The current leader in the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leadership race, Pierre Poilievre, was attacked from all sides by the rest of the candidates during the first official debate of the campaign, held in Edmonton on Wednesday evening.
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The issue of abortion having suddenly invited itself into the Conservative campaign, Mr. Poilievre had to come under attack from the left through the mouths of Jean Charest and Patrick Brown, as well as from the right in the person of Leslyn Lewis, proudly pro-life candidate and MP.
Even if he assured several times that he had no intention of reopening the debate, the candidates criticize Pierre Poilievre for not exposing the substance of his thoughts on the subject.
In addition, the elected officials exchanged blows about the “freedom convoy”: some accused the leader of having been slow to show his support for the demonstrating truckers; the others, principally Mr. Charest, accused him of having supported an “illegal blockade”.
The Bank of Canada, enemy of the people
Pierre Poilievre has promised to fire the head of the Bank of Canada, Tiff Macklem, whom he accuses of serving as an “ATM counter” for the Liberal government, printing money on demand and driving up prices.
Declaring that the Bank of Canada is “financially illiterate”, as the candidate did, is “irresponsible” in the eyes of Jean Charest.
“If you are an investor who wants to come to Canada and you hear this kind of statement coming from a member of the House of Commons, you would think that you are in a third world country. We cannot afford to have a leader who undermines trust in institutions. The Conservatives do not do that,” castigated Mr. Charest.
A first debate for Mayor Brown
It was the first debate for Brampton Mayor and former leader of the Ontario Conservative Party, Patrick Brown, who used his very first speech to warn the public against an “un-electable” leader.
“The choice facing the party is clear: do we want an unelected leader who pushes voters back, who falls into liberal trappings, and gives opaque answers to divisive issues like abortion and turns conservatives against each other?” he swung.
If it was the acerbic tone of the exchanges that caught the eye during the unofficial debate in Ottawa last week, Mr. Poilievre seemed to have lowered the temperature, even appearing to revel in the attention given to him.
Wednesday Lightness
Moderator Tom Clark, a veteran English-Canadian television journalist, sprinkled the hour and a half of debate with more personal questions, which earned many laughs from the crowd and helped to get to know the candidates better. .
Mr. Clark wanted to know the book that the candidates were reading these days or their favorite television series.
In the “political hero” section, Pierre Poilievre chose Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, a Quebecer and Catholic who led the country between 1896 and 1911.
Mr. Charest, for his part, chose D’Arcy McGee, an Irish immigrant who was one of the Fathers of Canadian Confederation. He was killed in 1868, a year after the British North America Act.