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# Postcard from Canada: 18 August 2020
- URL: https://goodoil.news/postcard-from-canada-18-august-2020/
- Published: 2020-08-18T02:15:00.000Z
- Updated: 2020-08-17T10:22:39.000Z
- Author: Guest Post
- Tags: History, Politics, World Politics, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2024-07-17 03:00

**Geoff Corfield**

*Geoffrey Corfield has been active in Conservative politics in Canada since 1976, both federally and provincially. But he won’t always write about politics because he has more experience with writing history and humour. He lives in London, Ontario, frequents used book shops, swims lengths, drinks beer, plays croquet, has his own town in north-central Queensland and six books published, and would very much like to find a publisher for [this New Zealand book](https://www.amazon.com/Geoffrey-Corfield/e/B001K8XFA8?ref%5F=dbs%5Fp%5Febk%5Fr00%5Fabau%5F000000&ref=goodoil.news) and its companion one for Australia.*

LEADER BY POST

The Prime Minister of Canada is caught in yet another scandal, and the  
Bloc Quebecois say they will try to bring the minority Liberal  
government down.

Meanwhile the Conservative Party is electing another leader. The last  
one, chosen in 2017 (I didn’t vote for him), lost the 2019 election and  
(thankfully) fell on his sword. The close second place finisher (my  
vote) left and formed another party (0 seats, I donated).

The new leader will be chosen by mail-in ranking ballot to be received  
by 21 August, with results announced 23 August. My vote is in.

The four candidates:

1. Leslyn Lewis, 50, Toronto lawyer, academic Dr., no elected  
political experience. Served on Toronto constituency association and  
was replacement Toronto candidate in 2015 election. Not bad for a kid  
from Jamaica who came to Canada age five.
2. Peter MacKay, 54, lawyer and politician, Nova Scotia M.P.  
1997-2015, former cabinet minister and leader of Progressive  
Conservative Party that merged with Alliance Party to form  
Conservative Party in 2003.
3. Erin O’Toole, 57, Greater Toronto M.P. since 2012\. Military,  
lawyer, placed third in 2017 leadership.
4. Derek Sloan, 35, Eastern Ontario M.P. since 2019\. Seventh Day  
Adventist “defending religious liberties against political  
correctness”. Business experience and law degree.

As a Conservative Party member I was on each candidate’s mailing list.  
This is my impression of the candidates and why I voted as I did.

Leslyn Lewis ran by far the best campaign. She sent out regular emails  
asking for response, I replied, and she often replied back. She also  
held “Zoom” events. MacKay and O’Toole relied on telephone “Town  
Halls”, and calls from staffers. Sloan I heard nothing from except a  
leaflet at the end.

MacKay is the most experienced and the favourite, but I wasn’t  
impressed by his campaign: he’s too wishy-washy, and he thinks the  
Arctic is melting. If the run-off is between MacKay and O’Toole, I  
prefer O’Toole, so I placed MacKay fourth. If he wins, he wins.

Sloan impressed during the live debate. Direct and forthright, I like  
that. I donated $50 to his campaign and placed him third on my ballot  
in the hope he will continue.

O’Toole is more hard-hitting than MacKay. We need that; the last  
leader was too soft. He comes from Greater Toronto and we need to win  
seats in Toronto and Ontario. Conservatives won only 8 of 23 ridings  
in Greater Toronto, and only 36 of 121 in Ontario. I placed him  
second.

I was in touch with Lewis more than all the other candidates combined.  
She has a calm persona and will only get better. Billed as a “social  
conservative”, she is well aware of other things. I donated $50 to her  
campaign and placed her first on my ballot. She’s Toronto and we need  
to win in Toronto. Conservatives hold 0 of 25 Toronto seats. If she  
causes an upset, fine, if not I hope she will continue.  

*If you enjoyed this BFD article please share it.*