My position here is that conservatives need a realistic approach to immigration that best serves and preserves our country's status and identity as a relatively high-functioning, at least for now, Western and First World nation. That status will not automatically maintain itself. It is fragile. It is precarious and vulnerable to erosion.
The 2016 election unquestionably deepened the divide between liberals and conservatives.
I get stopped by people on the Upper West Side of Manhattan - actors, directors, people that I revere - who are closet conservatives who feel the same way but can't speak out. And they think I am fighting for them so they can come out of the closet eventually and express themselves without worrying about losing their jobs.
I deal with gay and black conservatives who don't want to be called Uncle Toms of their politically correct Marxist multi-cultural unit structure. And they come to me saying, 'What can I do?' And I say, 'Lay low.'
In a country where the individual is 'innocent until proven guilty,' conservatives have been forced to actively disassociate themselves from an ideological lineage to white supremacists, anti-Semites, and other racist miscreants.
The Conservatives win when we have a positive message, an aspirational message.
I think the Conservative Party has a great story to tell when it comes to relationships with First Nations. I want to be part of the solution-identifying process, talking about, 'What are the practical things that we can achieve that the Conservatives can offer?'
Conservatives have to be more than just Liberals who are good at math.
We've shown Canadians that, when we have a strong message and when we stick to our principles, Conservatives can win anywhere.
Conservatives need to show Canadians our positive vision and why Conservatives believe what we believe.
