People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier made a campaign stop in Dartmouth, N.S., where he strongly criticized what he referred to as “woke ideology” and expressed his concerns about the direction Canada is heading in. Speaking at a news conference on the Dartmouth waterfront, Bernier emphasized one of the core pillars of the PPC platform: putting an end to what he perceives as divisive and harmful “woke” policies.
One of the specific policies he vowed to abolish is the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the military. Bernier accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of undermining the Canadian Forces by imposing what he called “insane woke ideology” on the military. He particularly criticized vaccination requirements that led to the dismissal of nearly 300 service members, as well as diversity hiring quotas.
Despite efforts by the Canadian military and Department of National Defence to address historical barriers to recruitment and retention of women, visible minorities, and Indigenous individuals, Bernier argued that there has been little progress in increasing diversity within the military ranks.
Accompanied by PPC candidates running in the Halifax area, Bernier affirmed his party’s commitment to fielding a full slate of candidates for the upcoming election. This will mark Bernier’s third general election as a PPC candidate in Beauce, the Quebec riding he previously represented as a Conservative MP before parting ways with the party following his loss in the 2018 leadership race.
According to CBC’s poll tracker, the PPC currently holds a distant sixth place with approximately two percent of the projected vote share. Bernier’s key campaign promises revolve around pausing immigration, dismantling “woke” policies, stimulating the economy through spending cuts, and implementing national security measures.
See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"
During his speech, Bernier warned that failure to enact the PPC platform could lead Canada into a downward spiral. He urged supporters to back PPC candidates nationwide, emphasizing the party’s distinct stance on critical issues for the country’s future prosperity.
Despite facing accusations of aligning with far-right extremist groups, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bernier and the PPC have consistently denied welcoming individuals with extreme views into the party. Despite receiving five percent of the national vote in the 2021 federal election, the PPC has yet to secure a parliamentary seat.
