Unlike many conservative Parties in other countries, the Federal Conservative Party made a concerted and largely successful effort since its creation until the last 18 or so months as Government to win the support with all religious and ethnic communities.  Arguably, it was their partial abandonment of that policy by playing up to a rise of anxiety amongst some Canadians regarding observant Muslims that was a major catalyst in the fall in Conservative Party support during that last year and a half.

Thoughtful Conservative Party activists must now ask whether the success of reactionary, exclusionist Parties abroad is now encouraging too many of their fellow activists to double down on the errors of 2015.  This question is important not only in narrow electoral terms but also in terms of what sort of vision of Canada the COnservative Party wants to represent and foster.