On Wednesday night in Ottawa, three of the five Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidates took part in the third and final official debate of the 2022 race.
Candidates Scott Aitchison, Roman Baber and Jean Charest delved into some of the main issues of the campaign.
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 their supporters, and faced a $50,000 fine as a result.
Here are the main takeaways 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 was very different from previous events, resulting in more of a panel discussion than a heated confrontation.
The possibility of a third showdown was left open by the party when it announced the opening debates, but the decision to go ahead with a third showdown, with just weeks to go before all ballots are due, was strongly opposed by Poilievre and Lewis. who ultimately decided not to attend.
As a result, the party changed their plans and the event became a smaller 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 sat in a tight studio in an industrial estate located 12 kilometers from Parliament Hill.
The candidates and Conservative Party chairman Rob Batherson, who moderated the evening, were seated on low stools around one side of a round dining-room-sized table adorned with a conservative blue color.
According to the indoor pool reporter, before the debate began, a candidate knocked over a lamp trying to reach the table, and Charest commented that the setup was “weird,” saying he had “never seen anything like it “.
TALK A LOT ABOUT TRUDEAU
There was some anticipation heading into the debate that the absent candidates, Lewis and Poilievre, would be key topics of conversation throughout the night, but the name on every candidate’s lips was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
While there were some jabs at those who didn’t participate, Charest said candidates need to 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 present himself. , as the party had hoped, as the best alternative to the current Liberal government.
“There is nothing to be done. And yet we pay taxes for all of this, and you’d think they’d get their act together,” Charest said of Trudeau. “And there’s an urgency to change government, Canadians want change, and they’re looking to us as the Conservatives as an alternative. And that’s what this race is about, to offer an alternative”.
“Our response to Justin Trudeau’s divisive politics cannot be more divisive,” Aitchison offered. “We must lead with respect. We must deliver real solutions to the challenges Canadians face every day and produce a government that actually delivers. We cannot be the party that only confronts government, when we need to be the party that delivers better government that actually respects taxpayers’ money and delivers results. We also need to unite as Conservatives.”
As they took turns to present their policy ideas, the candidates also denounced what they see as a series of Liberal failures, from not ending all drinking water advisories in First Nations communities to the current problems of journey Canadians face at airports and at passport and immigration. offices
GREAT FOCUS ON PARTY UNITY
Another major focus of the evening was the unity of the party. After months of clashes between candidates, attacking each other over their policies, backgrounds and views on events such as the convoy protests, the three contestants made an effort to emphasize the need for the party to unify once a winner will be chosen next month.
Baber said he has never wanted to win another election, suggesting the country’s future is at stake.
“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 now prime minister,” Baber said. “It’s not good, is it. ? Well, we’re counting on each other to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“And that means we have to stay united for the good of our nation,” he added. “We all need to take a step back, take a deep breath. Slow down. Our party has nearly 700,000 members. It’s a credit to all the leadership contenders in this race.”
On Wednesday night, the candidates faced questions about whether they would stick with the party if they didn’t win the leadership; Aitchison and Baber indicated they plan to continue supporting the Conservative Party regardless, while Charest dodged the question, telling reporters in a post-debate scrum that his focus remains on becoming the next leader.
Batherson ended the night with a call to party members to vote. He said the Conservative Party has set records with its membership numbers and that each and every member should exercise their right to vote.