Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre again added his voice to the chorus of political leaders who, nationally and abroad, are condemning the unprecedented attack Hamas militants waged on Israel.
“Our hearts break with every lost innocent life, both Palestinian and Israeli,” Poilievre said Wednesday in Kelowna.
“Let us remember that every loss of life in this conflict is the direct consequence of Hamas’s conduct. Hamas is a sadistic, genocidal, terrorist death cult and it must be stopped.”
Poilievre said “its evil and odious conduct” is responsible for all of the suffering that is being witnessed right now.
“So Conservatives call for the government to take action to counter Hamas any way we can,” he said.
“One way would be to impose more severe sanctions on Iran, which is the sponsor of Hamas, and to criminalize the IRGC, which is the terrorist arm of the Iranian government that coordinates support for Hamas and Hezbollah.”
All national party leaders have made similar statements.
“These acts of violence are completely unacceptable. We stand with Israel and fully support its right to defend itself,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
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Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly posted on X condemning “the multi-front terror attack,” as did NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who called for hostages to be immediately released.
“We fear what the coming days will bring. Terrorism and violence solve nothing,” Singh said.
The Bloc Québécois also spoke out on the attack.
“The Bloc Quebecois strongly condemns the terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel and civilians. The hostages must be freed without delay,” the party posted on X, in French.
“Only negotiation can allow the establishment of a sustainable peace in the region.”
While national issues took centre stage as Poilievre spoke, the speaking engagement was not without local flavour.
Poilievre blamed almost all the Kelowna area’s social and economic woes on the federal government, claiming it has suffered worst from policies the Conservative party is at odds with.
“After eight years of Justin Trudeau and the NDP, and the people of Kelowna are suffering the worst from the NDP Trudeau coalition,” he said.
“Here in Kelowna, we just got put numbers from the food bank and (they are the) highest in 41 years. The food bank directly attributes that to the inflation crisis.”
That, he said, is a crisis that Justin Trudeau and the NDP have caused.
“It’s now $2,000 to rent a small apartment in Kelowna, forcing many to live in tents. (There is a) very large tent tent city now, right on the on the trail, where which grows constantly,” he said.
“That is the direct result of his inflationary policies that have doubled the cost of housing, and driven up food prices faster than any time in four decades.”
With the exception of one term when a Liberal MP was elected in Kelowna—Lake Country, Kelowna and West Kelowna have had Conservative MPs.
Poilievre said a Conservative government would make home lower prices by axing the carbon tax, will cap spending, and will balance the budget to bring down inflation and interest rates.
The NDP said in a Monday press release that those promises don’t ring true and that Poilievre’s 20-year track record proves he won’t help locals.
“Poilievre puts on a good show, but that’s all it is — a performance. He gets up and says all the right things, but then fights to save big bosses a few dollars at the expense of working people,” said NDP MP Richard Cannings, South Okanagan—West Kootenay.
“Canadians are struggling to find affordable housing and pay for grocery bills, and they deserve to have someone in Ottawa that has real solutions to their problems. And Poilievre isn’t that person — he’s proven it over a 20-year political career.”
Poilievre will be speaking at a rally in the South Okanagan on Wednesday night. In the next election, Cannings will not be running and the longheld NDP riding will be up for grabs.
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