This article has been updated.
(LifeSiteNews) — Ontario residents in the riding of Durham, Ontario, will have the opportunity to support a pro-family candidate in an upcoming by-election to replace former Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole.
People’s Party of Canada (PPC) candidate Patricia Conlin hopes to restore freedom to Canada if elected to the House of Commons in the upcoming federal by-election. Incumbent O’Toole announced he would not seek re-election and will vacate his seat at the end of the spring session.
Conlin says she is pro-life, promising to protect life “at all levels, including … the unborn” and condemning the current government as “anti-life.”
However, on April 3, 2023, Conlin indicated on the Campaign Life Coalition survey of politicians that she believed a woman should have access to abortion if she is “violently raped.” At the same time, Conlin answered “Yes” to the question “If elected, would you vote in favour of a law to protect all unborn children from the time of conception (fertilization) onward?”
When pressed on the question today, Conlin indicated that she had since nuanced her position regarding abortion in the case of rape.
“I have shifted with violent crimes of rape to support the woman (if an adult) having pro-life counselling in order to help her make the correct decision to keep the baby or give it up for adoption to a welcoming family,” she told LifeSiteNews in an email. “I will vote to protect unborn children as well as all life […] .”
“I’m trying to love all people, all groups, and help move things forward to a healthier and happier country,” Conlin told LifeSiteNews in an exclusive interview yesterday. “That includes rebuilding our infrastructure, protecting life, stopping the corruption within places like Health Canada, and ensuring that people have access to high quality fresh food and can afford it.”
A Christian, Conlin revealed that her faith has played a central role in her decision to enter politics.
“One of the one of the most important messages in the Bible is to speak the truth,” she said. “And we don’t have any politicians in Canada speaking the truth right now. So once you understand the truth, then you can fix problems.”
“But if you can’t even see the truth, it’s very difficult,” she added. “So I believe that, having been called as a Christian to do this, I have been speaking the truth for years despite negative backlash and personal loss.”
She further revealed that she will work to serve all Canadians, not just Christians, saying, “Right across the board, from youth to elderly, from a new Canadian to an existing Canadian. It’s really important to me to help lift everybody up [so they can have] a healthier and happier and more prosperous life.”
A member of the PPC
The PPC, founded by former Conservative Party leadership candidate Maxime Bernier, has a long history of standing up for Canadians’ freedoms, particularly during the era of COVID lockdowns and vaccine mandates. The party’s platform lists medical freedom, the protection of children from LGBT indoctrination, the economy and support for natural industries as some of its top priorities.
“One of the biggest issues in Canada is that we have succumbed to propaganda. … Our media is completely hijacked and into a narrative that is pushing us off a cliff collectively,” Conlin told LifeSiteNews.
“One that is really playing out now is the climate agenda with Agenda 2030,” she added, referring to the Trudeau government’s plan to phase out natural resources by 2030 despite being told repeatedly that it is impossible and will hurt Canadians.
Conlin added that rising energy prices are “breaking people and we’re seeing financial suicides,” while many are forced to sell their businesses and homes.
She says that she intends to restore hope to Canadians, which she says she has already seen first-hand during her rallies and door-to-door campaigning.
“After my rallies, I had people come up to me and hug me and say they were considering suicide until I spoke. [Times were] so dark [in 2021, and] I know I’ve saved many lives,” she said.
Fighting mainstream media
As a candidate for a party that has yet to secure a seat in the House of Commons, Conlin has received little coverage by mainstream media compared to her Conservative Party rival Jamil Jivani.
Conlin urged voters to examine the candidates carefully and ask themselves, “What do they [the candidates] stand for? What did they speak out on? What did they have the courage to do in the past?”
Conlin encouraged Canadians who have become disengaged with the political system to view the upcoming election as their chance to make a change.
“When PPC was created and took a stand against lockdowns and mandates very strongly and … protected individual rights and freedoms, a lot of the non-voters were paying attention,” she said. “And those people are starting to see that their votes make a huge difference. They could swing … the popular decision.”
“I’m hoping that will continue, and then they’ll continue to realize that their votes are absolutely huge and significant,” she added.
Conlin further stated that running in the election, especially on a pro-life, pro-family and pro-freedom platform, has come at a personal cost.
“I lost many friends for trying to warn them that Big Pharma isn’t your friend, [and] that ‘safe and effective’ is more of a marketing slogan than it is anything else,” she said.
“My partner left…” Conlin continued. “My children were furious with me because I’d had a successful career before I started speaking out in the community.”
Despite the backlash, Conlin remains determined to run in the election, eager to restore hope to Canadians.
The date for the by-election has not yet been announced but is set to be disclosed between August 14, 2023, and January 30, 2024. However, Conlin believes that the Conservative Party is preparing to launch their campaign shortly, so she anticipates the election date will be announced soon.
Send an urgent message to Canadian legislators and courts telling them to uphold parental rights.