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On a whirlwind tour of the Windsor area Monday, People’s Party of Canada leader Max Bernier gave an unvarnished assessment of immigration, defended a local candidate after his inappropriate tweets and criticized environmental activist Greta Thunberg’s reliance on panic to formulate public policy.

Throughout the nearly hour-long interview, Bernier demonstrated an energy and dexterity in addressing unpleasant topics as well as policy that will make him interesting television when the federal leaders’ debates are held Oct. 7 (English) and Oct. 10 (French).

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“Because we’re speaking about what people want to hear, you can call us a smart populist party,” Bernier said.

“What’s happening around the world on immigration and taxes, it’s happening here right now.”

Smart isn’t the word that political opponents have been hurling at the nation’s newest federal party.

People are fed up with traditional politicians

With policies aimed at roughly halving immigration, stiffening borders, going slow on climate change and using the government’s constitutional powers to build pipelines, Bernier’s party has been accused of everything from bigotry to being delusional to Trump-lite.