Conservatives will need to make a choice in the next couple of months. A lot of members have been conflicted, but clear choices are emerging from the 14 candidates currently running for the party's leadership. A ranked ballot will make people's decisions a little bit easier, allowing them to rank their choices in order of preference.
All party members will be mailed a ballot in April, which they will need to send back in the mail with a copy of their photo ID. The other option will be to visit a designated polling station. On the night of May 27, votes will be tabulated and the winner will be determined in a series of rounds until one candidate allocates 51% of the points required for victory. In each round, the candidate with the fewest votes will drop off, starting a new round by tabulating all of the second choices on that candidate's ballot. This process will continue until one candidate wins 51% of the total points.
How members rank their choices could effect the outcome of the entire race. In no particular order whatsoever, here are the four candidates that most Poletical contributors will be ranking in the top four. These are the four people we recommend that you rank at the top of your ballot as well.
Andrew Scheer
He's
young, friendly and a family man. A solid all-around conservative with
respect for all branches, but a devotion to none. He's truly Harper
2.0, but with a hefty dose of Brad Wall thrown into the mix. His
retail-politics focus will appeal to the mushy middle and he'll look
good on stage next to Trudeau. One of the most important qualities
for the new leader of the Conservative Party will be the ability to
be someone everyone can unite behind. Conservatism only wins in
Canada when all of its different factions and groups stand together.
In a race that has been polarizing and divisive at times, Scheer has
shown an ability to run a positive campaign that is open to all
sides.
Maxime Bernier
In a race that has been
heavy on personality and folksiness and light on policy, Bernier has
stood out as the one candidate who has made ideas the centre of his
campaign. More importantly, they are good ideas that actually
demonstrate how conservatism can improve the lives of ordinary people
in tangible ways through things like reducing the price of milk and
cheese, or bringing more competition to the telecomm sector. His
focus on libertarian ideals are appealing. He has a desire for small
government and he's fluent and can appeal to Quebec. He's
ideologically woke and understands the modern landscape. If now is
the time for strident conservatism, then Max is probably the best guy
to sell it.
Erin O'Toole
His focus on defence and his nation building ambition is what draws many conservatives. We like his awareness of certain issues like demographics and immigration. (You'll see when you read his interview) He's a nice guy, a family man, Ontario based and fluent. He's a full neo-con and forward looking without being progressive. He's pragmatic and speaks not only in full sentences, but full paragraphs. He's policy heavy and has the second most endorsements of caucus, indicating strong party unity. He's like a Hugh Segal combined with John Diefenbaker. He can beat Trudeau and outline an appealing conservative vision in the process.
Kevin O'Leary
He's been at the brunt of attacks from fellow candidates for not being a conservative. The truth is, Kevin O'Leary is conservative in all the ways that should matter to fiscal conservatives and proponents of smaller government and less taxes. His rigid fiscal conservatism, declaration of war on Wynne and Notley and his socially liberal views could play well with ordinary Canadians. Topics like abortion and gay marriage aren't likely to pop up under O'Leary's leadership, which could make moderate Canadians more comfortable. His tough talk against Trudeau combined with his celebrity and appeal could be exactly what Conservatives need to beat Trudeau.
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