On Wednesday night in Ottawa, three of the five Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidates took part in the third and final official debate of the 2022 race.
Candidates Scott Aitchison, Roman Baber and Jean Charest delved into some of the top issues of the campaign.
The half-English and half-French debate saw the trio discuss leadership, Indigenous issues, transportation, climate change, affordability, rural affairs and health.
Candidates Pierre Poilievre and Leslyn Lewis opted to skip the debate, spending the night with supporters instead, consequently facing a $50,000 penalty.
Here are the main takeaways from tonight’s discussion.
THREE CANDIDATES, ONE BIG BLUE TABLE
The decision to hold a third debate in the 2022 race was made months after the official English-language debate on May 11 in Edmonton, Alta., and the French-language debate in Laval, Que. on May 25. The format of the third debate differed greatly from the previous events, resulting in more of a roundtable discussion than a fiery faceoff.
The potential for a third showdown was left open by the party when it announced the initial debates, but the decision to go ahead with a third, with just weeks to go before all ballots have to be submitted, was strongly opposed by Poilievre and Lewis, who ultimately decided not to attend.
As a result, the party modified its plans and the event became a more pared-down affair.
Instead of standing behind podiums in a room with a sizeable audience, as they did in the other official debates, the three men and moderator all sat inside a tight studio in an industrial park located 12 kilometres from Parliament Hill.
The candidates and Conservative Party President Rob Batherson – who acted as the moderator for the evening – were all seated on low stools around one side of a round dining-room-sized table, adorned with a Conservative-blue tablecloth.
According to the pool reporter inside the room, before the debate began a candidate knocked over a light trying to get to the table, and Charest remarked that the setup was “bizarre,” saying he'd "never seen anything like this.”
A LOT OF TALK ABOUT TRUDEAU
Heading into the debate, there was some anticipation the candidates not present – Lewis and Poilievre – would be key topics of conversation throughout the night, but the name on all the candidates' lips was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
While there were a few jabs levelled at those who didn't partake, with Charest saying candidates need to be accountable to party members and answer their questions, those at the table appeared focused less on their opponents and more on using the night to pitch themselves, as the party had hoped, as the best alternative to the current Liberal government.
“There's nothing that's getting done. And yet we pay taxes for all of this, and you'd think that they would have their act together,” Charest said of Trudeau. “And there's an urgency to change governments, Canadians want change, and they're looking to us as Conservatives as the alternative. And that's what this race is about, to offer an alternative.”
"Our answer to Justin Trudeau’s divisive politics cannot be more division,” offered Aitchison. “We must lead with respect. We have to offer real solutions to the challenges Canadians face every day and produce a government that actually delivers results. We can't be the party that just rails against government, when we have to be the party that’s offering better government that actually respects taxpayer dollars and delivers results. We also have to come together as conservatives.”
While taking turns to pitch their policy ideas, the candidates also called out what they view as a number of Liberal failures, from not ending all drinking water advisories in First Nations communities, to the current travel woes facing Canadians at airports and at passport and immigration offices.
BIG FOCUS ON PARTY UNITY
Another major focus of the evening was party unity. After months of candidates clashing, attacking each other over their policies, track records and views on events like the convoy protests, the three participants made an effort to emphasize the need for the party to unify once a winner is named next month.
Baber said he has never wanted to win an election more, suggesting the future of the country is on the line.
"I want you to imagine a scenario: It's the day after the election, and you wake up and Justin Trudeau is re-elected prime minister, or even worse, Chrystia Freeland is prime minister now,” Baber said. “Not good, right? Well, we're counting on each other to make sure that this does not happen.
"And that means that we must stick together for the sake of our nation,” he added. “We all need to take a step back, take a deep breath. Simmer down. Our party is almost 700,000 members strong. It's a credit to every leadership contestant in this race."
On Wednesday night, the candidates faced questions around whether they’d stick with the party if they don’t win the leadership; Aitchison and Baber indicated they plan to keep supporting the Conservative Party regardless, while Charest dodged the question, telling reporters in a post-debate scrum that his focus remains on becoming the next leader.
Batherson ended the night with a plea to party members to vote. He said the Conservative Party has set records with its membership numbers, and each and every member should exercise their right to vote.
