Expectations high for Jean Charest in French-language Conservative leadership debate
A former Conservative leadership candidate says expectations will be high for ex-Quebec premier Jean Charest when he takes the stage in his home province for the party's French-language debate this week.
Rudy Husny says not only is Charest fully bilingual, but he must win the province if he hopes to win the contest.
The party's second official debate of the race takes place Wednesday near Montreal, as candidates only have about one week left to sell membership cards to supporters in order for them to be able to cast a ballot.
Longtime Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre spent the weekend campaigning in Quebec ahead of the debate, as did Leslyn Lewis, who placed third in the 2020 leadership race.
Husny, who is from Quebec and now works as a consultant and political analyst, says it's wise for candidates to immerse themselves in French before a debate in that language.
He believes Poilievre and Charest will largely dominate the event because of their ability to speak French and it's expected that a controversial secularism law that Patrick Brown has been campaigning against will be among the issues raised.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2022.
IN DEPTH
What key legislation passed, what's in limbo after Parliament breaks for summer
Now that the House and Senate have adjourned for the summer, CTVNews.ca breaks down what key pieces of legislation passed in the final days of the spring session, and what key government bills will be left to deal with in the fall.

What is Bill C-21? A look at the proposed firearm legislation and its implications
What does Bill C-21 propose to do? From a handgun 'freeze' to 'red' and 'yellow' flag laws, CTVNews.ca explores the federal government's proposed firearm legislation.
'Anger that I haven't seen before': Singh harassment incident puts renewed spotlight on politicians' security
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's recent encounter with protesters at an Ontario election campaign stop, where he was verbally harassed, is casting a renewed spotlight on politicians' security, with Singh telling CTV News that he's witnessing a level of anger he hasn't seen before.
Where the six Conservative leadership candidates stand on key policy issues
Six candidates are on the ballot to become the Conservative Party's next leader. In holding rallies, doing media interviews, and participating in debates, each contender has been releasing details of their policy platforms. Here's a snapshot of where the candidates stand on the economy, housing, climate, defence and social issues.
Liberals' deal with NDP will keep Trudeau minority in power for 3 more years
The federal Liberals and New Democrats have finalized an agreement that, if maintained, would keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government in power until June 2025, in exchange for progress on longstanding NDP priorities. Trudeau announced Tuesday morning that the confidence-and-supply agreement has been brokered, and is effective immediately.
Opinion
OPINION | Don Martin: The fall of Justin Trudeau has begun
'After a weeks-long survey of just about everyone I've met ... the overall judgment on Justin Trudeau is one of being a political write-off,' writes Don Martin in an opinion column for CTVNews.ca. 'He’s too woke, too precious, preachy in tone, exceedingly smug, lacking in leadership, fading in celebrity, slow to act, short-sighted in vision and generally getting more irritating with every breathlessly whispered public pronouncement,' Martin writes.

OPINION | Don Martin: It's time for the whiners to win and the government to unclog the airports
It's time for the whiners to win and the government to reopen the skies, a return to those glory times of flying when the biggest complaints were expensive parking, a middle seat and stale pretzels, commentator Don Martin writes in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
OPINION | Don Martin: A basic Doug Ford takes a middle-of-the-road victory lap in Ontario election
In an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin says Doug Ford coasted to majority re-election victory in Ontario by sticking to the middle of the road: 'Not too progressive. Not too conservative.'
OPINION | Don Martin: Premier Jason Kenney deserved a better death
There's a lesson for Canada's political leaders in the short life and quick death of Jason Kenney as premier of Alberta, writes Don Martin in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
OPINION | Don Martin: Ford on cruise control to victory in Ontario while Alberta votes on killing Kenney as UCP leader
It's becoming a make-or-break week for two Conservative premiers as their futures pivot on a pair of defining moments, writes Don Martin in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
ANALYSIS & INSIGHTS
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Some emergency rooms across Canada shutting down amid staff shortages
Hospitals overwhelmed by the pandemic’s onslaught are still facing a number of challenges, causing unprecedented wait times in emergency rooms across the country.

'Defeated and discouraged': Airport frustrations sour Canadians' summer travel plans
CTVNews.ca asked Canadians to share their travel horror stories as cancelled flights, delays and lost luggage throw a wrench in Canadians' summer travel plans, due in part to staffing shortages at Canadian airports. Some report sleeping at airports and others say it took days to get to or from a destination.
Gunmen killed in Saanich bank shootout identified as twin brothers
Twin brothers in their early 20s were responsible for the shooting that injured numerous police officers at a bank in Saanich, B.C., earlier this week, RCMP alleged Saturday.
TD 'significantly' downgrades home sale, price forecasts
A new report from TD says Canadian home sales could fall by nearly one-quarter on average this year and remain low into 2023.
Russia claims capture of pivotal city in eastern Ukraine
Russia's defence minister said Russian forces took control Sunday of the last major Ukrainian-held city in Ukraine's Luhansk province, bringing Moscow closer to its stated goal of seizing all of Ukraine's Donbas region.
Calgary's new 'Museum of Failures' aims to spark creativity
It's been said no one's success is complete without failure, but a new international exhibit in Calgary is proving that even some of the most talented innovators had some of the worst ideas for consumers.
Importing dogs from more than 100 countries to be banned in Canada
Animal rescue groups are criticizing a new policy by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that will ban the import of dogs from more than 100 countries.
Dwindling salmon stocks mean endangered B.C. orcas are going hungry, researchers say
Researchers in British Columbia say the province's endangered southern resident orcas have not been getting enough food for years, with some of the worst bouts of hunger occurring since 2018.
Tsitsipas calls Kyrgios bully after Wimbledon hubbub, loss
Nick Kyrgios cursed at the Wimbledon chair umpire and asked, 'Are you dumb?' He demanded to see a Grand Slam supervisor after questioning why his opponent, Stefanos Tsitsipas, didn't forfeit their ever-contentious, never-boring match for angrily hitting a ball into the stands after dropping the second set.