A federal Conservative leadership hopeful has wrapped up a multi-day trek through New Brunswick.
More than 100 people greeted Leslyn Lewis during an event in uptown Saint John on Saturday evening.
Her three-day visit also included stops in Sussex, Hartland and Fredericton, among other places.
Lewis, a first-term Ontario MP, said she has a “very different skillset” than the average politician.
“I’m not a career politician. I come from industry, I’ve taught at university, I have life experiences like the average Canadian,” Lewis said in a one-on-one interview after Saturday’s event.
“I’ve created wealth in a business. I’ve signed the front of a paycheque instead of the back of a paycheque. I know what it’s like to make payroll. I know what it’s like to go through a recession and have to use your line of credit to make sure that you save your employees’ jobs.”
During her speech, Lewis said the fabric of the nation is being “torn apart” and the social divide is widening.
Lewis went on to say that she wants to build unity across the country and within the Conservative party.
“The party should be united and recognize that there are different voices and our voices are also like a microcosm of society,” she said.
“If we can be united in having everybody having an equal opportunity to speak and being valued, I think that can translate into unity in the country.”
Lewis said she believes hope can be restored across the country by building a strong a prosperous nation, developing natural resources, protecting the environment, and keeping promises to Indigenous peoples.
Conservative leadership hopeful Leslyn Lewis addresses a crowd of more than 100 people in Saint John on April 30, 2022. (Image: Brad Perry)
Describing herself as pro-life, Lewis said she stands by her “no hidden agenda” platform put forward in the 2020 race, which includes banning sex-selective abortions and criminalizing coerced abortions.
She also reiterated her opposition to federal vaccine mandates, saying they are not based on science, and the federal carbon tax.
“I think it’s important that we recognize that even though we may have differences of opinion, what should be important is making sure that we have the best policy for all Canadians and that all Canadians are treated with equal dignity and respect,” said Lewis.
“Many people may not believe in what you believe, but they respect the fact that you’re honest about your beliefs and honest about the direction that you’re going to take the country. When you waver on that, I think that’s when you lose people.”
Lewis said she is hoping to build momentum from her 2020 leadership run. She placed third among the four candidates, with Erin O’Toole coming out on top.
Tobique-Mactaquac Conservative MP Richard Bragdon said Lewis is a “true game-changer” in the political world.
Bragdon said Lewis reminds him of the late Elsie Wayne, a former Conservative MP and Saint John mayor, who he said “was a fighter” and “spoke the truth.”
There are currently six verified candidates in the Conservative leadership race: Scott Aitchison, Roman Baber, Patrick Brown, Jean Charest, Leslyn Lewis, and Pierre Poilievre. Three others are awaiting verification: Grant Abraham, Joseph Bourgault, and Joel Etienne.
Conservative members will elect their new leader on Sept. 10.
