The camp in favor of Jean Charest’s candidacy for the Conservative leadership is mobilizing. The former Quebec Prime Minister is still pursuing his reflection, and his decision, which was imminent last week, could take some time, according to information from the Duty. But in the meantime, his supporters will seek support. In the lot: former Conservative minister Lawrence Cannon.
“I have already declared that, in my opinion, Jean Charest was the best politician of my generation,” recalls Mr. Cannon, joined by The duty Wednesday. His opinion has not changed. “He is a man with great political judgment. And he would make an excellent leader that the Conservatives badly need, ”continues the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Quebec lieutenant of Stephen Harper.
His former boss had been able to “federate these different thoughts of a conservative nature”, believes Mr. Cannon, citing the case of the conservatives of the social fringe of the party, the fiscal conservatives or those more progressive who are concerned about the environment.
However, an aspiring leader like Pierre Poilievre — the only one to have officially entered the race for the moment — perhaps represents the most right-wing fringe of the Conservative Party and “would not make it possible to federate these different ideas on the Canadian conservatism,” says Cannon. “Because the thread and the nature of his conservatism is more allied with that of the Republicans in the United States, the one who is perhaps a little more to the right and who has a rather populist tendency. And that is what can create this gap in relation to the thinking that is shared by a large number of Quebecers. »
Waiting for a decision
Several Quebec Conservatives, like Mr. Cannon, want Jean Charest to bring more progressive-conservative values to the leadership race. The campaign is not necessarily against Mr. Poilievre, but above all a quest for a candidate who can represent the more progressive-conservative values of a good part of the conservatives of Quebec.
The majority of the Quebec caucus is of this opinion. Other former Quebec lieutenants of the party under Stephen Harper, such as Denis Lebel and Christian Paradis, could also support Mr. Charest. But several conservatives are waiting to see if the former politician will really jump back into the arena before speaking out publicly.
Mr Charest had started a serious reflection ahead of the last leadership race, in 2020, to finally withdraw after a month.
He multiplies these days the calls. More than 30 deputies from the rest of Canada have asked to speak to him, the majority coming from urban centers in Alberta, according to a source.
Those who want him to start indicated last week that his decision could be announced as early as this week. The timeline seems to have moved. The verdict would no longer be imminent and could even wait another 15 days, according to two sources.
The Conservative Party will announce the names of the members of the race’s organizing committee in the coming days, who will then establish the rules.
Ottawa-area MP Pierre Poilievre was the first to enter the race on February 5. A strategy to force a quick trigger, some say, while a longer contest would give outside Progressive Conservative candidates time to recruit new members and build an organization.
Quebec senators Leo Housakos and Claude Carignan gave their support to Mr. Poilievre, as did several deputies and former minister John Baird.
Many Quebecers fear, however, that he is a little more to the right on the Conservative chessboard. Mr. Poilievre has offered unwavering support to protesters against the health restrictions that are paralyzing Ottawa (although he has recently opposed border blockades), and he is calling for the immediate lifting of all mandatory health measures in the country.
The name of former Progressive Conservative leader Peter MacKay has also been floated, but rumors now suggest he won’t be in the running this time around. Mr. MacKay has been dragging a large debt since the 2020 leadership, at the end of which he came second, behind Erin O’Toole.