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Preston Manning to speak at Langley’s TWU

The former Reform Party leader will speak on faith, politics, and the upcoming election
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Preston Manning, one of the key figures in conservative and Western Canadian politics over the past several decades, will feature at the annual Mel Smith Lecture at Trinity Western University this Thursday.

Manning, a longtime leader of the Reform Party, saw its rise from a dissident western movement into a national party that eventually merged with the Progressive Conservatives, forming the modern Conservative Party.

Manning’s lecture, Faith and Politics in Tumultuous Times, will explore widespread disillusionment with politics and governments generally, and the rise of populist forces worldwide.

He is expected to speak on the rejection of the left-centre-right conceptualization of politics by the younger generation of Canadians, polarization on environmental issues, and a lack of consensus on how to reduce income inequality.

Other themes will include national unity, western alienation, and identity politics, all of which are issues as the next federal election approaches this October.

Manning will also discus how Canadians with a commitment to the Christian faith can contribute to political discourse in tumultuous times.

The lecture is open to the public and will be followed by a question and answer session and a reception.

The winner of the 2019/20 Mel Smith Scholarship will also be announced at the event. The scholarship goes to a TWU student majoring in Canadian history or political science, who shows exceptional academic ability.

The lecture will take place on Thursday, March 14 at 7 p.m. at the Northwest Building Auditorium on the TWU campus. Admission is free.