Tory Leadership Candidates and What They Say

Supporters enter the auditorium for the opening ceremony at the Conservative national convention in Halifax on Aug. 23, 2018. The Canadian Press/Darren Calabrese

The Tory leadership race is already heating up, with Pierre Poilievre trading barbs with fellow contenders Jean Charest and Patrick Brown.

The Conservative Party will know who will be its next leader on Sept. 10. Leadership hopefuls have until April 19 to officially enter the race.

Former cabinet minister Peter MacKay and high-profile Conservative MP Michael Chong have announced that they will not be running.

Here’s a look at the current candidates in the order in which they entered the race.

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre speaks at a press conference at Brandt Tractor Ltd. in Regina, Sask., on March 4, 2022.The Canadian Press/Michael Bell

“Our people can’t choose where they live because housing is too expensive, or what they eat because groceries are too pricey, or even where they go because $2-a-litre gas makes it unaffordable. We’re going to fight back against Justinflation with a common-sense plan to get our finances under control and protect our money, and then we’re going to unleash the productive forces of our economy,” said Conservative MP and leadership contender Pierre Poilievre at a campaign stop in Richmond Hill on March 11. “We’re going to let Canadians take back control of their lives by making Canada the freest nation on earth.”

Poilievre, known for his fiery exchanges with Liberal MPs, is a longtime MP who was a cabinet minister in the government of Stephen Harper. He was the first to join the leadership race and enjoys the support of many MPs and senators in the Conservative caucus—more than the other candidates by a large margin.

In a video announcing his candidacy on Feb. 5, Poilievre put the focus of his campaign on cost of living and inflation issues, freedom of speech, issues related to gun control, and small government principles.

Leslyn Lewis

Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 2, 2021. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

“In the early days of the pandemic, Canadians were talking about the urgency to become a stronger and more self-sufficient nation. But over the past year, too many of our leaders chose fear over hope. We embraced division and forgot what makes us truly unique as Canadians. It is time to stand up and pursue unity and compassion again,” Conservative MP and Tory leadership contender Leslyn Lewis said in a campaign video.

Lewis is a lawyer who ran in the 2020 Tory leadership race, finishing third after Erin O'Toole and Peter MacKay. She subsequently ran in the 2021 federal election and won a seat as a Conservative MP.

Lewis has the organized support of social conservatives due to her pro-life views, and has been endorsed by Conservative MPs Cathay Wagantall and Richard Bragdon.

Roman Baber

Ontario Independent MPP Roman Baber is shown in this undated file photo. The Canadian Press/-HO-Roman Baber

“For 2 years, politicians used data and models to justify harmful lockdowns. But the data were faulty and modelling even worse. Every politician knew it, but I was the only one with the courage to say it. My team will restore faith in gov’t,” Ontario Independent MPP Roman Baber and Tory leadership contender said on Twitter on March 11.

Baber is a lawyer who was elected as a Progressive Conservative MPP in 2018. He was removed from the PC caucus in 2021 after he publicly disagreed with Premier Doug Ford’s COVID-19 lockdown policies.

He has since championed opposition to lockdown policies and mandatory vaccination requirements, but has kept his distance from other independent politicians opposed to lockdowns. After Baber announced his leadership bid, he was praised by former Conservative MP David Sweet, who said he has “stood for truth and for those who need a hand up even when it cost him [politically].”

Jean Charest

Former Quebec premier Jean Charest formally launches his campaign for the Conservative leadership campaign at an event in Calgary on March 10, 2022. The Canadian Press/Dave Chidley

“At the end of the day, there is a very simple, a very real question, and that’s who can make us win? That’s also part of the equation, and that’s one of the choices that the membership of the party is called upon to make,” former Quebec premier Jean Charest told the National Post on March 10 after announcing his leadership bid. “Everything I’ve done in my lifetime has prepared me for this moment.”

Charest held cabinet positions in the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney and became leader of the PC’s from 1993 to 1998. He became Quebec premier under the ticket of the provincial Liberal Party from 1998 to 2021. While away from politics, Charest worked at a law firm consulting for Beijing-linked telecom company Huawei, helping with the Meng Wangzhou extradition case and the contentious issue of 5G. Canada’s allies have barred Huawei from their 5G networks due to security concerns, and the Conservative Party has consistently pushed Ottawa to shun the Chinese telecom giant from Canada’s 5G network as well.

Charest is endorsed by Quebec MPs Gérard Deltell and Alain Rayes.

In a campaign video, Charest said he is running as a “conservative,” not a “hyphenated conservative.” He put the focus of his campaign on fiscal conservative values, market-based economies, respecting the jurisdiction of provinces, and respect for the rule of law, saying these values define conservatism.

Joseph Bourgault

Saskatchewan business owner Joseph Bourgault. The Epoch Times/-HO-Joseph Bourgault

“I’ve been in leadership, executive leadership and management ... for 47 years. ... I feel that what’s missing in our country, in the leaders that we have, is that it takes very strong moral character, it requires very good problem-solving skills, to be able to take on any type of problem to get to the truth of the matter to make decisions based on the facts, based on the truth, to resolve the problem,” said businessman and Tory leadership contender Joseph Bourgault in a video published on March 15.

Bourgault is a manufacturing business owner based in Saskatchewan and co-founder of the non-profit Canadians for Truth, Freedom and Justice.

He has focused his leadership bid on ending COVID-19 mandates and upholding the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Patrick Brown

Brampton, Ont., Mayor Patrick Brown announces his candidacy for the federal Conservative Party leadership at a rally in Brampton on March 13, 2022. The Canadian Press/Chris Young

“The Conservative Party that I am fighting for is one that is principled and inclusive. I want people who have never voted Conservative, and have voted for other parties, to feel welcome in our family,” said Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown in a speech announcing his run for the Conservative Party leadership in Brampton, Ont., on March 13. “As a leader I will restore the faith that was broken by two policies that should never have seen the light of day: the barbaric cultural practices tip line and the niqab ban.”

Brown was previously leader of the Ontario PC party and an MPP from 2015 to 2018, and a Conservative MP from 2006 to 2015.

For his Tory leadership bid, Brown says that he is “leading the Conservative counter-strike against Cancel Culture” and that he is a “strong fiscal Conservative.” As Ontario PC leader, Brown supported imposing a carbon tax. The Conservatives dropped their support for a “price on carbon” policy in February after O'Toole was ousted as leader.

Scott Aitchison

Conservative MP Scott Aitchison. (Scott Aitchison/[CC BY-SA 4.0 (ept.ms/2j9VWgB)])

“Let’s be bold. Let’s be ambitious and filled with hope. Our best days are still ahead—let’s work together to get the job done,” said Conservative MP and leadership contender Scott Aitchison on social media on March 16 when announcing his leadership bid.

Aitchison, a former mayor of Huntsville, Ont., was first elected to the House of Commons representing Parry Sound-Muskoka in 2019, and was re-elected in 2021. He hadn’t publicized much about his campaign focus at the time of this writing.