MPP Monte McNaughton
On April 21, MPP Monte McNaughton, a former leadership contender for the Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership, sat down and talked to The Interim about his future, and more importantly, the future of the PC Party. He stressed that Ontario does not need a “second Liberal Party” and said that only Patrick Brown can ensure that the Tories do not become “Liberal lite.”
McNaughton, who criss-crossed the province meeting the grassroots to sign up supporters since last August, said he is optimistic about the chances of the Ontario PCs – as long as “we remember we are a coalition of social and fiscal conservatives.” He said that Christine Elliott, who along with Brown, is vying for the leadership, does not seem to include pro-life and pro-family voters when she talks about “inclusion.”
McNaughton said he dropped out for several reasons, and among them was a concern over splitting the vote and seeing Elliott win the leadership. “I didn’t want to see a second Liberal Party,” he told The Interim. “It would be bad for the party and bad for the province if we elect a leader that adopts Kathleen Wynne’s policies.” McNaughton was referencing Elliott’s failure to condemn Wynne’s radical sex-ed plan. Campaign Life Coalition has called Elliott the most socially liberal candidate to ever be a candidate for the PC leadership, citing her record on issues of homosexuality and gender identity, as well as her support for abortion.
McNaughton, who endorsed Brown on April 9, said, “the choice is clear for conservatives in Ontario,” noting that Brown shares many of his own values and ideas. McNaughton said that campaigning with Brown since dropping out of the race, the federal MP who is trying to make the jump to the provincial leadership, has consistently led off speeches with attacks on the Wynne government’s sex ed plans.
But the similarities go beyond specific policy. McNaughton said Brown shared his commitment to attracting new members and giving all members a greater voice in developing party policy. McNaughton said this would benefit social conservatives who have been shunted aside by a party establishment who wants their votes but not their input. “We badly need reform of policy development,” the MPP said, to ensure that the party reflects the fact it is a coalition of fiscal and social conservatives.
McNaughton said when Elliott claimed his and Brown’s views were “outdated” she sent “a clear signal that conservatives will not have a voice if Patrick Brown does not win” the leadership.
McNaughton also pointed to the irony that Elliott talks about inclusion, but that his campaign attracted thousands of new members to the party by speaking up for parents in the sex-ed debate. He and Brown “want the party to represent everyday people,” and parents from all different races and creeds across the province are unhappy with Wynne’s plan to teach graphic age-inappropriate material to early elementary school students. He said new Canadians are especially concerned with the sex ed curriculum and are looking for the PC Party to take their fight to the legislature. “This battle is bringing people to the party. It resonates with all people.”
Asked about what the future holds, McNaughton said he hopes to grow his family – McNaughton and wife Katie have a toddler, Annie – and the 37-year-old MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex intends to run again in 2018. He said he got into politics to be a conservative voice in the public arena and that will not change regardless of who wins the leadership on May 9. “I am unapologetically conservative and that’s not going to change.”
In the near term, McNaughton wants to continue the fight against early sex-ed. Wynne attacked McNaughton personally in February, calling him a homophobe for daring to criticize the sex-ed curriculum. “I didn’t back down then and I’m not going to back down now.” He said the fight against the curriculum will continue until the next provincial election.
And the immediate future will entail helping Brown get out the vote, especially socially conservative members, on May 3 and May 7 when voting takes place in each of the 108 provincial ridings.
