Maxime Bernier says Poilievre may not support Conservative base on 'anti-woke' motions

The Conservative grassroots gave party officials a clear mandate Saturday to protect children and women from radical gender ideology.

However, PPC Leader Maxime Bernier, a former Conservative MP and cabinet minister himself, had reservations about whether Pierre Poilievre would support an 'anti-woke' platform.

While thousands of members voted to oppose the medical transitioning of minors (Resolution C-7) and clearly define a woman as a "female person" (Resolution C-15), both measures are non-binding.

In place of life-altering procedures, C-7 would encourage "positive mental and physical health support for all Canadians suffering from gender dysphoria and related mental health challenges" instead of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender reassignment surgeries.

Whereas C-15 states that "the Conservative Party of Canada believes that women are entitled to the safety, dignity, and privacy of single-sex spaces (e.g., prisons, shelters, locker rooms, washrooms) and the benefits of women-only categories (e.g., sports, awards, grants, scholarships)."

"We don't know if the CPC will adopt either motion as official party policy, and we suspect Poilievre and his team still don't know either," Bernier told Rebel News. 

"As they always do, they will check results of polls and focus groups before the election and decide what kind of convoluted stance is more likely to get them more support among some groups of voters while costing them the least support among others."

Among the few delegates to oppose the motions, one expressed concerns of 'transphobia' on C-15, claiming they never felt threatened by biological men.

"I'm never pushed around by men, confused or not. I'm a woman, and I don't need a government to tell me I'm a woman." said the delegate. "Let's keep the Trudeau government on its heels and go after them and attack them, not give them ammunition." 

On C-7, an opponent to the motion said it "infringes on decisions of private individuals" and "bodily autonomy."

"If these policies [are] passed, people are going to die, children are going to die in this country without access to any gender-affirming care," said Hannah Hodson, a transgender Conservative candidate who ran in Victoria, B.C. last election.

"To all the [Conservatives] who have told me they love me, support me, and would fight for me, and who is now telling me to calm down and just go along with this, I see you, and I will not forget," she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"But as Poilievre himself said, he is not bound by these resolutions," said the PPC leader, stressing the importance of distinguishing between the party brass and the base.

Despite receiving 69% and 87% support from Conservative delegates on C-7 and C-15, the PPC contends that the Conservative party never takes a "principled position" on contentious social issues.

"Less than two years ago, he and his trained seals unanimously voted with the Liberals and NDP in favour of C-4, which promoted the transition of kids and criminalized parents and counsellors who want to help them accept their bodies," said Bernier.

The PPC claims the Conservatives never said a word about protecting women's spaces in shelters, toilets, sports or prisons until the convention.

"Poilievre hasn't said a word about either issue so far. He doesn't care or is afraid to address them, even though these stances are popular among his base and conservatives," said Bernier.

"It's all about tactics to get elected."

He contends this represents an apparent need for a principled party like the PPC that isn't afraid of the 'leftist' media, the 'woke' mob, and not afraid to be trailblazers. 

During the closed-door discussions, most delegates passionately supported the resolution on supporting gender segregation in single-sex spaces and clearly defining what is a woman.

"I'm a woman, I'm a female person, we need help, we need help. Female-only zones and spaces are disappearing in Canada. It is neither safe nor fair," said one delegate.

Another said, "I've lost count of the times I keep seeing women pushed out of spaces to appease confused biological men. Don't be afraid of supporting this policy."

On C-7, one delegate said: "We don't allow children to drink, or drive, or engage in sexual activity, or join the military, or even vote before adulthood." 

Another said, "We need to stop this kind of brainwashing."

"We know that many Conservative members love and envy PPC policies, and they decided to adopt a few resolutions that sound like them," added Bernier. "These policy votes don't jeopardize the PPC's future."

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