(Ottawa) Jean Charest urges the authorities of the Conservative Party to organize a third official debate for the leadership candidates.
Posted at 4:15 p.m.
Updated at 5:23 p.m.
In a post on Twitter on Wednesday, the former premier of Quebec posed the question to the authorities of the Conservative Party and to the members of the Organizing Committee for the election of the leader. “Hey, are we going to do it this 3e official debate? »
Committee members are due to meet on Wednesday evening and a decision could then be made on whether to hold a third debate in August.
Jean Charest maintains that four of the five candidates in the race, without identifying them, are in favor of the organization of a third official debate. He also maintains that “many new members have asked for it”.
Party members in good standing have begun voting by mail and the party has begun validating ballots that have already been returned. Official results will be announced in Ottawa on September 10.
In addition to Mr. Charest, candidates Scott Aitchison and Roman Baber have also expressed their desire to participate in a third debate.
Leslyn Lewis’s team recently said that the candidate was traveling the country to meet activists, but that she would take part in a third debate if the party decided to organize one.
On the side of Pierre Poilievre, his team had not yet responded Wednesday to a request to comment on the situation. Mr. Poilievre did not take part ten days ago in an “unofficial” debate, which had been organized when the candidates were all in the heart of conservative Alberta to attend the Calgary Stampede.
According to the statutes of the Conservative Party, the candidates are required to participate in the “official” debates, organized by the authorities; they can be fined if they don’t show up.
The Conservative Party has already organized two official leadership debates in May, one in English and the other in French, in Edmonton and Laval. But authorities have warned campaign teams that there could be a third debate in early August.
The authorities have had to deal in recent weeks with the disqualification of Patrick Brown. But last week, the party emailed members asking if they wanted another debate.