Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press Published Thursday, July 21, 2022 9:28 a.m. EDT Last updated Thursday, July 21, 2022 7:21 p.m. EDT
OTTAWA – The Conservative Party of Canada’s plan to host a third leadership debate in August could falter, with one candidate refusing to attend and another wondering if it’s really necessary.
The campaign of perceived favorite Pierre Poilievre announced on Thursday that the long-time lawmaker would not take part in the debate, facing the consequence of a hefty fine.
Jenny Byrne, a senior member of Poilievre’s team, released a scathing statement on Twitter explaining the decision after the party announced earlier in the day that it would go ahead with a debate in early August.
Conservative party rules state that candidates must take part in formal leadership debates or face an “automatic penalty of $50,000”.
“Participation is mandatory and no substitutions will be allowed,” according to the rules.
Byrne’s statement noted that Poilievre participated in the first two official debates in May, plus one organized by the Canada Strong and Free Network, an organization that promotes the conservative movement.
He also criticized the English-language debate held in Edmonton because it included sound effects and a series of questions about the candidates’ taste in music and television.
“It was no fault of the campaign that the party’s Edmonton debate was widely regarded as an embarrassment … the candidates were given ping-pong paddles to hold when they wanted to speak. It was more of a show than a debate,” the statement said.
“And this happened despite strong warnings to the party about both the moderator and the format – all of which were ignored.”
The debate was hosted by former political journalist Tom Clark, whom Poilievre’s campaign criticized as a “Laurentian liberal media personality.”
A request for comment from Clark has not yet been returned.
Party spokesman Yaroslav Baran said he understood “there are multiple points of view on the debates held so far” and stressed that according to the rules of the competition, attendance is mandatory.
Byrne’s statement said the plan for a new debate comes as Poilievre’s campaign works for a vote among Conservative Party members. The MP boasts that he has sold nearly 312,000 memberships – a figure which party headquarters would not confirm. This is more than the total number of members the party had when Erin O’Toole was elected leader in 2020.
The party said a record number of people – around 675,000 – signed up for membership ahead of the vote.
Members have until early September to return their ballots before the results are announced in Ottawa on September 10. Voting is now underway with most of the ballots being mailed out.
Poilievre’s campaign continues to attack fellow leader candidate Jean Charest’s repeated calls for a third debate, saying the former Quebec premier can’t draw the same crowd sizes as Poilievre did in the spring, when candidates sold memberships to supporters.
“That’s why he wants another debate – to use Pierre’s popularity among members to get an audience he can’t get on his own.”
In response, Charest’s campaign accused Poilievre of preferring to create messages on social media “than to answer questions in real time.”
“Jean has NEVER shied away from answering difficult questions,” it said, adding that the format of the French-language debate held in Laval, Que., was constructive.
Leslyn Lewis, a Social Conservative MP from Ontario who is also in the race, said party members had a chance to see leadership candidates lay out their visions for the country in the two previous debates, which remain online.
“I am not sure what value we are giving members through a hastily planned debate at the moment,” she said in a statement.
Like Poilievre, Lewis stresses that this is an important stage in the race for candidates to meet members and says he has a busy schedule of events.
“I’ve found that the concerns of ordinary Canadians are very different from the high-level policy questions we’re asked in formal debates,” she said.
“The issues facing rural Canadians have not been represented in the debates that have taken place.”
As for whether she plans to run, her campaign says it’s under discussion with the party.
In addition to Charest, candidates Scott Aitchison, a rural Ontario MP, and Roman Baber, a former Ontario legislator, also expressed hope for another debate.
Poilievre’s decision to skip the event means there will be not one, but at least two fewer candidates on the stage, given the recent disqualification of Patrick Brown over allegations that he may have violated federal election laws.
Brown has denied the allegation.
It’s also not the first time during the race that the scheduling of a debate has been scrapped.
Poilievre declined to participate in an informal while the candidates were at the Calgary Stampede.
The Independent Press Gallery, an organization that represents a variety of media and journalists, also announced it had to cancel a debate it had planned because not enough candidates had confirmed they would attend.
The organizing committee for the party’s leadership election said it had decided on Wednesday night to go ahead with a third official debate after polling members last week. About 24,000 responded.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Baran said.
Although officials and campaigns have only weeks to plan the event, campaigns were informed earlier in the race that their candidates could be called back for a debate in early August at the party’s discretion.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 21, 2022.
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