A group of conservative public figures said conservatism has to be about uplifting people for the movement to be successful. .“Conservatism at its best has to be very intentional to cast a positive vision, because naturally we're concerned with the welfare of society and we see it constantly under threat,” said Communitech senior advisor Matthew Bondy at a Wednesday panel at the Canada Strong and Free Network (CSFN) National Conference. .“We need to do better than we are naturally inclined to do as intellectual and political defence to cast that positive vision.” .Bondy said conservatives need to have a positive temperament. He added the messaging from Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s office is starting to have the right balance of finding challenges and being positive. .Canadian Taxpayers Federation Federal Director Franco Terrazzano said conservatives need to be on the offensive and defensive. Terrazzano said he knows this because he “has been hit in the nose a bunch of times by a lot of smart people on the other side.” .“And so eventually you realize you really have to keep it tight because somebody whose really skillful will be a good counter-puncher,” said Terrazzano. .The federal director went on to say it's not always easy to be positive in Ottawa. He said one way to turn a negative message into a positive one is to use humour. .Common Sense Society Vice President of Education Murray Bessette said society is not moving in a progressive direction because one of the top grossing movies of 2022 was Top Gun: Maverick. Bessette said Top Gun: Maverick was a positive movie about freedom-loving people. .“The market’s there, but for whatever reason, conservatives have decided for the last 40, 50, years that we’re just going to ignore culture, we’re going to ignore education,” said Bessette. .He said the assumption was what goes on in universities does not matter. He complained about how progressives have gone into cultural, educational, and financial institutions and changed them. .Bessette continued by saying it takes courage to speak the truth. When he came to the CSFN National Conference in 2022, he said he was shocked when none of the five Conservative leadership candidates would define what a woman is. .Terrazzano said emotion matters. If it does not fire people up or make them laugh, he said conservatives should not put it out. .He praised the great work independent media does. One caution he gave was traditional media remains important. .When he goes into politicians’ offices, many of them have CTV or Global on. Undecided voters rely on traditional media for their news. .Bessette said conservatives should invoke liberty, prosperity, and beauty when speaking. He said liberty and prosperity do not exist for their own sake. .The vice president said liberty and prosperity exist for beauty and goodness. Conservatives are for the natural environment and stewardship. .Bondy said conservatives need to “cheerfully and self-confidently pop the woke balloon.” They have stopped caring about saying the wrong comment. .He accused the left of suffering from neurosis for supporting the woke movement. The mothers and fathers who want to take their children to school, go to work, and take them to soccer are done with it, but they are afraid of speaking out. .“We need to help them get there,” he said. .This panel comes after Poilievre said on February 17 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is the reason Canadians are divided. .READ MORE: WATCH: Poilievre says Trudeau is a divider.“His purpose is to divide and conquer,” said Poilievre. .“He believes if he can turn Canadians against each other, then they’ll forgot how miserable life has become under eight years of his tax hikes, inflation, and out-of-control cost of living.”. Pierre PoilievreConservative leader Pierre Poilievre
