With the recent decease of our beloved Queen Elizabeth II, one might assume the title of this article to be referring to the ascension of Prince Charles to the throne. Much has been and will be said about that by other commentators on other platforms. We pray that King Charles III will be given wisdom from God to carry out his duties with a profound and deepening respect for the Christian world view that has had such a transformative impact on the British Isles over the centuries.

However, my thoughts today are not with British institutions but with Canadian politics and the passing of the torch of office to the newly acclaimed Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, Pierre Poilievre. Mr. Poilievre exceeded expectations in the seven-month leadership race of the Conservative Party by receiving over 68% of the votes of CPC delegates on the first ballot, eliminating the nail-biting speculation that generally accompanies the outcomes of second ballot and third ballot vote-counting in the ranked-ballot system used by the Conservative Party.

Mr. Poilievre brings to his position a young face, a combative and articulate persona, some refreshing verbal rejoinders to the weary politics and improvident economic policies of the Trudeau Liberals and an army of enthusiastic supporters. He successfully rode the wave of discontent that has been building among Canadians who have felt—for too long—ignored, abused and excluded from the arbitrary actions of the Trudeau Liberals and their pathetic, tail-wagging NDP sycophant-cousins. His acceptance speech touched on many of the pressure points that have chafed Canadians raw and was delivered with energy. I thought it was a great speech . . . except for several critically important issues he failed to address and one to which he made but a passing comment.

Like most Canadians who have suffered through the past seven painful years of the Trudeau regime—and especially through the last 2 ½ years of lockdowns, mandates, arrogant pontification and incredibly irresponsible spending—we look forward to seeing him removed from office in the next federal election, whether that be soon or whether he rides out his destructive term of office to its natural conclusion three years from now. For many, there is a palpable desperation to see this happen soon, whatever it takes and whoever steps in to take his place. I understand that desperation; our economy is in tatters, our freedoms are being trampled underfoot and the war against traditional Christian values is being waged relentlessly with taxpayer-funded media complicity.

However, as desperate as we may be, in spite of the urgency we feel and the incredible importance of the issues at stake, we MUST—as citizens of moral integrity—demand that those proposing to lead Canada into the future become stalwart defenders of the things we hold most dear: Life, Family and Freedom.

During the lengthy leadership campaign, many pro-lifers took out Conservative memberships so that they could vote for Leslyn Lewis, the only vocal pro-life contestant on the ballot. Because she was the only one willing to speak up for the pre-born, I deemed her the only contestant worthy of any pro-lifer’s vote. Mr. Poilievre tried his best to avoid the question, but his past voting record and comments made his position clear. Mr. Poilievre supports access to abortion. Much like Mr. Harper, the last Conservative PM, Pierre has indicated that no abortion legislation will pass while he is PM, and that he will vote against any pro-life bills that may be brought forth. This position was reinforced when he voted AGAINST MP Cathay Wagantall’s Bill C-233, a bill that would have banned sex-selective abortion.

His position on gay marriage and LGBTQ issues is no better. While he voted with his party and against same-sex marriage in 2005, he now loudly regrets that vote and calls gay marriage a “success.” Two out of nine of the Leadership Team he has appointed identify as LGBTQ. Like all the other Conservative MPs in the House, he allowed Bill C-4 (Conversion Therapy Ban) to pass in one day, without a whimper and without a dissenting voice. One brief comment in his victory speech was obviously meant to reassure the LGBTQ crowd without unduly alarming traditional family-values advocates: “It doesn’t matter who you love.”

Finally, a word about Mr. Poilievre’s support for the truckers. We should always rejoice when a person is willing to shift his or her position based on new information or new evidence. Like many Canadians, Pierre was slow to come out against the government’s COVID policies. When he did, inspired by the Truckers Convoy, he began to make bold statements about the importance of medical freedom and banning vaccine travel mandates. We appreciate those comments now, even though they should have come earlier.

It was commendable, on the night when Mr. Poilievre’s victory was announced, that he made some kind and conciliatory comments to and about his competitors. I presumed, at that time, that he would immediately recruit MP Leslyn Lewis to serve on his Leadership Team, but he did not. That would have been a positive gesture to the nearly 10% of the delegates who bought memberships solely to support Leslyn and the pro-life cause. Excluding her from the inner core at the outset is a clear signal to pro-life voters that Mr. Poilievre wants to avoid any mixed messages regarding abortion and gender.

Our nation’s past commitments to the protection of innocent human life, support for traditional marriage and defence of personal freedoms grew out of a shared Christian faith that recognized the “supremacy of God and the rule of law.” Without that commitment and that faith, all the noble goals espoused by Mr. Poilievre and all his good intentions regarding the economy will fall short. The Christian Heritage Party of Canada continues to put forward candidates who recognize the dominion of Almighty God “from sea to sea.” Without Him, we can do nothing, but with Him all things are possible.

Join CHP Canada today. We need your voice defending Life, Family and Freedom.