Free markets and a return to conservative values is the way forward for Conservative leadership hopeful Maxime Bernier

Reducing the size of government and lowering taxes was the message from federal Conservative party leadership hopeful Maxime Bernier during a whistle stop Monday night downtown at the Robusta Café and Lounge.

“I am speaking always about the same thing, more freedom, less government and people like that,” said Bernier. “As you know I am very serious about it so I think we must do big reform to make sure we have a government that will respect us taxpayers and also our constitution.”

Bernier spoke briefly to a group of 30 to 40 supporters before taking questions on a wide variety of issues ranging from healthcare, freedom of speech and national security to corporate welfare, supply management and equalization payments.

“In Quebec we have what you have here in Ontario, a socialist government, and that is why Quebec is a poor province,” he said. “I have been saying that for the last 10 years and I am not proud as a Quebecor to be receiving equalization money.”

He said that abandoning outdated equalization formulas based on old data and adopting market-based policies will bring more freedom and prosperity to the provinces and provide incentives to develop their own natural resources.

Bernier is traveling across the country encouraging people to join the Conservative Party so they can support his leadership campaign. He said his platform is gaining popularity in the west and in Quebec where they pay the highest income taxes in North America.

“Last week I was in Alberta and it is going very well,” he said. “As you may know, they call me over there the Albertan from Quebec.”

Tax reform is at the centre of his platform.

He wants to eliminate capital gains tax and lower corporate income tax from 15 per cent to 10 per cent. He also wants to simplify federal income tax by introducing a flat tax of 15 per cent for people earning $15,000 to $100,000 a year and 25 per cent for people earning more than $100,000.

He said as party leader he would make these reforms the platform of the Conservative Party and spend the next two years explaining them to the voters.

“I want to do like Mike Harris did with the Common Sense Revolution,” Bernier said. “He had bold reforms at the provincial level and he was successful because he had two years to explain the platform to the population.”

Mike Harris wasn’t the only Conservative leader of the past Bernier drew inspiration from. He said he has support from former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney for his plans to get rid of the supply management system, which he describes as a cartel for poultry, dairy and egg producers.

“They are producing for the Canadian market and can’t export and we are paying $2.6 billion every year to keep that,” said Bernier

Abolishing the system, he said, will lower prices for consumers by 50 per cent.

He would also abolish corporate welfare citing examples like Bombardier, which he said has received $375 million from the Trudeau government.

“I like Bombardier,” said Bernier. “They are great corporation but I don’t like when they are receiving your money. Abolishing corporate welfare will save us $5 billion a year and we will use that money to lower taxes for every single entrepreneur in our country.”

He said he would abolish the CRTC to make the telecom industry more competitive and scrap the carbon tax and other barriers to trade between the provinces. He also wants to get Ottawa out of healthcare and transfer all responsibilities to the provinces.

Bernier believes his popularity in Quebec and growing popularity in Ontario and the rest of Canada makes him a serious contender for the leadership.

“My opponent right now is not Kellie Leitch but Kevin O’Leary and Kevin O’Leary can’t do a tour in Quebec because he can’t speak French,” he said. “My name recognition outside Quebec is 25 per cent and I have to improve that.”