These next generation leaders are seeking to be Conservative MPs

With Canada in a minority parliament, an election could happen at any time—meaning that the Conservative Party of Canada is in the process of nominating candidates that will help them flip seats, with hopes of defeating the Trudeau Liberals.

While those seeking the nominations tend to be further along in their political careers, that is not the case for Ben Smith and Matthias Vanderley, who are breaking norms and presenting themselves as fresh bold candidates ready to take on a political career in Ottawa. Both are running to be Conservative candidates in swing ridings, meaning that they will likely be elected to parliament if the Conservatives are successful in the next election.

Ben Smith, who touts himself as "Bold, Strong, and Ready", has a very impressive resume for someone in his 20s. He currently works as a broadcaster for Rogers TV York and hosts a radio show on WhiStle FM 102.9 CIWS. He also previously sat on the board of directors of the Ontario Student Trustees Association, a position which he earned after serving as a York Catholic District School Board Student Trustee. Now, he is seeking to be the next member of parliament for Markham-Stouffville.

"I have a desire to enter federal politics because there are significant challenges I see for our country. I’m proud to be a patriot, a believer in our highest hopes as Canadians, our best values. I believe I represent the type of strong and tested local leadership my neighbours in Markham-Stouffville are looking for, while also representing a new and fresh perspective." Smith tells The Post Millennial.

There are many issues that Smith would like to see addressed, from local issues like high speed internet access and transit, to national ones like defence and climate change. "Locally, I’m interested in partnering with the provincial and municipal governments to build infrastructure. I also want action on the Yonge-North subway extension, continuous water supply, and broadband issues in the rural parts of Stouffville."

"Nationally, I’m interested in how we spend on national defence and want to work hard to make sure our men and women in uniform have the tools they need while in action, and also make sure we have the programs and supports in place for them when they come home. I’m interested in ending boil water advisories in Indigenous communities and offering a climate change plan to Canadians that reduces our carbon footprint while not penalizing Canadian families."

Many issues are facing Canada, and Smith is greatly concerned about the massive amounts of debt that has arisen from Justin Trudeau’s big pandemic spending. Adding "I believe that the decisions being made by this government do not take into account the long-term impact on future generations. I believe it's immoral to burden our future generations with an unsustainable debt. Parents in my riding work hard to never pass along debt to their children, and I believe the government ought to take the same approach."

Smith believes that Markham-Stoffville would benefit from having him as an MP. Adding "I’m not a product of the status quo, I’m not someone who will disappear after the election. I’m committed to returning every phone call, showing up all 365 days of the year for my community, not just the 35 days before an election and I won’t stop until my neighbours' issues in Markham-Stouffville are resolved."

Just a little over 200 kilometers south of Markham-Stouffville, is the riding London West, where Mattias Vanderley is seeking the conservative party candidate in the next election. Vanderley is running as a "true blue," and also hosts an impressive resume. He first got involved in politics at the age of 14, and has since worked for the Ontario government, and with MPs, MPPs, and Ministers in roles varying from constituency outreach to research.

Vanderley shared with The Post Millennial his concerns with Canada’s growing government debt, the challenges facing small business owners, and Trudeau’s ideology. "I am worried about the ludicrous Liberal spending. Our debt to GDP is rapidly approaching an economic cliff, small businesses like my families are suffering, and Trudeau is now playing around with the concept of a 'Great Reset,' and as East Asian history teaches us, any idea with the word 'Great' in front of it, is usually the opposite."

The city of London, Ontario, where Vanderley is running, has a large youth population due to large post secondary institutions. He believes that it is crucial for the riding’s next conservative candidate to appeal to a young voter base, adding "I appeal to younger voters, which is vital to winning in a city like London, or the University City with nearly 60,000 young voters under the age of 25, disproportionally in London West and North Centre."

Unlike some politicians, Vanderley plans to stick to his convictions which include respecting the sanctity of life. He opposes Bill C-7, and said "I would advocate for what is right, which means taking a stand against bills like C-7, which makes it easier for people to commit suicide instead of being allowed to seek the help they need. The liberals have made a habit of making human life a secondary priority and political gain a priority, which besides being morally repugnant, it's also destructive."

Vanderley also pledges to stand up for religious freedoms, which some Canadians find are being eroded through certain government policies. He believes in going further than reopening the Office of Religious Freedoms, which was closed by Justin Trudeau. Vanderley would like to see the creation of a Ministry of Religious Freedom which would be in the forefront in ensuring that constitutional rights that regard religion are upheld and preserved.

"I believe creating a Ministry of Religious freedom is logical given the early success and the fact there are many redundant ministries created by Trudeau that will need to be replaced. Let's replace one of these ministries with a substantial portfolio that is the historic Office of Religious Freedom, which has proven its worth and its necessity."

Vanderley believes that not only the people of London West, but Canada’s political system as a whole would benefit from having him as an MP. "I bring the vim and vigour of youth, the experience from growing up in a small family business and an already established record of success in politics and government. I also bring a different perspective than most MPs who are far older and don't have a well-rounded understanding of the digital age and its impacts on our modern society and economy, something which is key for our economic recovery plan to adequately account for an economy where nearly 20 percent of all jobs are now virtual."

Vanderley has already earned some impressive endorsements, including former cabinet minister and leadership candidate Peter MacKay, MPs Arnold Viersen and Lianne Rood, and MPP Sam Oosterhoff, who is currently the youngest elected official in the Ontario legislature.

Both Ben Smith and Mattias Vanderley have campaign websites and are taking donations. In order to vote for one of them, you must reside in either Markham-Stouffville or London West, and must be a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.