愛污传媒

Skip to main content

New 'Centre Ice' groups hopes to be 'voice' for moderate Conservatives: co-founder

Share

A new advocacy group dubbed 鈥淐entre Ice鈥 hopes to be the voice of moderate Conservative Party of Canada members as the race for a new leader unfolds, says its co-founder.

In an interview on 愛污传媒 Channel鈥檚 Power Play on Thursday, Rick Peterson, a former leadership candidate, said there鈥檚 a 鈥渨ide open鈥 gap within Canada鈥檚 political sphere, currently unrepresented by any party, but ready to be energized.

鈥淚n our Conservative Party, at times, those of us who are in the moderate centre seem to be a little bit alienated or not seem to be welcome at times. But on the other hand, the Liberal party has opened up the centre given the fact that they鈥檝e done this [confidence-and-supply agreement] with the NDP,鈥 he said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a very strong, robust group of Canadians, pragmatic Canadians in the middle, who are looking [for a] centrist approach.鈥

The Centre Ice group will officially launch its advocacy efforts next Wednesday.

Peterson said he鈥檚 got his eye on a few candidates who鈥檝e already put up their names, such as Ontario MP Scott Aitchison, former Quebec Premier Jean Charest, and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, with strong moderate ideas.

鈥淭he lines are clear in the sense that there are leadership candidates in this leadership race who totally understand and subscribe to the fact that we need to expand the Conservative base to the centre,鈥 Peterson said.

There are currently eight candidates who鈥檝e met the first deadline to run in the race that caps off with a vote on Sept. 10.

Listen to Rick Peterson鈥檚 interview at the top of this article.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.

Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.

A 54-year-old inmate at the Toronto South Detention Centre has been charged in connection with a deadly jail beating late last week that claimed the life of a 69-year-old prisoner.

Local Spotlight

Bernie Hicks, known as the 鈥楤atman of Amherst,鈥 always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.

Bubi鈥檚 Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.

Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.

Some Manitobans are cleaning up Sunday morning, after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province Saturday.

Avry Wortman, 13, scored two touchdowns on Sunday during her team's win in the under 14 Greater Moncton Football Association.

A gargantuan gourd 鈥 affectionately named 鈥極rangina鈥 by the urban gardeners who grew it in the front yard of their Vancouver home 鈥 earned the massive honour of being named B.C.鈥檚 heaviest giant pumpkin Saturday.

Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.

From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.

A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.

Stay Connected