Maxime Bernier decries 'woke ideology' at campaign stop in Dartmouth

People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier made a campaign stop Monday in Dartmouth, N.S., where he condemned "woke ideology" and said Canada is on the precipice of going "down the drain."

The former Conservative cabinet minister held a news conference on the Dartmouth waterfront on Day 9 of the federal election campaign. He highlighted one of the pillars of the PPC platform: ending what he calls "woke" policies.

Specifically, he said he would end policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion in the military.

"[Justin] Trudeau did everything he could to destroy our proud Canadian Forces by imposing his insane woke ideology on the military," said Bernier.

He criticized vaccination requirements that resulted in nearly 300 service members being released, and "diversity hiring quotas."

The Canadian military and Department of National Defence have, according to the military ombudsman, adopted many initiatives over the last two decades to address long-standing barriers to the recruitment and retention of women, visible minorities and Indigenous people.

Yet the military is still largely made up of white males, and the ombudsman said in 2022 there has been little progress in increasing diversity.

Bernier was flanked by two PPC candidates who are running in the Halifax area. The party has nominated candidates in 10 of 11 Nova Scotia ridings.

The leader said his party will have a full slate in time for the April 28 election.

This will be Bernier's third general election running as a PPC candidate in Beauce, the Quebec riding he used to represent as a Conservative MP. Bernier split from the Conservatives after he lost the 2018 leadership race to Andrew Scheer.

As of Monday, CBC's poll tracker has the PPC in a distant sixth place with about two per cent of the projected vote share. 

Bernier's central campaign promises are pausing immigration, ending "woke" policies, boosting the economy by cutting spending and implementing policies related to national security.

He said Monday that if the PPC platform isn't enacted in the coming months, Canada is heading "down the drain."

"We are so different than the Liberals and the Conservatives on the most important issues for the future of this country. If you believe in this country, if you want to have a prosperous country, you need to support our candidates here in Nova Scotia and all across the country," he said.

Bernier has been accused of courting far-right, conspiratorial racists, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and appeared on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's podcast as recently as March 22.

The PPC has denied that people with "extreme views" are welcome in the party.

It received five per cent of the national vote during the 2021 federal election and has never won a seat.