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Tory unity must have room for Bernier despite book, strategist says
OTTAWA — A Montreal strategist says the Conservative party was wise not to publicly shame MP Maxime Bernier for a now-stalled book that accuses Andrew Scheer of pandering to “fake Conservatives” in the Quebec dairy lobby during last year’s leadership race.
The controversy over the book, which has since been pulled from publication, won’t leave the party with long-term scars, whereas kicking Bernier out of the Tory caucus could have, said Alexandre Meterissian, a former Tory staffer now with the public affairs firm Hatley Strategy Advisors.
“Maxime represents an important faction of the party, Libertarians, who are part of the Conservative movement,” Meterissian said in an interview Thursday.
“I think Scheer and the caucus made the right decision to not kick him out, which would have alienated a big chunk of our voters.”