Bill Kelly: Tories have to deal with Bernier

As federal Conservatives gather in Halifax Thursday, it’s looking more and more like the largest obstacle in Andrew Scheer‘s ambition to become the next prime minister may not be Justin Trudeau, but Maxime Bernier.

Bernier has consistently tried to undercut Scheer’s leadership, but he’s accelerated those attacks with his recent comments about immigration and refugees.

Scheer hoped that his condemnation of Bernier’s remarks would have snuffed out the controversy, but Bernier has doubled down on his views and the issue isn’t going away.

What’s more disconcerting for Scheer is that Bernier’s contention of too much cultural diversity is gaining support with ultra-right-wing members of the Conservative Party.

5:02 Should Maxime Bernier get the boot from the Conservative caucus?

• Should Maxime Bernier get the boot from the Conservative caucus?
• Scheer responds to Bernier’s controversial tweets
• Scheer won’t say whether he’s planning to take action against Maxime Bernier
• Controversial tweets trigger calls for Conservatives to boot Bernier
• Conservative MP Bernier slams Trudeau’s “extreme multiculturalism”

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The Liberals are jumping all over that and painting the Tories as intolerant toward Canada’s growing immigrant population.

That’s an unfair characterization of the Conservative track record on the issue, but Bernier’s remarks are feeding that perception of a mean-spirited, Trump-style approach to immigrants.

Even Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel says that Bernier has to decide who he wants to win the next election, Scheer or Justin Trudeau.

Scheer and the Conservatives have an uncomfortable choice to make; do they cut loose a popular member of their caucus, or do they hope that Bernier will fall in line and become a team player.

The Tories’ fortunes in next year’s election could well hang in the balance.

Bill Kelly is the host of the Bill Kelly Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML