From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

‘Our woke leaders do not believe in merit anymore. They undermine one of the key foundations of Western civilization,’ Bernier said.

Leader of the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) Maxime Bernier introduced a new party policy blasting the so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda as nothing more than a “fundamentally racist, sexist, and discriminatory ideology” that “divides Canadians.”

“Our woke leaders do not believe in merit anymore. They undermine one of the key foundations of Western civilization. They tell us that ‘diversity’ is more important than competence. We see this everywhere in Canada and the West today,” said Bernier last Friday in Bowmanville while introducing his candidate Patricia Conlin, who will run in the federal Durham by-election to be held on March 4.

Bernier noted how the longer that “this (DEI) radical ideology is in place,” the more things will “fall apart and cease to function.”

“Because decline is the only outcome when you prevent and penalize the most capable and meritorious,” he observed.

In comments sent to LifeSiteNews, Bernier said bluntly that DEI is a “fundamentally racist, sexist, and discriminatory ideology that divides Canadians, creates blatant injustices, and undermines social cohesion.”

“Under the pretext of promoting nice-sounding goals, it does the exact opposite: it imposes a uniform far-left perspective, and unfairly gives more rights to some, while excluding others who don’t fit in official categories of victims,” he added.

Bernier also called DEI a “hateful ideology holds that our culture and Western society is irredeemably racist, colonialist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic.”

As for PPC candidate Conlin, she said about DEI, “Everywhere I go, Durham constituents tell me they are concerned not enough jobs are coming to our riding.”

“I am proud to work with Max to abolish these discriminatory hiring practices and help Durham residents get back into the jobs they’re already qualified for!” she added.

PPC reveals five-point plan to ‘abolish DEI’

The PPC’s new policy on DEI promised that a PPC government would “abolish all federal DEI programs and policies,” as well as “abolish all federal DEI programs and policies in the public service and in federal institutions such as the Armed Forces, as well as those that apply to federally regulated industries.”

Additionally, the PPC, should it ever form a government, would ban “DEI training sessions,” as well as all DEI training sessions “in all federal institutions.”

The PPC would also remove all “DEI clauses imposed on institutions, organizations, associations and businesses as a condition to obtain federal subsidies, grants, loans, scholarships, services, or contracts.”

In addition to stopping the funding of all DEI groups and those that support the ideology, the PPC would support “Canadian victims of DEI” as well as support “Canadians who are being discriminated against, harassed, vilified, or harmed in any way by organizations that impose DEI programs and policies.”

Bernier said last Friday that it is “Time to restore equal rights for all. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or DEI, is a far-left ideological fad imported from the U.S. which is being imposed on all sectors of Canadian society by the Liberal government.”

“We must realign our priorities in Canada. We must prioritize unity over diversity, equality of rights over equity, and meritocracy over inclusion,” he added.

Bernier also noted that a PPC government would “narrowly interpret section 15(2) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in a manner that proscribes reverse discrimination in all legal proceedings.”

“And finally, a PPC government will support Canadians who are being discriminated against, harassed, vilified, or harmed in any way by organizations that impose DEI programs and policies,” he added.

Bernier opposes radical transgender ideology, including the so-called “transitioning” of minors, and said because Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leader Pierre Poilievre supported Bill C-4, he “just bullsh–s with the same empty talking points.”

He has been a vocal opponent of his former party, the CPC, in which he served as a cabinet minister.

LifeSiteNews earlier this month reported that Bernier strongly criticized Poilievre after Poilievre banned his MPs from commenting on Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s decision to ban surgically “transitioning” children.

In recent years, there has been a push for businesses in Canada and in the United States to go along with so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” practices.

DEI usually goes hand in hand with a slew of identity-based social causes and grievances, such as the promotion of LGBT ideology, from left-wing groups pushing governments and businesses to promote “minorities” and to ensure ideological conformity in hiring practices. All the while, DEI seems to exclude the majority of the population living in a prescribed area.

Closely related to DEI is the environmental, social, & governance (ESG) scoring system used to incentivize companies to fully embrace “diversity” and many other left-wing values.

In Canada, the federal government under Trudeau has given millions of taxpayer money to fund LGBT groups of various kinds and aggressively pushes a pro-LGBT agenda.