Today’s comments were selected from John Ibbitson’s widely read column Maxime Bernier goes to a dark place

Open this photo in gallery Maxime Bernier speaks with the media after filing papers for the Peoples Party of Canada at the Elections Canada office in Gatineau, Que., Wednesday, October 10, 2018. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Bernier is trying to deny Canadian history. When large numbers of Scots and Irish came it changed Canada’s cultural character. When large numbers of Ukrainians and Eastern Europeans arrived, it changed the cultural character of Canada. When large numbers of Italians, Portuguese and Dutch arrived after the Second World War, it changed the character. When large numbers of Caribbean immigrants arrived in the 1960′s and 1970′s, it change the cultural character of the country. That is what happens when you have a significant amount of immigration. The vast majority of Canadians see that as a benefit to the country and its fabric, not a hindrance as Bernier does. - J. K. Galbraith

One big problem we have in Canada is that it is simply no longer acceptable to discuss certain topics of national interest, such as immigration, multiculturalism, environment policy, etc. This closed attitude needs to stop and these topics should be open for discussion and debate, without accusations of fanaticism or racism being used. Whether one agrees with Maxime Bernier or not, he is at least raising topics which we need to examine. - John Broadbent5

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While I don’t agree with some of his statements on immigration, he has every right to voice his views and those of his supporters. I suspect that he will fade away even before the election, but I find it very sad that anyone who has a viewpoint not quite aligned with the mainstream parties as having a “dark” agenda or being in “a dark place.” It rather focuses attention on exactly what Mr. Bernier is talking about. Are we such snowflakes in Canada that we simply cannot tolerate opposing or alternate views? Is that what we’ve become? - ChrisL

Well that settles it. He gets my vote. Shocking that the media can pillory a man whose agenda is “Canadians first”. - Puma2

In response to Puma2:

Because “Canadians first” is a parochial mindset that attempts to simplify complex issues. You can bray 1950s all you want. That was 70 years ago. Those ideas don’t work. - CognitiveDisonnance

Maxime Bernier does seem to be an outlier, and I wouldn't worry too much about his success - other than to diminish the strength of the conservative vote somewhat.

What does disturb me is how he plays to xenophobic sentiments and distorts the real conversation we should be having about immigration: the numbers are vastly too high, our largest cities are straining under the weight of population the infrastructure isn’t ready for (since most immigrants go to one of three or four cities), assimilation/integration may take generations (instead of one generation), and finally automation is growing to the extent that 40 per cent of current jobs may well be gone by 2030. It is impossible to discuss these issues if the topic has been turned into a semantic battleground over hot button topics like racism and xenophobia. - Gizella

There is no place for libertarianism in Canadian politics. We need both the Conservative and Liberal Parties of Canada to be centrist and moderate, recognizing that government has an important role to play in the economy, that there is more to economic stimulus than tax cuts and that a degree of wealth redistribution is essential for a socially responsible and democratic society. Libertarianism is all about fear and greed. We are better than that and it is important that Conservatives present themselves as a moderate alternative to the Liberals. Maxime Bernier is a fanatic who should be cast out to the lunatic fringe where he belongs. - Rocksteady

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Based on Bernier’s further drifting to the right, it may not affect the CPC as much in terms of vote split, especially in suburban swing ridings. Scheer and the CPC are far from perfect, but having Bernier further right may make them look like the party closest to the centre, especially given Trudeau’s shift further left. - Billy112

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