Charest pressed on political future after Conservative leadership race
Jean Charest spent the last official debate of the federal Conservative leadership race on Wednesday stressing that his experience as a political leader is what the party needs to unite.
But with six weeks left in the contest, the former Quebec premier, who once led the erstwhile federal Progressive Conservative party, would not say whether he plans to remain within the Conservative Party of Canada if another candidate is revealed as the winner on Sept. 10.
Conservative MP Scott Aitchison, the former mayor of Huntsville, Ont., who was first elected to the House of Commons in 2019, said he would keep his seat no matter the outcome.
"Can you honestly say that if you do not win this race, that you will be here on Sept. 11 helping Leslyn (Lewis), Pierre (Poilievre) and me unite our party?" Aitchison asked Charest in the debate.
While delivering his final pitch to members, Charest said he has been a lifelong Tory.
"To answer Scott's question, I have all my life been a conservative. I believe in conservative values," Charest, who led the Quebec Liberals, the main federalist party in the province, for 14 years. "I led a coalition government in Quebec because, as a conservative, I believed in the unity of this country."
Pressed again after the debate was over, Charest told reporters he is focused on winning.
Charest, who is working to persuade party members to pick him as their first choice on the ranked ballot, is counting in particular on votes from those in his home province of Quebec, as well as Ontario and Atlantic Canada.
Charest pointed out during the debate that a majority of the more than 670,000 members who signed up to vote have not yet done so, suggesting they are still making up their minds.
The Conservative party reported Wednesday that about 150,000 ballots have been returned so far ahead of the Sept. 6 deadline to vote. It estimates about 400,000 people are new to the party.
Throughout the evening Charest repeatedly pointed out how he showed up to the event, unlike Poilievre, the Ottawa-area MP considered Charest's main rival, and with Lewis, a rookie MP who placed third in the party's 2020 leadership contest.
"If we are going to unite the party, you have to show up," Charest said.
- Where the five Conservative leadership candidates stand on key policy issues
- Meet the five candidates vying to be the next Conservative leader
He also said a candidate not showing up for leadership debate "is like a fish who says he doesn't wan to swim in the ocean."
In Regina, Poilievre told a campaign rally on Wednesday that he was happy to be with the crowd.
"I could have been cooped up in a little hotel room around a small table listening to a defeated Liberal premier drone on," Poilievre said in a video of the event streamed live on YouTube.
The party organized the debate over the past two weeks and opted for a low-profile setup, held at a small Ottawa studio without an in-person audience.
The three participating candidates — Aitchison, Charest and Roman Baber, a former member of the Ontario legislature — were packed into a small photography studio and seated around a table, rather than standing at podiums.
Before the debate began, Charest, who had pushed the party to hold a third official debate, described the setup as "bizarre," adding: “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Poilievre and Lewis risk being fined $50,000 for skipping the event. Although party rules say the penalty for any candidate who decides to skip an official debate is automatic, the party's leadership election organizing committee will have the final say.
The three candidates began by reflecting on what they had heard from Canadians and party members during the contest, which began after the Conservative caucus voted to oust former leader Erin O'Toole from the top job in February.
Charest pitched himself as the only candidate who could change the Conservative party's record of losing consecutive federal elections — in 2015, 2019 and 2021 — to the Liberals led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, after having spent nine years in power under Stephen Harper.
"You have had enough of losing," said Charest.
Baber, who was booted from Ontario Premier Doug Ford's caucus for opposing lockdowns, said he would continue to stand up for Canadians affected by COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
He also stressed that he is not afraid to stand up for his values, including against the Liberal's climate agenda.
At one point, he said to deal with climate change he would look to increase the amount of trees planted annually in the country.
"I love trees," he said.
Aitchison, who throughout the race has struck an optimistic tone, said he believes Canada can keep its commitment to reach net-zero emissions while cancelling the national carbon price, which is a favourite rallying cry among party faithful.
Charest pledged to get rid of the federal price on consumer goods while imposing a levy on the heaviest of emitters.
He said the party must present a credible climate plan if it hopes to win the chance at government and highlighted his experience developing climate plans as Quebec's premier.
"A slogan is not a climate plan," said Charest, who was federal environment minister under former prime minister Brian Mulroney.
The debate, which included 45 minutes in English followed by an equal amount of time in French, featured more friendly discussion than sparring between candidates.
Besides fielding questions on fighting climate change, they also spoke affordability, fixing travel in Canada, advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
Party president Rob Batherson, who moderated the debate, told candidates and viewers "we don't have any sad trombones in this debate."
He was referring to sound effects used during the official English-language debate in May, which many party members, including Poilievre, heavily criticized.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2022.
With files from Sarah Ritchie.
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Happy tears' of victim's sister after prison attack on serial killer Robert Pickton
Cynthia Cardinal said she was 'overwhelmed' with happiness when she received a text message on Monday with the news that serial killer Robert Pickton, who murdered her sister, was attacked in prison. She called it 'karma.'
DEVELOPING Police investigating suspicious substance near U.S. Capitol
U.S. Capitol Police were investigating a suspicious substance Wednesday on a street near the Capitol and where the Republican National Committee headquarters are located, the police said in a statement.
Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests
As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay.
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Interpol says more than 1,500 stolen Canadian vehicles identified since February
Interpol says more than 200 stolen Canadian vehicles have been found each week across the globe since February.
Thunderstorms with tornado risk in some areas in Ontario, snow elsewhere in Canada
Canadians can expect a mixed bag of weather, with forecasts warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and snow in some areas across western Canada.
opinion Biden steals debate issue from Trump campaign, makes it his own
Donald Trump had spent weeks needling U.S. President Joe Biden for his refusal to commit to a debate. But Washington political columnist Eric Ham describes how in one fell swoop, Biden ingeniously stole the issue from the Trump campaign and made it his own.
'All hell broke loose': Passengers on Singapore Airlines flight describe nightmare at 37,000 feet
Passengers on a Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence on Tuesday described a sudden, dramatic drop as 'all hell broke loose' on board the Boeing airliner carrying 229 passengers and crew.
3 people dead after stabbing in Plateau-Mont-Royal: Montreal police
Three people are dead after they were stabbed in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough Tuesday evening, police say.
Local Spotlight
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Beyond books: Halifax libraries lends instruments, sports equipment, memory kits and more
Public libraries in Atlantic Canada are now lending a broader range of items.
'A special bird': The unbreakable bond between purple martins and humans
Flashes of purple darting across the sky mixed with the serenading sound of songs will be noticed more with spring in full force in Manitoba.
7-year-old Pokémon prodigy heading to Hawaii for world championship tournament
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.
VIDEO Born without front legs, this dog has been inspiring the world for 3 years: Dresden farm owner
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
From DVDs to rehearsals: Halifax theatre company transforms Video Difference building into arts hub
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.
'Another pair of eyes watching over me:' How a B.C. woman's service dog saved her from drowning
A B.C. woman says her service dog pulled her from a lake moments before she had a seizure, saving her life.
Starbucks fan on decades-long journey to visit every store in the world
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.
'Sacred work': Sask. First Nation learning how to conduct its own underground searches
Members of Piapot First Nation, students from the University of Winnipeg and various other professionals are learning new techniques that will hopefully be used for ground searches of potential unmarked grave sites in the future.