Bernier's Hamilton visit part of long-term strategy to legitimize PPC, even if it doesn't win a riding: expert
CBC
A politics expert from McMaster University says Maxime Bernier's appearance in Hamilton Thursday, days before the election, is part of a long-term strategy to legitimize his party, the People's Party of Canada (PPC).
Other federal party leaders have visited the city over the course of the campaign, some several times, but this is the first stop this election for Bernier in the city.
Recent poll figures suggest Bernier's party may cost the Conservatives some seats, but Clifton van der Linden, an assistant professor of political science and founder of Vox Pop Labs (the makers of Vote Compass), said current data shows there isn't enough support in Hamilton to win a local riding.
"Hamilton is not at risk of one of its seats going to PPC in this election but that doesn't mean there aren't a large number of PPC supporters in the Greater Hamilton Area," van der Linden told CBC Hamilton.
"[Bernier] wants to make sure that PPC voters come out and vote on election day ... let's say we have another election in two years, it will be much harder, if People's Party polls upward to five per cent of the vote, for the debate commission to exclude Bernier."
The PPC could rank fourth in the vote share on Sept. 20 —more than the Green Party — according to the CBC Poll Tracker and the party may attract more Tory voters than it did last election.
Vote Compass data also shows many PPC voters in its sample identify as blue-collar workers, a voter base Conservatives and other parties have tried to attract in Hamilton.
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