Dear Editor:
Pierre Poilievre seems to believe that Canadians have short memories. In his newly minted “Canada First” campaign it appears he is attempting to reframe his image, distancing himself from comparisons to Trump and public endorsement by Elon Musk.
But mere weeks ago he was vigorously echoing MAGA-style talking points, for example in his relentless demonization of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). He has repeatedly linked DEI to a litany of societal and economic woes, reproaching the Liberal government and “progressives” of somehow undermining the country by promoting it.
He and his political colleagues conflate DEI with “wokeness” and “quotas” but provide little substantive evidence to support their claims. Instead, DEI serves as a convenient scapegoat, a bogeyman diverting attention from the real challenges confronting Canadians: housing, healthcare, trade, employment, and the environment.
Much like certain American figures, Poilievre has labeled DEI policies “garbage” and pledged to abolish them. But what does he propose in their place? If he is so staunchly opposed to diversity, equity and inclusion, does he favour policies that might lead to the opposite: uniformity, inequity and exclusion?
It is a legitimate concern that DEI policies have at times been poorly or improperly implemented, but they at least aim to promote fairness and opportunity by expanding applicant recruitment and ensuring that defensible qualifications are used as less biased hiring criteria.
If DEI is to be discarded, what safeguards does Poilievre propose to ensure fairness in hiring and institutional access? The rights of Canadians to be diverse and live in an equitable, just and inclusive society are enshrined in our Constitution. It would be illuminating if Poilievre or Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong explained how their party’s opposition to DEI aligns with the principles of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Poilievre’s calls for unity ring hollow given his history of deploying divisive identity politics. His opposition to DEI, which has closely mirrored that of Trump and his enthusiasts, is not just a misguided policy stance; it appears to be a deliberate political strategy.
It has earned him approval from the likes of Elon Musk and Jordan Peterson, but it does not make Canada stronger. It weakens us, fostering discord, inequality and dysfunction. We don’t need to look far to see the consequences of such politics.
Poilievre surely understands this. But in his pursuit of power, culture-war rhetoric has been a consistent feature of his political messaging – raising serious questions about the substance and sincerity of his broader policy platform and calls for unity.
Jonathan Schmidt,
Elora