(Ottawa) In 24 hours, the three-minute message broadcast by MP Pierre Poilievre on Saturday evening on his Twitter account to announce that he was launching the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party has been viewed by 3.3 million times in English and 133,000 times in French.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
Rarely in Canadian politics has a message sparked so much interest. “I am presenting myself as future prime minister to give you back control of your life,” says the main interested party in his message, well served by a voice that carries.
Before running for premier, Pierre Poilievre must first and foremost win the leadership race. But in the minds of several conservative strategists, the case is heard. The support already obtained by the member for Carleton, a riding in the suburbs of Ottawa, should give pause to any other candidate who would like to rub shoulders with him.
Some even wonder if there will be a race in light of Mr. Poilievre’s hot start.
One thing is certain, his message delighted the militant base of the Conservative Party, who quickly turned the page on the forced departure of Erin O’Toole on Wednesday, following a final vote of the deputies during the last caucus meeting. It even had echoes as far away as the United States.
“Trudeau just had a competitor,” Paul Gosar, a Republican from Arizona who is a member of the House of Representatives in Washington, wrote on his Twitter account. Mr Gosar is a die-hard supporter of former President Donald Trump and was recently described by the British daily The Guardian as “the most dangerous man in Congress” because he continues to spread falsehoods about the last presidential election that there was massive fraud.
Known for his biting attacks and incisive questions in the House of Commons, Pierre Poilievre did not wait for the organizing committee of the next leadership contest to set the campaign rules, the spending limit and the cost of entry to formalize what had been an open secret in the conservative ranks for a few weeks.
“For the first time since Brian Mulroney, we have the possibility of having a leader who will win the debate in French and the debate in English during an election campaign”, summed up a supporter of Pierre Poilievre, noting his undeniable qualities as a speaker.
If several Conservative MPs have already given their support to Pierre Poilievre, his candidacy is causing a stir in Quebec. The Conservative MP for Richmond-Arthabaska, Alain Rayes, decided on Sunday to leave his post as a political lieutenant to free himself from his obligation of neutrality in order to support a candidate of his choice. If he renounces this position, it is because he does not intend to support Pierre Poilievre, seen by some as being too divisive because of his strong positions on certain issues, in particular the role of traditional media. in a democracy.
“The next leadership race will be decisive for the Conservative Party of Canada. I want to play an important role by supporting a candidate. I therefore have no choice but to leave my current position. My dearest wish is for the Conservative Party of Canada to have a leader who represents progressive, centre-right economic ideals and values and who will be able to unite all of our members around a common objective ; dislodge the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau,” he said in a statement.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Alain Rayes, Conservative MP for Richmond-Arthabaska
Mr. Rayes’ decision forced the interim leader of the Conservative Party, Candice Bergen, to appoint a new political lieutenant in Quebec. She set her sights on the MNA for Mégantic-L’Érable, Luc Berthold, to whom she also entrusted the duties of deputy leader.
In Quebec, none of the 10 Conservative MPs has yet given his support to Pierre Poilievre, unlike the elected representatives of the other provinces. Caution is in order, even if the conservative senator from Quebec Léo Housakos has the firm intention to line up resolutely behind Pierre Poilievre.
Behind the scenes, supporters of the party’s progressive wing are knocking on the door of former Premier Jean Charest, who had seriously considered running for the leadership of the Conservative Party during the last race.
Mr. Charest, who was a minister in the former Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney and who was leader of the party before making the jump to provincial politics in 1998, has received many calls. Recently appointed to CN’s board of directors, he has agreed to consider a possible race. In private, the former premier of New Brunswick Bernard Lord invited him to get into the race, according to our information.
“Jean Charest could easily beat Justin Trudeau in the election campaign. His biggest challenge would be to win the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party, ”said a conservative source who would like to see him jump into the arena. For Jean Charest to win, the road to victory would pass through Quebec and the Atlantic provinces as well as the greater Toronto area.
Other candidates may also come forward. MP Leslyn Lewis, darling of anti-abortion groups within the Conservative Party, is thinking of being in the ranks again. She came in third after Erin O’Toole and Peter MacKay in the last race. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, a former MP who became leader of the Conservative Party of Ontario before resigning in disgrace following allegations of sexual misconduct, is increasing the calls. He tries to mobilize party members who oppose the State Secularism Act in Quebec. The political columnist National Post Tasha Kheiriddin is also active on the phone. Bilingual, native of Montreal and trained lawyer, Mme Kheiriddin is popular with the progressive wing of the party.
Faced with the impression that Pierre Poilievre is driving a steamroller, the other contenders will have to get wet quickly if they want to have a chance of stopping him.