Western Standard - September 17, 2021


Election Special: Cory Morgan and the PPC's Chelsea Hillier


Episode Stats


Length

14 minutes

Words per minute

188.31453

Word count

2,731

Sentence count

182

Harmful content

Misogyny

2

sentences flagged

Hate speech

3

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

On the eve of the 2019 election, I'm joined by Chelsea Hillier, a member of a well-known political family, to talk about her campaign and why she's running for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in the upcoming election.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
00:00:00.000 Welcome to a Western standard special.
00:00:09.180 I'm joined today, right on the almost eve of the election with Chelsea Hillier,
00:00:14.520 a member of a well-known political family that's been going around.
00:00:18.280 I've known Russ for quite some time, but I haven't, haven't met you.
00:00:21.160 So good to meet you, Chelsea.
00:00:22.560 And thanks for coming on the show.
00:00:24.000 Thank you for having me.
00:00:25.000 So you're running for the PPC in Elgin, Middlesex, London.
00:00:31.380 That's right.
00:00:32.300 And how's that campaign been going?
00:00:34.500 It's been amazing.
00:00:36.820 This campaign has been better than we could have imagined.
00:00:41.380 We knew that there was going to be a lot of support out here.
00:00:44.460 This is a very sort of freedom oriented place, but it's exceeded all of our expectations.
00:00:52.720 Yeah.
00:00:53.020 Well, it's been raising a lot of eyebrows finally, I guess you could almost say.
00:00:56.700 I mean, it's like a lot of the establishment media and establishment parties just wanted
00:01:00.700 to pretend that Bernier and the PPC weren't even there.
00:01:04.040 And despite that, they've been kind of taking the country by storm and posting some numbers
00:01:09.400 that people really never anticipated.
00:01:12.200 Yeah.
00:01:12.540 You know what?
00:01:13.080 It's an amazing thing.
00:01:14.100 So, of course, we're the only political party right now who's speaking out against lockdowns,
00:01:19.280 vaccine passports, COVID mandates in general.
00:01:22.780 And in doing so, we've also been able to drop crowds.
00:01:28.180 And we're really about bringing as many people together as possible.
00:01:32.780 I've said since the beginning of this entire COVID madness that started in March, 2020,
00:01:37.720 that the power that we have in the freedom movement is that we're not afraid to actually
00:01:43.260 get together and be with one another.
00:01:45.500 And I think that's what you see happening at all of these rallies.
00:01:48.020 It's like an outlet for all of these people who have been locked down and managed for 18 months.
00:01:55.460 Yeah, and you've been pulling support, I've found, from almost all over the political spectrum.
00:02:01.140 I mean, probably predominantly conservative, but I think the fact that it is kind of the
00:02:05.680 one and only personal freedom, anti-lockdown sort of party that you would be able to do that.
00:02:10.740 And I think that kind of deflates a little bit of the vote split fearmongering that some
00:02:14.180 anti-PPC people are putting out there.
00:02:15.900 Absolutely.
00:02:16.600 We 100% have support from across the political spectrum.
00:02:20.500 We've seen huge numbers come from traditional NDP voters who, you know, they really want
00:02:28.940 the vaccine is really what did it for most of them, I think.
00:02:32.480 But, you know, those traditional voters, like they wanted to be left alone to live the lives 0.56
00:02:37.020 that they choose to live for themselves.
00:02:39.360 And so we see these people coming to the party in droves.
00:02:43.880 And I think it's an amazing thing, incredible unification message that's happening.
00:02:48.820 So it's been great.
00:02:52.260 So with that base, though, let's kind of skip ahead to the day after the election, say there's
00:02:57.900 a couple of seats or no seats or whatever it may have been.
00:02:59.700 I mean, there's no doubt the PPC has made a mark and established itself, but there's kind
00:03:04.120 of almost a hard cap to the people who are anti-restriction and so on, like to broaden the
00:03:08.240 party out, or if you're looking for to be a lasting entity, where do you think the PPC would
00:03:12.180 go to establish itself?
00:03:14.360 Yeah.
00:03:14.580 So, of course, we have an entire platform outside of the COVID narrative.
00:03:18.340 It's just that we've sort of been bolstered by what's happened.
00:03:21.960 I think that the message that we have really at its core is that every individual matters.
00:03:28.620 And as our country moves to collectivism and we see the degradation and diminishment of
00:03:34.200 the value of the individual in this society, we are the only ones fighting back and speaking
00:03:40.060 out against that.
00:03:41.060 And I think that that message resonates with people.
00:03:44.280 This idea that Canada is actually a wonderful place filled with wonderful people who are
00:03:48.360 actually very good people, you know, and we're painted with many brushes, you know, but I
00:03:54.940 do think that that's the core of our message is that individuals matter and Canada is an
00:03:59.640 amazing place.
00:04:00.520 And that's a thread that goes through every single part of our platform.
00:04:04.700 It's really, you know, it puts Canada first at all times.
00:04:08.740 Yeah.
00:04:09.220 Well, and we're getting so polarized with so many things.
00:04:11.920 Emotions are getting so high.
00:04:14.580 I'm just happy to see somebody speaking out for choice.
00:04:17.760 Like something, it's funny and it comes from both sides.
00:04:19.980 Like I've openly said many a time, I'm vaccinated.
00:04:23.720 I do think it's a good idea for people to get vaccinated.
00:04:26.100 I just don't ever want to see them forced to get vaccinated.
00:04:28.880 There's a big line.
00:04:29.800 But when I take that stance, I tend to get it from both sides.
00:04:33.120 And no, I, you know what?
00:04:35.020 Like, I don't think that there's anyone, there's certainly no one working on my campaign
00:04:39.640 who believes that you should be forced not to get vaccinated.
00:04:43.480 There is certainly just the message that you should be free to make the choice that is
00:04:49.060 right for you.
00:04:49.800 And that's, that's for vaccination and many other issues.
00:04:53.360 Um, you know, and I, I get, I get phone calls every single day from the time I wake up in
00:04:58.020 the morning till the time I go to bed from people right now who are devastated because
00:05:02.440 their children are being excluded from extracurriculars at school.
00:05:06.160 They're being excluded from their athletics clubs that they've been part of for years and
00:05:10.440 years.
00:05:10.800 And we know that this is going to escalate and keep going if we don't put an end to it
00:05:14.260 now.
00:05:14.480 So this is not anti-vax, this is absolutely, uh, empowering every individual to be able
00:05:22.200 to make the choice that they want to make.
00:05:24.560 Yeah.
00:05:25.020 It's a, it's a pro-choice stance and, and, uh, and people are feeling cornered.
00:05:28.540 We're creating a segment of pariahs. 0.99
00:05:30.640 And unfortunately I do really worry that some people are very fearful of feeling very cornered.
00:05:36.420 And that's when we get on extreme reactions when they don't feel they have another outlet
00:05:39.700 to get out.
00:05:40.620 Well, people are being cornered.
00:05:41.880 You know, the other people that I hear from are people who are literally like within days
00:05:45.800 of now are going to lose their livelihoods over this issue.
00:05:49.500 And, uh, and they're creating a desperate class of people, you know, and they've been
00:05:54.840 doing it for 18 months now.
00:05:56.020 You know, the desperation just continues, uh, through like month after month after month.
00:06:01.700 Uh, you know, whether it's your business is closed and you're not allowed to operate
00:06:05.440 it, you can't put food on the table.
00:06:08.120 You're risking losing your home because of all of the COVID mandates.
00:06:12.100 Um, they are absolutely creating a desperate class of people.
00:06:16.120 And that's a very dangerous place to go.
00:06:18.120 And that, and it's also horrifying, uh, to see our government do this so blatantly.
00:06:23.620 Yeah.
00:06:23.880 Well, and, and, and watching people themselves, I mean, they've been whipped up.
00:06:26.800 It's a, it's a witch hunt mentality going on out there.
00:06:29.720 The pitchforks are out and I, I just don't like seeing this and, and it's very distressing.
00:06:35.900 Yeah.
00:06:36.480 I think, you know, with the, just specifically with the vaccine mandate, you know, you, you
00:06:41.360 disclose your vaccination status already, but like the, the message that I keep telling
00:06:45.860 people is like, you are under no obligation to disclose your vaccination status.
00:06:50.400 That is protected private medical information that you do not have to share.
00:06:55.300 And you shouldn't, whether you're vaccinated or not, you should not be sharing that with
00:06:58.400 people, you know, and if more people, yeah, but you know, I mean, this is a serious issue
00:07:05.740 and people need to understand what their rights are and, uh, and, and take control of them
00:07:12.140 and, and enact them.
00:07:14.900 Oh, absolutely.
00:07:15.680 Again, that's what I mean.
00:07:16.640 It always just keeps coming back to the choice aspect.
00:07:19.400 Yeah.
00:07:20.480 Now that the PPC is gaining steam is definitely gathering attraction.
00:07:23.420 Sounds like today in Alberta, there's going to be a big rally in Strathmore with, with
00:07:26.640 Maxime Bernier, uh, you're attracting the attention finally of the mainstream media,
00:07:31.680 but not in a good way for the most part.
00:07:33.180 They're going on about the, the vote splitting and so on.
00:07:36.140 Perhaps again, just to expand a bit on why perhaps the people can feel comfortable voting
00:07:40.400 for the PPC and not causing an outcome worse, you know, a cure worse than the disease, I guess.
00:07:45.660 Um, so I tell people all the time, um, vote splitting is a political strategy.
00:07:52.020 The narrative is a political strategy of the political establishment.
00:07:56.040 Uh, they tell you about vote splitting and they tell you that your vote is going to contribute
00:08:00.520 to this in order to manipulate you as an elector to not vote for who you want to vote for.
00:08:06.260 I hear this all the time from people saying, I want to vote PPC, but I, but I have to vote
00:08:11.260 conservative or else Trudeau is going to get in.
00:08:12.860 Well, no, if we all just voted PPC, then, then Trudeau wouldn't get in, you know?
00:08:18.020 And, and I, the vote splitting thing, it, it, it irks me, um, because it's just not true.
00:08:24.300 And, and it's just another way that our democracy is degraded and eroded through establishment
00:08:30.860 party rhetoric.
00:08:32.780 Yeah.
00:08:32.900 The standard took a formal editorial stance actually of just saying vote with your conscience.
00:08:37.080 That's all we would ever ask as a publication.
00:08:39.080 Uh, don't sweat all the other strategic stuff and everything vote for who you feel best
00:08:43.040 represents you.
00:08:44.900 Yeah.
00:08:45.020 Well, that's what our democracy is about.
00:08:46.540 And I think that there's another part of this that's interesting is that, um, people are
00:08:50.320 so focused on the leaders and that we've seen this in our, in our democracy for ages and
00:08:55.100 ages, uh, where people will say like, oh, well I voted for Maxime or I voted for Justin or
00:08:59.520 whoever it is.
00:09:00.740 Um, you're voting for the person who is going to best represent you in the riding that you live
00:09:06.700 in.
00:09:06.860 Um, so right now in the riding that I live in, there's a conservative incumbent.
00:09:12.480 And so if you're voting conservative, just to not split the vote, you're literally going
00:09:17.000 to get the same thing that you've had for the last six years.
00:09:20.660 Yeah.
00:09:21.600 You're not getting anything different.
00:09:23.120 Right.
00:09:24.700 So the other attention has been gathered and I don't know if you've heard this yet, so
00:09:27.860 I don't want to be throwing you for a loop, but our newsroom is working on this actually
00:09:30.420 right now.
00:09:31.100 Um, there was a recording of a teacher in Hamilton taken by a student.
00:09:36.080 Uh, they were breaking up the class, you know, a political exercise in class saying students
00:09:40.220 representing this party, this party, this party.
00:09:42.260 Uh, one of them said, well, well, I want to be PPC.
00:09:44.920 And the teacher outright came out and said, no, we won't have that in here.
00:09:48.820 The party has racist policies and it's not going to happen in this classroom.
00:09:53.840 And, uh, the student actually said, well, I'm excusing myself.
00:09:56.600 I'm leaving right now, but we're seeing things from public civil servants that really shouldn't
00:10:01.780 bloody well throw in their opinion on our students like that.
00:10:04.080 Plus, as far as I can tell, uh, I've seen more, uh, NDP candidates kicked out for anti-Semitism
00:10:10.200 than I have, uh, racism issues with the PPC right now.
00:10:13.240 Absolutely.
00:10:14.060 I mean, you know, this idea, I'll tell you a story.
00:10:18.300 Okay.
00:10:18.940 I, uh, a gentleman from the riding called me the other day.
00:10:22.240 He's a lifelong NDP voter.
00:10:24.140 Um, he's involved in the, the party and the, the riding association, uh, to some extent,
00:10:30.920 he's not a member, but, uh, very involved.
00:10:33.500 And we, and we started the call and, and he was sort of, you know, very, he, he was unsure
00:10:39.360 about speaking with me.
00:10:40.860 And I said to him at the very beginning, I said, uh, I guarantee you, I promise you that
00:10:45.260 when, uh, we are finished this conversation, you will know that there's, we have more in
00:10:49.260 common than, than you would think.
00:10:50.780 And so we spoke for an hour and after an hour, he said, oh no, oh no.
00:10:56.080 You know, there was distress in his voice.
00:10:57.860 Oh no.
00:10:58.820 He said, what?
00:11:00.340 I don't understand.
00:11:01.300 Why do people call you guys racists?
00:11:03.940 Cause I'm not, you know, we're not.
00:11:06.240 Yeah.
00:11:06.480 Uh, and, and I said, once again, just like vote splitting, it is a narrative.
00:11:12.400 It's a political strategy to manipulate electors. 0.70
00:11:15.300 Um, they know how powerful the message of the PPC is, and they know that if people hear
00:11:20.220 it, that they will vote for it.
00:11:22.300 And if they vote PPC, then we have to see establishment politics done completely differently
00:11:27.840 in this country.
00:11:28.460 And that means that the people who are benefiting today from the system will no longer benefit
00:11:33.220 tomorrow.
00:11:33.680 And so they want to do everything they can.
00:11:36.760 And so they pull out things like calling us racist, which we are absolutely not.
00:11:41.140 No, throwing out racists, it was always been the simple, shallow way to try and discredit
00:11:45.020 somebody.
00:11:45.400 I know from our Calgary candidates looking around, we have Edward Gow, who I know through
00:11:50.180 libertarian politics for quite some time and Harry Dillon.
00:11:52.860 And while I don't know the membership requirements for the white supremacist groups, but I'm pretty
00:11:57.180 sure there's something going on with those two that would exclude them from joining that
00:12:01.020 bunch.
00:12:01.640 Why on earth would they be running then if it was such a racist organization?
00:12:05.540 Well, absolutely.
00:12:06.380 And like myself, you know, my, my background is working in nonprofit.
00:12:10.260 I worked with immigrant and refugee women on workplace and cultural integration programs.
00:12:14.200 Like that's, that's what I did for a living.
00:12:16.720 I care deeply about all people, all individuals in this country.
00:12:21.700 Their lives matter and they deserve respect and dignity.
00:12:25.820 And these are, these are concepts that are very dangerous to the establishment because
00:12:29.960 it takes away the control power and money that they currently have.
00:12:34.160 Yeah.
00:12:34.720 Well, and a lot of people of visible minorities, I mean, they came from places with oppressive,
00:12:39.840 overreaching government.
00:12:40.580 They want to see limited government and individual rights.
00:12:43.480 So I mean, to keep assuming that these guys are supposed to be socialists is ridiculous.
00:12:47.980 Well, it is like, you know, much of our, much of our immigrant population are incredibly 1.00
00:12:52.320 devout believers in God.
00:12:54.340 Um, and you know, they, they also want to have the option to, uh, raise their children in the
00:13:02.080 religion that they choose.
00:13:03.700 And they, I, I talked to them every day on the phone.
00:13:06.160 I talked to them and they see like this, this push for complete secularism, um, as, as very
00:13:13.360 dangerous to their communities.
00:13:15.380 And, and so that's, it's an interesting thing that the immigrant populations and the first
00:13:21.000 generation, second generation immigrant populations.
00:13:23.160 And also just like the, the, the ethnic populations across the country are coming to the PPC as well.
00:13:29.540 Um, they're finally seeing the representation that they want without the pandering.
00:13:34.720 Yeah.
00:13:35.020 If people truly want to see a problem with discrimination, they can go to Quebec and
00:13:38.880 look at bill 21, but nobody wants to talk about that.
00:13:41.060 Exactly.
00:13:42.800 Okay.
00:13:43.140 So, um, I'll let you get back on the campaign trail.
00:13:45.740 Where can people find out more information about the party and your campaign itself?
00:13:50.240 Sure.
00:13:50.540 So, uh, the party can be found at people's party of Canada.ca.
00:13:54.620 Uh, myself, my website is Chelsea Hillyer, PPC.ca.
00:13:58.880 You can find me across all social media platforms as well.
00:14:01.640 Um, follow me on Twitter at Chelsea Hillyer and then Maxine Bernier, obviously is a good 1.00
00:14:07.100 follow always on Twitter.
00:14:08.620 Um, so there's lots of information out there.
00:14:11.680 We're really, really active on, on social media online.
00:14:15.880 And I've also got a YouTube channel that you can check out just under my own name with,
00:14:19.060 uh, some videos that we've done about what's happened in this last year.
00:14:23.140 Great.
00:14:23.400 Well, thanks for joining me today.
00:14:24.760 And we look forward to seeing how Canada is looking after Monday night.
00:14:28.300 Sounds great.
00:14:28.880 Thanks Corey.
00:14:29.880 Thanks.