Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem would be grateful if Pierre Poilievre won the Conservative leadership career and became Prime Minister of Canada.
The Carleton member, considered the frontrunner, made a surprise commitment Wednesday night in a debate attended by all candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada (CCP).
Asked to say how he could curb inflation if he were elected prime minister, Mr. Poilievre personally attacked the governor of the Bank of Canada, an institution he has often criticized since the pandemic began. of COVID-19.
By agreeing toprint moneyMr. Macklem allowed itself to be the ATM of this governmenthe sighed. So I will replace him with a new governor, who will restore a policy of low inflation [et] protect the purchasing power of our dollars.
The proposal was not well received by Jean Charest, considered Mr. Poilievre’s main opponent, who called it airresponsible later in the debate.
If you are an investor and you have heard this type of statement, you will be called upon to imagine that you are in a third world country! We cannot afford to have a leader who destroys trust in institutionssaid the former premier of Quebec.
Poilievre is alone in cryptocurrencies
The member for Carleton also united against him on the issue of cryptocurrencies on Thursday night, his opponents accusing him of encouraging Canadians to invest in highly volatile currencies.
Patrick Brown even accused him of promoting internet magic money.
Although he was a strong supporter of cryptocurrencies, the principal responded that he had never encouraged anyone to invest in them. He stressed, however, that in his view these currencies should not be banned.
People can choose to invest where they want, Poilievre argued. I’m just saying they should be free to decide if they want to use bitcoins or not. I don’t want to be like Communist China.
Considering the audience, Jean Charest turned the wound, pointing out that cryptocurrencies are in freefall these days. Those who follow his advice on YouTube will lose 20% of their profits, he insisted. It’s madness, it’s insane!
An initial six -party debate
Lasting two hours, the debate on Wednesday night took place at the Convention Center in Edmonton, Alberta, where the militant base of CCP. The contest was moderated by Tom Clark, a former political journalist. About 1000 people were present.
This is the first official leadership debate. The six candidates endorsed by the party – Pierre Poilievre, Jean Charest, Leslyn Lewis, Patrick Brown, Scott Aitchison and Roman Baber – are required to participate, according to rules laid down by the Organizing Committee for the election of the leader.
So it was a first for Patrick Brown, who, evident in his absence at a first unofficial debate organized on Thursday, said the mayor of Brampton would prefer to continue his recruitment campaign away from the cameras.
Mr. took advantage. Brown made his presence on Thursday to stand on several topics, such as the war in Ukraine and immigration. In particular, he only proposed to impose a no-fly zone on Ukraine and plead for Canada to accept the more than 400,000 immigrants it received last year, a record.
Supply management, which has been decisive in the leadership career of CCP in 2017, was also touched on Thursday night, where Scott Aitchison and Roman Baber were the only ones who wanted to end this system they believe contributes to inflation.
The tone of the debate on Thursday night was in any case less hostile than last week, emphasizing the rivalry between Pierre Poilievre and Jean Charest. The two men even shook hands on Wednesday night, which they didn’t do last week.
Divided topics
The Conservative Party has faced heated debates since Erin O’Toole was ousted in February, specifically about the health measures that should be used to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recently, the leak indicated that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade also raised the issue of abortion, a practice opposed by Leslyn Lewis and dozens of caucus MPs.
Pierre Poilievre, however, remained vague on the subject on Thursday night, limiting himself to saying that he will not initiate or support legislation restricting abortionwithout qualifying for pro-choice.
Hours before the debate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government announced more than $ 3.5 million in funding for projects to improve access to abortion. (New window)while denying that he deliberately wanted to embarrass the Conservatives on this issue (New window).
He also announced his intention to tighten the conditions for obtaining firearms on legal sale. (New window) – another hotly debated topic in the Conservative leadership career, in which Jean Charest was chosen by his opponents for maintaining the firearms register removed by the Harper government in Quebec.
In French for two weeks
The six candidates to replace Erin O’Toole will meet for the second official debate on May 25. The event, which will take place in Laval, will take place in French – the perfect opportunity to see the fluency of aspiring chefs in the language. of Miron. Other debates can also be arranged afterwards.
the CCP has been led since February by Candice Bergen, who acts as the acting chef. Like other party officials, he is prohibited from speaking in favor of any particular candidate.
At least 53 of the 119 Conservatives elected to the Commons have vowed to vote for Pierre Poilievre; 13 for Jean Charest; 7 for Leslyn Lewis; 4 for Patrick Brown; and 1 for Scott Aitchison.
The MP for Carleton is also leading in fundraising, according to the latest data from Elections Canada.
Candidates have until June 3 to sell membership cards. The identity of the winner will be known on Sept. 10 after a preference vote, which will be announced via post this summer.
Source: Radio-Canada