Article Author:
Canadian Press
Stephanie Taylor
Discussion, same words kept repeating.
Unite. More precisely, its necessity.
The contest, viewed largely as a battle for the party's soul, will see what will be needed to achieve unity after the results are known on September 15. , leading to decades of rifts between the groups that make up the very coalition. 10.
As the question lingers, many inside and outside the party are gearing up for a scenario in which Pierre Polivre wins.
Much of that thinking stems from the popularity of his MP over the years among established grassroots and what his campaign claims to have been his over 300,000 memberships. Based on his ability to collect and sell.
But after winning, there is the challenge of leading.
Gary Keller, former chief of staff to Rona Ambrose, who served as the party's interim leader after the party lost power in 2015, said ``someone has to think about the next morning.''
Of the other 118 caucus members, a whopping 62 supported Poilievre. This compares to the party's leadership race in 2020, when the caucuses were more evenly split between Peter MacKay and eventual winner Erin O'Toole.
2021 Elections O'Toole's inability to manage the caucuses after being defeated by the Liberals in the 1980s ultimately led to his downfall. He was ousted by a parliamentary vote under provisions of the Reform Act.
Poilievre said his campaign of 'freedom' and his message would serve as a great uniter among the Conservative Party. says. But Keller said he shouldn't if some of the caucuses think social he can say whatever he wants in the media.
"I think people categorically deny any abuse of the concept."
has been accused of sowing discord within the party by instigating a personal attack on Jean Chareste of Along with president and leadership competitor Scott Aitchison, he questioned whether Charest, who has stayed out of federal politics for the past two decades, plans to stay. party after the race.
British For many years he was a member of the Columbia Legislative Assembly and co-chaired the Charest campaign. He warned his party members that the Liberals would win.
After criticizing Polivre's pledge to remove the governor of the Bank of Canada, Fast himself resigned from his role as financial commentator and ruffled some feathers at the caucuses.
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Kinsella: Justin Trudeau solidifies his legacy with fourth win Suppose? Elections this fall.
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Gunter: This is Jean Charest's vanity project
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Jean Charest got the final debate audience but supports the follow up.
"Jean Charest, a patriot and advocate of Canadian unity, has questioned his loyalty from party members seeking to foment division. It's a sad state of affairs that continues to be watched," said his campaign spokeswoman Michelle Cotes Mather.
"What exactly is the endgame here? We will lose the next federal election by alienating the Conservative MPs who support Charest. Trying to expand our base and win the federal election.
Although Polivre has a majority in the caucuses, most of the party's 10 Quebec MPs support Charest. support, which raises the question of what happens next if Chalest does not succeed.
Recently asked about the possibility, Alain Reyes, a member of parliament organizing the Charest campaign, expressed confidence in the former Quebec premier's potential, saying, The party "does not need American-style division," he said. Politics. "
"We are confident that our members will make the right choice," he said in a statement.
Center Ice Conservatives, a center-right advocacy group formed during the party's leadership election, says there is room for growth if the party moves away from the fringes and focuses on mainstream issues. claims that there is
Director Michael Stuart notes that both Chaleste and Poirivre have policies that appeal to the centrist, and what we hear from their group's supporters is that there is a lot of "table pressure" such as economic growth. a desire to focus more on the "problem". and work.
"There are a lot of noise distractions around, such as vaccines and convoys." But he also used the message of "freedom" to address the anger and frustration people felt due to government-imposed COVID-19 rules, such as vaccine and mask mandates.
How he treats social conservatives is an open question.
Polivre promised that no government under his leadership would introduce or pass laws restricting access to abortion. Jack Fonseca, the Coalition's political activist, said many of those who strongly oppose mandatory vaccines share values with social conservatives.
"They mostly stand for liberty, they stand for family, they stand for life and faith," he said.
Social conservatives have traditionally been mobilized as part of the party's base during leadership elections, contributing to the victories of O'Toole and former leader Andrew Scheer. Race.
Fonseca and other anti-abortion groups urge members to select social conservative Leslyn Lewis as their first choice, but he argues that the "liberal conservatives" Polivre has hired are He said he expects results.
That includes giving Lewis the role of critic, he said.
"He will be forced to face that reality and offer policy commitments to his base of liberal and social conservatives."
"Yes. If you don't, the danger is you'll end up as a flip-flop like Erin O'Toole," he said, referring to the walkback promised by the former leader after taking over the leadership. 151}
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