(NewsWorthy.news) – Canadian Conservatives are drawing in retired Lt.-Gen. Michel Maisonneuve ahead of the country’s general election later this year.
Maisonneuve made national headlines in November 2022 for a controversial acceptance speech for the Vimy Award. Hosted by the Conference of Defence Associations Institute (CDAI), the Vimy Award is presented to the “Canadian who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the defence and security of Canada and the preservation of democratic values.”
Maisonneuve’s public speech, which received a standing ovation from senior military officers, centered on issues ranging from climate change policies to the perceived politicization of the military. Yet, in the following days, CDAI executive director Youri Cormier claimed his remarks offended “many attendees,” while then-Minister of National Defence Anita Anand also publicly criticized the Canadian veteran.
As a result of his public appearance, Maisonneuve was removed from the board of the Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans only weeks after becoming head of the organization’s fundraising campaign.
Despite being “canceled,” Maisonneuve found popularity with Canada’s Conservative Party, which has risen in the polls against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.
In September 2023, the retired lieutenant-general was called up to the party’s national convention, where he delivered a 27-minute speech to Conservative members. “Our country has been led by a government that has been focused on virtue signaling,” he told the crowd in Quebec City.
Despite his growing popularity, Maisonneuve has divided some within the military. Stephen Saideman, director of the Canadian Defence and Security Network at Carleton University, warned of the potential consequences ahead of Maisonneuve’s appearance, suggesting that giving a platform to Maisonneuve’s views could signal a troubling shift toward increased politicization within the military.
Maisonneuve responded to Saideman’s comments shortly after the convention in the National Post, a Conservative-leaning newspaper based in Toronto. His regular contributions, divisive as they may be, are sure to influence the Conservative movement in a crucial election year.
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