Don Martin: The personal antipathy between Charest and Poilievre is damaging the Conservatives beyond repair
While waiting to enter the television studio, MPs or strategists representing their parties on political shows are almost always a congenial bunch.
They sit in the green room and small talk about everyday matters like normal humans. From my hosting experience, there are rarely signs of partisan tension or personal animosity.
Only when the camera red light comes on do the combatants engage in the battle of their talking points. And even when the discussion gets overheated, there’s rarely lingering acrimony after the show goes to commercial. The odd trio of MPs have been known to adjourn for drinks together.
But watching the talking heads for the Conservative leadership frontrunners Monday on CTV’s Power Play with host Evan Solomon was to see a very different dynamic at play.
These weren’t partisans discussing differing party positions. They were strong intelligent Conservative spokespersons engaged in take-no-prisoners internecine warfare.
The clash between Jenni Byrne of the Pierre Poilievre campaign and Tasha Kheiriddin from Jean Charest’s team was toxic, personal and consumed with burning all the bridges which could reunite the party after the September 10 vote.
Policy differences were ignored amid a barrage of accusations and allegations flying over their rival’s failing fitness to hold the job.
After being accused of lying amid a cross-talk cacophony of bitter disagreement, Kheirridin nicely summed up the theme of the segment. “When you start scorched earth, eventually you’re going to get it back.”
So there you have the sorry state of the race to become Canada’s Official Opposition Leader, traditionally a launch pad to the prime minister’s title.
It’s scorched earth with a month to go before the FIRST debate even starts raising the temperature to a boil.
One can only image what the public will think of either frontrunner’s qualifications for leadership if this blitzkrieg of character assassination continues for the five more months until voting day.
By then the confused Conservative member will be convinced Charest is a Justin Trudeau clone and Poilievre is Maxime Bernier’s twin.
It sets up the spectacle of the first governing party of Confederation being ripped in two while the Liberal enemy is laughing on the sidelines.
This is much more than a generation gap between a senior citizen candidate talking child care while the Generation X entry preaches the gospel of cryptocurrency.
It’s antagonistically personal to a level I’ve never seen before.
Even before Charest declared, Poilievre was campaigning against him as a Liberal who didn’t rate true-blue consideration for the leadership.
But Charest lowered the bar to limbo backbreaker levels when he told CTV on Sunday that Poilievre’s support for the Freedom Convoy ‘disqualifies” him from leadership contention.
That over-the-top position could well be the first sign of Charest’s deepening desperation.
Poilievre is attracting big crowds to enthusiastic events where memberships get sold to people and their families who are pumped up to actually vote.
Charest’s gatherings seem more infrequent and modest in size with a low-energy vibe that falls far short of mania.
What’s worse news for the former Quebec premier, as my friend Chantal Hebert of the Toronto Star points out, is that the harder-right Conservative tilt espoused by Poilievre is on the ascendency in Quebec while the Charest-led provincial Liberals are in the polling dumpster. That doesn’t bode well for Charest, who needs a significant Quebec surge to carry him into the leadership.
And so, with 150 bitterly-divided days to go before the leadership is decided, the two leading rivals have embraced a strategy of mutual assured destruction.
If they can’t win, the other is going to lose as leader of a badly fractured party.
But for political show hosts, this much is undoubtedly clear: Don’t let Jean Charest, Pierre Poilievre or their respective spokespersons in the same green room at the same time. War will break out before they make it to air.
That’s the bottom line.
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
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.
Local Spotlight
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
Toronto-area dessert shop featured by Keith Lee forced to move after zoning complaint
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
'Oh Crap!' New exhibit at Canada Science and Technology Museum explores human waste
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
Regina police hope new biometric monitoring system will save lives in detention facility
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors bet on who will win Round 2 of the playoffs. Here's what's at stake
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
'No other life taken': Mother leads ATV helmet drive to honour daughter's legacy
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
P.E.I. lighthouse, N.B. river spotlighted in Canada Post series
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.