A second chance for Mad Max? Libertarian Party leader offers to step aside for Bernier – National Post

In the wake of Maxime Berniers loss to Andrew Scheer in the federal Conservative leadership race, another party has offered the Quebec MP its leadership: the Libertarian Party of Canada.

The Libertarian Partys current leader, Tim Moen, posted a video to YouTube Sunday promising to immediately step aside and nominate Bernier as leader should he accept the offer. The party also plans to adopt Berniers platform whether or not he joins them, Moen said.

I know Max and I know hes a solid libertarian, Moen said in an interview with the National Post. He hopes Berniers supporters shift their allegiance to the Libertarians, which he says will force the Conservative Party to consider adopting libertarian policies.

He could take a lot of political market-share away from the Conservative Party, he said. I think they need to be disciplined by the market.

Bernier finished a close second to Andrew Scheer in the Conservative leadership race, taking roughly 49 per cent of the available points toScheers almost 51 per cent. He campaigned on a platform that included lowering corporate taxes from 15 to 10 per cent, eliminating the capital gains tax and abolishing Canadas supply management system for dairy, eggs and poultry.

Moen said the popularity of Berniers platform shows that voters are interested in taking baby steps towards libertarian policies.

Maxs platform offers people something that is realistic and something that a libertarian can live with and embrace, he said. Itll show that were serious about winning some votes here.

Berniers office did not respond to a request for comment before deadline Monday.

The Libertarian Party of Canada was founded in 1973 with the mission of reducing the responsibilities and expenses of the Canadian government, according to the partys website. The party today has roughly 10,000 members, according to Moen.

The partys current platform which Moen says takes a more philosophically purist approach than Berniers plan includes proposals to establish a maximum federal income tax of 15 per cent, withdraw Canadian forces from all international conflicts and repeal the Canada Health Act to make healthcare a purely provincial responsibility.

Moen, who works as a firefighter and paramedic in Fort McMurray, has been leader of the Libertarian Party since 2014. He says hes reached out to Bernier (I sent him a text, he said) and he and Bernier will speak about the invitation this week.

Hes not sure if Bernier is at all interested, but said he felt he would be remiss not to provide the option.

I hope he takes me up on the offer, but Im not holding my breath.

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A second chance for Mad Max? Libertarian Party leader offers to step aside for Bernier - National Post