Maxime Bernier officially launches bid for Tory leadership

Calling it his "race of a lifetime,"Conservative MP Maxime Bernier officially launchedhis bid forhis party's leadership Sundayat an eventinthe heart ofhis Beauceriding, locatedsouth of Quebec City.

The event, complete with roast chicken dinnerfrom St-Hubert, tookplace Sunday morning at the Centre Caztel inSainte-Marie, Que.

Bernier was introduced by a video that focused on his love of running, which the candidate is making a central metaphor of his campaign.

"I'm in this race to defend liberty and individual responsibility, for the values of fairness and respect," Berniersays inthe video.

"I'm running to win."

In his address to supporters Sunday,Bernier highlighted the local values that hesaid lie at the heart of his political career.

"Beauce is a land of builders and entrepreneurs, of independence and integrity, of entrepreneurial spirit," he said.

"These are Beauce values, and they're universal values."

Critical of deficit spending

He contrasted those values with those he says are now guidinggovernments in Canada, including that of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"The state keeps growing and our freedom keeps shrinking. Almost half of your salaries are disappearing in taxes to fund federal, provincial and municipal governments," he said.

He criticized Trudeau government plans to undertake $110 billion in deficit spending in the coming years, which he called "irresponsible to Canadians, and to future generations."

Bernier said his campaign is based on a "new vision" of Canada's future based on the four key principles of freedom, responsibility, fairness and respect.

Signs bearing those keywords bobbed up and down in the crowd behind him.

"Imagine a country where those values guide all political decisions that's the idealI'm campaigning for," he said.

Campaign co-chairsJohn Reynolds, Jacques Gourde

Bernier was introduced by his campaign co-chairman Jacques Gourde, the Conservative MP for the neighbouring riding ofLotbinireChutes-de-la-Chaudire.

"When a man from Beaucesteps up to the start line, it's to win," Gourde said.

He said Bernier has everything it takes to be both the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, and the next Prime Minister of Canada, a claim that met with a standing ovation from the capacity crowd.

"He is capable, ableto make decisions a man who is fair and represents the values of individual liberty and truth," he said.

"He doesn't crack under pressure and we know he's experienced a lot of pressure."

Former Tory MP John Reynolds, who chaired Stephen Harper's first successful campaigns for prime minister,is serving as co-chairof Bernier'snationalcampaign andtook the podium to promote the candidate.

"I believe that under his strong leadership, the Conservatives will defeat Trudeau in the next election," he said.

Noting he's "been around for a long time," Reynolds called Bernier the "most qualified and capable candidate" for the Tory leadership.

Bernierand Ontario Conservative MP Kellie Leitchare the only two candidates for the Conservative leadership at the moment.

• Maxime Bernier enters the race to lead Tories into the next election
• Can Maxime Bernier appeal to voters outside of Quebec's Beauce region?
• Kellie Leitch first off in lengthy race for Conservative leadership

He was drawn into federal politics in 2006 in an effort by the Tories to reverse their failure to win any seats at all inQuebec in 2004.

Bernier captured his riding of Beauce with 67 per cent of the vote that year and has easily won re-election every time since.

Conservatives will vote for a new leader on May 27, 2017.