'I'm proud of the truckers,' says Poilievre in lambasting Justin Trudeau's response to protests

Catherine Lévesque - Yesterday 


© Provided by National PostPierre Poilievre:

Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre says he is “proud” of the truckers and stands with them.

Poilievre also says he blames Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the situation, which is paralyzing critical infrastructure at the border.

“I’m proud of the truckers and I stand with them,” Poilievre said in an interview recorded on Thursday for next week’s episode of the Postmedia podcast Full Comment with Anthony Furey.

“They have reached a breaking point after two years of massive government overreach of a prime minister who insults and degrades anyone who disagrees with his heavy-handed approach.

“But let’s be honest, if Canadians are being inconvenienced, or in any way suffering from these protests, it is because Justin Trudeau made these protests happen and his intransigence is keeping the protests going,” he added.

Poilievre said it looks to him like Trudeau put a vaccine mandate on truckers “as a vindictive wedge strategy to divide Canadians and demonize an apparently unpopular minority of unvaccinated people to his own political advantage.”

“But now it’s blown up in his face,” said Poilievre.

“So he’s gotten himself into an impossible political situation. And unfortunately, the rest of the country is held hostage by his unwillingness to do the right thing, admit he was wrong, and lift these mandates.”

Earlier Thursday, Conservative interim leader Candice Bergen called on Freedom Convoy protesters to take down the barricades and go home.

Bergen, who has been sympathetic to truckers since the beginning of the protests in Ottawa, changed her stance and asked for blockades to end. She made the comments as she presented a motion in the House of Commons asking for the end of federal restrictions.

In an appeal to the protesters, Bergen said, “I believe the time has come for you to take down the barricades, stop the disruptive action, and come together. The economy you want to see reopen is hurting. Farmers, manufacturers, small businesses and families are suffering. I believe this is not what you want to do.

“You came bringing a message. That message has been heard,” she continued. “Conservatives have heard you and we will stand up for you and all Canadians who want to get back to normal life. We will not stop until the mandates have ended.”

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The protests have been going strong in Ottawa for two weeks now, but the police’s reluctance to act has resulted in demonstrations taking place across the country.

Blockades have now spread to border crossings in Alberta, Ontario and, more recently, in Bergen’s home province of Manitoba, causing significant disruption in trade between Canada and the United States and forcing the auto industry to shut down factories.

Just last week, Bergen was siding with the protesters in Ottawa, calling them “passionate, patriotic and peaceful.” Other Conservative MPs, including former leader Andrew Scheer, took pictures with them or were encouraging them while making their way to Parliament Hill.

Bergen urged other parties to join the Conservatives in supporting the motion, which calls for the Liberals to present a plan before the end of the month to end federal mandates and restrictions.

The Bloc Québécois will vote in favour of the Conservative motion, which will guarantee almost a majority of votes in the Commons when the time comes. Motions are however non-binding and the government will not be forced to implement it even if it is adopted.

Bloc Public Safety critic Kristina Michaud told the National Post that the federal government should re-evaluate and reconsider a number of measures, as a number of provinces including Quebec have already done in the past few days.

Meanwhile, Liberals are showing no signs of changing their course of action.

During Question Period, Trudeau continued to repeat that the best way through the pandemic is by listening to science and by following health advice “and indeed, by getting vaccinated.” He encouraged more people to “step up” and get their shots.

Trudeau also mocked the Conservatives’ new position on the convoys, saying that they had “spent the last two weeks endorsing and enabling these blockades” and that Bergen and some in her team had been “their biggest champions.”