gadfly Gurmant Grewal and two young men, young enough that they might have been wearing their high-school graduation suits.

The meeting began awkwardly when managing editor Valerie Casselton introduced herself.