As 2016 draws to a close, federal Conservatives are hoping to profit off the political woes of Premier Kathleen Wynne … and Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown.

On Friday, Conservative leadership contender Pierre Lemieux fired off an email sharing his concerns about Brown’s efforts to marginalize social conservatives and asking so-cons to sign up and donate to his campaign.

“It’s sort of unusual seeing Conservatives criticizing other Conservatives, especially given the fact that Patrick Brown was a member of Parliament … so it’s a little unusual to see them attacking each other in that way,” Quito Maggi, president and CEO of Mainstreet Research, said of Lemieux’s email.

But with a December 31 deadline nearing for the Conservative leadership contenders to pay the next installment of $50,000 towards their $100,000 compliance fee, Lemieux is likely just trying to drum up donations, Maggi added.

In his email, Lemieux said social conservatives are “being told to sit down and shut up” every day in Ontario.

“This needs to stop. Everyone has the right to express their views in respectful debate,” he said in the email.

Lemieux, a social conservative himself, said Monday that his email was meant to encourage social conservatives to get involved in politics by joining the party and sharing their views.

“Within our strong and healthy democracy Canadians should be able to discuss and debate any matter of importance to them, which would include life issues in an open and respectful way,” Lemieux said.

“The process of being able to discuss and being able to debate and express your views, that’s such an important and vital process and it leads to unity because people feel like, ‘Yes, I was respected I was able to express myself.'”

In Ontario, Brown is making a mistake by excluding social conservatives from the Progressive Conservatives because it weakens the party, Lemieux said.

A “strong and united” party is one that welcomes all views, he said.

But appealing to social conservatives isn’t likely going to win Lemieux, or Brad Trost, the Conservative leadership, Maggi said.

Across the country, the number of people with hardcore socially-conservative views – those who are anti-abortion and anti-gay rights – is “dwindling,” he said.

Just a few days before Lemeiux hit send on his own fundraising email, Conservative MP Guy Lauzon sent an email to supporters asking for $35 donations to help the Conservatives “stop Kathleen Wynne and Justin Trudeau.”

While it may be slightly unusual to see Conservative attack Conservative, “it’s not surprising that the federal Conservatives are trying to capitalize … on (Wynne’s) unpopularity in Ontario,” Maggi said.

Brand confusion between federal and provincial parties happens all the time, he said.

“This is just an attempt to take advantage of that level of brand confusion.”

Lauzon’s email appeal for donations highlights Wynne’s low approval rating, which — at 16 per cent — is the lowest rating of any provincial premier in Canada, a recent poll from Angus Reid concluded.

“Ontarians are sick of having to choose between paying the hydro bill or feeding the family. They are tired of seeing their tax dollars wasted. They are fed up with all of the political scandals,” Lauzon says.

His email goes on to note that some of the Ontario Liberals’ senior advisors have moved to Ottawa, implying their policy advice will lead to the same outcomes across Canada.

“When members of Justin Trudeau’s innermost circle worked for the Ontario Liberals, they delivered policy advice that drove Ontario further into debt,” it says.

“And now, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are racking up tens of billions of dollars in unnecessary debt.

“We must stop Kathleen Wynne and Justin Trudeau. We can’t let them continue raising taxes on everything.”