EDMONTON –
Six candidates vying for the next Conservative Party of Canada leader will meet on stage tonight for the first of two official debates.
The Edmonton event comes less than a week after five of the six contenders showed a fierce performance during an informal debate in Ottawa, with a strong focus on fighting COVID-19 mandates and the recent convoy protest in the nation’s capital.
Tonight, candidates will ask questions on topics such as the future of energy, the environment, law and order, the cost of living and the North.
The debate will feature Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton, Ont., Who chose to sell his party membership last week instead of attending the Ottawa event.
His opponents include longtime lawmaker Pierre Poalievre, whom Brown recently criticized for offering what he called “crazy investment advice” because he said the cryptocurrency bitcoin was a solution to inflation.
Poilievre also defended himself last week against his fellow MP, Leslin Lewis, who described the authenticity of his support for those who oppose pandemic mandates, as well as his position on socio-conservative issues.
Lewis, who opposes abortion, finished third in the party’s 2020 race, and again enjoys significant support from groups who believe in restricting access to the procedure.
The issue has resurfaced in the light of a recent US Supreme Court ruling that suggests it may repeal a national law protecting abortion rights in the country.
Ahead of Wednesday’s debate, Federal Liberal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos was expected to announce an abortion funding.
Former Quebec Prime Minister Jean Charest, who launched his candidacy for leadership in Calgary in March and presents himself as the serious national leader the party needs to defeat Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will also take the stage.
British Columbia MP Ed Fast, who co-chairs his campaign, recently called Charest an outsider in the race because he has been out of federal politics for nearly 25 years.
Another self-proclaimed outsider is Roman Baber, an independent Ontario MP who was removed from his Progressive Conservative Assembly in early 2021 by Doug Ford to oppose the provincial blockade that was in place to stop the spread of COVID. 19.
Ahead of Wednesday’s event, Baber issued a statement announcing he would break equalization, a program that sees federal revenues give provinces that have lower-than-average fiscal capacity to pay for services – deeply unpopular with conservatives. in Alberta. He also promised to reduce the income tax on Canadians.
During last week’s debate, Ontario MP Scott Aichison called on his fellow candidates to improve their behavior, saying their personal attacks on each other were repulsive to people considering a Conservative vote.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 11, 2022
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