Three Ways Conservatives Can Win Again

EPISODE · Oct 16, 2025 · 24 MIN

Three Ways Conservatives Can Win Again

from Craft Politics · host Joseph Lavoie and Andrew Percy

Guest: Dan Robertson, former Conservative strategist & founder of ORB AdvocacyThis week, Joseph and Holly are joined by long-time conservative strategist Dan Robertson, who has an unconventional set of ideas: Canada’s Conservative Party can’t out-campaign a system rigged against it.Dan’s solution? Structural reform. In a recent op-ed, he outlines three controversial but compelling ideas to level the playing field—and maybe even turn the Tories into a true national contender again.1. Proportional RepresentationWhy the “first past the post” system doesn’t actually benefit conservativesHow PR could eliminate the Liberals’ advantage in voter efficiencyAnd why Canada’s system keeps millions of centre-right votes from counting at all“I’d love to see conservatives champion competition everywhere—except in politics. It makes no sense.”2. Mandatory VotingWhy the right underperforms in low-turnout electionsA civic case for participation as a duty of citizenshipAnd what Australia can teach Canada about centre-right success in a compulsory voting system“This is the bare minimum of civic service. If we believe in responsibility, this is a no-brainer.”3. A New Strategy for QuebecDan proposes the unthinkable: Fold the federal Conservative brand in QuebecInstead, back a CAQ-style provincial-federal hybrid partyAnd model a new electoral coalition—just like the CDU–CSU in Germany.“In Quebec, we’re foreigners. It’s not ideological. It’s tribal. We need to rethink everything.”🎧 Plus:Could these reforms actually help turnout?Why voter apathy might be structural, not culturalAnd how to build a cross-partisan case for political reform, even on the right

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Three Ways Conservatives Can Win Again

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