Local People's Party hopeful not concerned about recent poor showing

A local man vying to be the Sault's next candidate for the Peoples' Party of Canada says he isn't concerned about the party's recent poor showing in two federal by-elections.

Arnold Heino is one of two people currently seeking the space left behind after 2021 PPC candidate Kasper Makowski decided not to run again in the next federal election.

A vote of no confidence is being debated in the House of Commons tomorrow by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, which would spark an election if passed. That motion is unlikely to pass, with the NDP and Bloc stating they will not support it.

Heino said he would like to see the Liberals and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau given their walking papers, but notes it will be difficult while some other parties continue to support the minority government.

"I think a lot of Canadians are fed up with politics," he said. "They promise one thing but they never do it."

Marin Masse, spokesperson for the PPC, confirmed Heino is one of two prospective candidates in the Sault, along with Harry Jaaskelainen, who represented the PPC for the riding of Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing in the last election.

"The party will likely hold a nomination race in the riding as both have confirmed that they want to become a candidate in Sault Ste. Marie," said Masse.

Heino has co-organized a number of protests or rallies targeted at Sault Pride, the local school boards and members of city hall. That includes last Friday's 'Hands Off Our Kids' rally, part of a Canada-wide protest for what the group describes as parental rights.

In the 2021 federal election in the Sault Ste. Marie riding, fewer than 300 votes separated winning Liberal candidate Terry Sheehan from his closest competitor, Sonny Spina of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Some have argued, with five per cent of the vote, PPC candidate Makowski was the accidental kingmaker for Sheehan in 2021, with the possibility at least some of the 1,993 votes cast in his name coming at the expense of Spina.

Heino said he doesn't see it that way.

"Some people are going to say we split the vote, but the way Canada votes in one election is red and the next election is blue. Canada votes to get the other party out and that's what is happening right now with everyone fed up with Trudeau that they don't look at what they are voting for. Most likely, the PCs are going to be the majority government depending on if the NDP and liberals and the Bloc ran together — which I can't see that happening."

Recent results from two federal byelections show poor performances by the respective PPC candidates in those ridings. In LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, the PPC candidate brought in 0.5 per cent of the vote, while the candidate in Manitoba's Elmwood—Transcona riding fared slightly better at 1.3 per cent.

With a general election expected within the next year, Heino said he believes his party should have not run a candidate at all in those ridings and concentrated instead on the contest to come.

"In the last few byelections, if you look at the voting turnout, it's been dismal, it's been brutal," said Heino.

In the next election, Heino said his ideal outcome is for the Conservatives to pick up seats in the east, with the PPC winning in Alberta and other western provinces.

"In the end, you would have a true conservative government. Then you would have two parties that can work together, but by the same token a party like ours will make sure to pull in [Poilievre] to do what he promised to do because then we could literally wipe the Liberals and NDP off the map."

The PPC ran over 300 candidates in the 2021 federal election, with none being elected, including leader and party founder Maxime Bernier.