Jean Charest spent the last official debate of Conservative leadership race stressing that his experience 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.
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.Article contenttap here to see other videos from our teamThe 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.
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.” 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.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.
Charest pledged to get rid of the federal price on consumer goods while imposing a levy on the heaviest of emitters. 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.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jean Charest pressed to outline political future after Conservative leadership raceJean 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.
Read more »
Conservative leadership debate: Jean Charest, Scott Aitchison and Roman Baber face offConservative leadership candidates begin final debate
Read more »
‘Leadership is about showing up,’ Jean Charest says, as Pierre Poilievre, Leslyn Lewis skip final Conservative debateThe former Quebec premier said a leadership candidate not showing up for the debate is like a fish who doesn’t want to swim in the ocean. The two candidates had skipped the debate over concerns about its format
Read more »
Jean Charest pressed to outline political future after Conservative leadership raceJean 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.
Read more »
LILLEY: Charest's team unveils plan for victory in Conservative leadership raceJean Charest’s campaign is trying to bolster hope among supporters that they still have a path to victory in the Conservative leadership race.
Read more »
LILLEY: Charest's team unveils plan for victory in Conservative leadership raceJean Charest’s campaign is trying to bolster hope among supporters that they still have a path to victory in the Conservative leadership race.
Read more »