Candidates Scott Aitchison, Roman Baber and Jean Charest delved into some of the campaign’s top issues. The half-English, half-French debate saw the trio discuss leadership, Indigenous issues, transport, climate change, affordability, rural affairs and health. Candidates Pierre Poilievre and Leslyn Lewis chose to skip the debate, spending the night with supporters instead, and face a $50,000 penalty. Here are the highlights from tonight’s debate.
THREE CANDIDATES, ONE BIG BLUE TABLE
The decision to hold a third debate in the 2022 race came months after the official English-language debate on May 11 in Edmonton, Alta., and the French-language debate in Laval, Que. on May 25. The format of the third debate differed greatly from previous events, resulting in more of a roundtable discussion than a heated confrontation. The possibility of a third runoff was left open by the party when it announced initial debates, but the decision to go ahead with a third with just weeks to go before all ballots are cast was strongly opposed by Poilievre and Lewis. who ultimately decided not to attend. As a result, the party changed its plans and the event became a more debauched affair. Instead of standing behind podiums in a room with a large audience, as they did in the other official debates, the three men and the moderator all sat inside a cramped studio in an industrial park located 12 kilometers from Parliament. The candidates and Conservative Party Chairman Rob Budderson – who was the evening’s moderator – were all seated on low stools around one side of a round dining room-sized table adorned with a Conservative blue tablecloth. According to the pool reporter inside the room, before the debate began, a candidate hit a light trying to reach the table, and Charest remarked that the setup was “strange,” saying he had “never seen anything like it.”
MUCH TALK ABOUT TRUNDO
Heading into the debate, there was some anticipation that the absent candidates – Lewis and Poilievre – would be key topics of conversation throughout the night, but the name on everyone’s lips was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. While there were some jabs at those who didn’t participate, with Charest saying that candidates should be accountable to party members and answer their questions, those at the table seemed less focused on their opponents and more on using the night to showcase the themselves. , as the party hoped, as the best alternative to the current Liberal government. “Nothing happens. And yet we pay taxes for all of this, and you’d think they’d have their act together,” Charest said of Trudeau. “And there is an urgent need to change governments, Canadians want change and look to us as the Conservatives as an alternative. And this is the goal of this fight, to offer an alternative.” “Our response to Justin Trudeau’s divisive politics cannot be more divisive,” Aitchison offered. “We need to lead with respect. We need to deliver real solutions to the challenges Canadians face every day and create a government that actually delivers. We can’t be the party that just turns against government, when we need to be the party that delivers better government that actually respects taxpayer dollars and gets results. We also need to come together as conservatives.” While taking turns to lay out their policy ideas, the candidates also pointed to what they see as a series of Liberal failures, from not ending all drinking water advisories in First Nations communities to the current travel woes faced by Canadians at airports and at passport and immigration offices.
GREAT FOCUS ON PARTY UNITY
Another major focus of the evening was party unity. After months of candidates clashing, attacking each other over their policies, histories and views on events such as the protests, the three panelists sought to emphasize the need to unite the party once it emerges victorious next month. Bamber said he never wanted to win more elections, suggesting the country’s future is on the line. “I want you to imagine a scenario: It’s the day after the election, and you wake up and Justin Trudeau is re-elected prime minister, or even worse, Chrystia Freeland is prime minister now,” Baber said. “No good, right Well, we’re relying on each other to make sure that doesn’t happen. “And that means we must stick together for the sake of our nation,” he added. “We all need to take a step back, take a deep breath. Simmer. Our party has nearly 700,000 members. It’s a belief for every front-runner in this race.” On Wednesday night, the candidates faced questions about whether they would remain in the party if they did not win the leadership. Aitchison and Baber said they plan to continue supporting the Conservative Party regardless, while Charest dodged the question, telling reporters in a post-debate debate that his focus remains on becoming the next leader. Batherson closed the evening with an appeal to party members to vote. He said the Conservative Party had achieved record membership numbers and every member should exercise their right to vote.
