(OTTAWA) Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has engaged in a “totally unacceptable” campaign of harassment of MP Alain Rayes by inviting party members to flood his constituency office with calls to force him to resign, says Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly.
Posted at 12:19 p.m.
If the Conservative MPs from Quebec preferred not to comment on the case on Tuesday, Minister Joly did not hesitate on Wednesday to bluntly condemn the tactics used against Mr. Rayes.
A few minutes before MPs gather in the House of Commons to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who died last week, the head of Canadian diplomacy protested against the behavior of the new Conservative leader.
“It is completely unacceptable. What Poilievre did was incite harassment. It is a lack of respect for his constituents and for democracy. But it also demonstrates a lack of judgment,” the minister said.
PHOTO DARRYL DYCK, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Melanie Joly
“I can’t believe the new Leader of the Opposition decides to harass one of his former colleagues. It’s serious. We come here to the House of Commons to defend the interests of our fellow citizens. We are here to represent them. We know that in Canada we have a strong democracy. But it must be protected, ”she added in the same breath, visibly outraged.
The leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, also denounced the treatment accorded to Mr. Rayes following his decision to leave the ranks of the Conservative Party.
“It’s a tough time for democracy when, on the same day, we praise the monarchy and send intimidation text messages. […] I was disappointed because I expect better from the Leader of the Official Opposition. It’s a bit intense behavior, based on nothing rational. It looks like a fit of anger. It can’t work like that. I expected Mr. Poilievre to be intense, but he crossed a line that I did not expect,” Mr. Blanchet said.
He added that Mr Rayes “is one of the most effective MPs in the Conservative Party when he was happy there”.
On Wednesday, close aides to Mr. Poilievre sent a lunchtime text message to party members in the riding of Richmond-Arthabaska urging them to pressure Mr. Rayes to resign as an independent MP. .
“ALERT: Your MP Alain Rayes has just left the Conservative Party. He decided not to fight Trudeau inflation with the united team of Pierre Poilievre. Alain, call his office now and tell him to resign from his post as an MP, ”the text read. The text included Mr. Rayes’ constituency office phone number.
“It’s disgusting,” exclaimed Alain Rayes on the phone, joined by The Press after receiving the text.
“It’s just amazing. I can not believe it. Pierre Poilievre has just confirmed once again that I made the right decision by leaving the party. I want more politics like this. I just can’t believe what they are doing. I invite my colleagues from Quebec to stand up and denounce this type of thing,” said Mr. Poilievre.
Mr. Poilievre’s office would not comment. Mr. Rayes’ former Quebec Conservative colleagues did not want to speak publicly either. But the matter escalated to such proportions that the Conservative Party was forced to post a tweet late Tuesday night apologizing to party members who received the text message.
“The Conservative Party of Canada apologizes for an automated text message sent earlier today to party members in the riding of Richmond-Arthabaska,” the text read.
“It was appropriate to make such an apology,” said former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole. “It’s time to unite. Our leader got a strong mandate. We have to serve Canadians. Alain Rayes is a good friend. We have to work together,” he said.
Mr. Poilievre’s political lieutenant in Quebec, Pierre Paul-Hus, said he was pleased to see that the party issued an apology, acknowledging that sending the text message was inappropriate. “The party has apologized. We turn the page. It was a mistake that was recognized by the party. Now, we wish good continuity to Mr. Rayes as an independent member. […] It shouldn’t have been done.”
“All of this is disappointing. The party issued an apology and it was the right thing to do,” said Tory MP Scott Aitchison, who was a candidate in the party leadership race and finished fourth.