I was reading over Kim Schwenker’s Conservative Party website, and it is the usual single-page, cookie-cutter site. It is filled with the same old rhetoric Pierre Poilievre uses: Fix the Budget, Build the Homes, Axe the Tax, Bring It Home and the newest fearmongering slogan, STOP THE CRIME!
The Conservative platform seems to be borrowing from Donald Trump’s playbook recently “STOP THE STEAL” and are trying to instill fear in people, using lines like,
“Law and Order: We need to make sure our law enforcement officers have the resources and tools they need to keep our streets safe. They are putting their lives and safety on the line for the lives and safety of others. By cracking down on crime, we’ll create a safer community for all St. Catharines residents and for our police force who are putting themselves at risk every day.”
What is that? Let us not forget that this apparent “Rise in Crime” and the supposed lack of resources for law enforcement also happened under their watch, not just the Liberals.
But, as expected, Mrs. Schwenker and the Conservatives will point the finger at everyone but themselves. Mrs. Schwenker states,
“St. Catharines residents deserve to feel safe in their communities.”
I live in St. Catharines, and my dog Re-Lou and I go for walks all the time along Church Street and down to St. Paul, to Ontario Street and back, and we feel safe. Our family feels safe. My friends feel safe, and the people in our building feel safe living here in St. Catharines. So, I have to wonder, where exactly does Mrs. Schwenker live that makes her feel so unsafe? It is obvious she has not spent much time downtown, walking and talking with the souls who are around there.
When I walk along Church Street heading downtown in the evening and I see the many souls fighting addiction, I always ask, “You good? You alright?” And they always respond, “Yep, and you?” Often, they say, “Have a good night” as I pass by. And in the five years I have lived here, I have only been asked for change once. When I did not have any, the person apologized for asking.
I very much do not appreciate Mrs. Schwenker using the unfortunate situations of these souls as a talking point to get elected. No one asks to become an addict. No one tries drugs or alcohol for the first time intending to become one.
And while crime is inherent in any city, to imply that St. Catharines homelessness and addiction problem is a major part of the overall crime problem is insensitive. Instead of using it as an election tool, maybe Mrs. Schwenker should offer ways to help these people—offer real solutions. But again, she needs to wait until Pierre Poilievre tells her what her position is.
I do not understand why Mrs. Schwenker would willfully try and scare the people of St. Catharines with fear of crime. Why not focus on the great things we already have and how we can improve them? There is no need to use Trump-style terms like “Law and Order.” I thought we were better than that as Canadians. But when you follow a platform that is cut-and-paste and has no independent ideas, you are forced to stick to the party line and repeat whatever Pierre Poilievre says—like people in B.C. hospitals risking being murdered by a machete-wielding, crack-smoking lunatic. What else can you expect from Mrs. Schwenker?
If you look at Mrs. Schwenker’s website, there is no substance. There is nothing about what she plans to do for St. Catharines. It is all generic talk about how the Conservative Party will help the country, but nothing specific about job creation, homelessness, addiction, housing, or healthcare in St. Catharines. It is just a single-page, copy-and-paste website from other candidates running in other ridings.
Is this really what we need? More talk and no real solutions? Mrs. Schwenker is just a puppet of Pierre Poilievre, repeating his message to get elected. Ask Mrs. Schwenker what she plans to do to solve problems in St. Catharines? What her campaign is trying to do is ride the coattails of the party before she even starts, And that alone tells you what she plans to do herself to help the residents here. Unlike myself where I give actual ideas and am committed to executing them. If Mrs. Schwenker gets elected, you will never see her in St. Catharines. She will be in Ottawa, rubbing elbows with the elites, chasing a government pension, and maybe trying to sell houses on the side. She has no intention of working in St. Catharines or addressing the real problems we face here. How do we know? Because her website indirectly says so!
So when Mrs. Schwenker says “Be a part of the change” what she is implying is to support a different party but expect the same old results. It is just another way of rebranding the same political strategies that have been recycled for years. Whether it is the Conservatives or any other major party, the rhetoric may change, but the outcomes stay the same.
Real change does not come from shifting party labels, it comes from genuine new ideas and independent thinking, which are missing from her message.
Make the best choice, the right choice: Independent candidate Kory Read. There is nothing for me in Ottawa—my work is at home in St. Catharines!
Kim Schwenker for Conservative Party MP