Former Conservative MP for Kootenay-Columbia and current mayor of Sparwood, David Wilks says that the race for the Conservative leadership is all but decided between the two front-runner candidates Pierre Poilievre and Jean Charest.
“I think that Pierre Poilievre is going to win. He has a boatload of momentum, he came out of the gate quick, only days after (former Conservative leader) Erin O’Toole was removed as leader of the party.”
Poilievre served as the shadow finance minister under Erin O’Toole, but stood down after he declared his candidacy. Charest held five different ministerial roles between 1986 and 1993 and was deputy Prime Minister of Canada under Kim Campbell during the days of the Progressive Conservative Party, and was Premier of Quebec for almost ten years between 2003 and 2012.
Poilievre has been endorsed by 51 sitting Conservative MPs (out of 119) as of Apr. 11, while Charest is in second place for endorsements with 11 MPs backing him, while party member opinion polling has Poilievre way out in front.
Wilks, who self-identifies as a moderate conservative and supported O’Toole during his leadership race, wouldn’t outright endorse a candidate, but said that he was comfortable with the idea of Pierre Poilievre being elected as party leader despite him coming from a different ideological background and operating more as a populist.
“If I had one thing to say to Pierre – and I hope I get the opportunity to – is tame down the rhetoric.
“He’s a pitbull. He’s the guy you go to when the Prime Minister can’t say something. He’s good at it, but when you’re the leader, you’re not the pitbull anymore. You’ve got to go find one in your party that can say the things you’d like to say, but as leader you can’t (because) you’re now representing the entire country.”
He said that the big challenge for the next Conservative leader – who Wilks said he believed would be the next Prime Minister – would be keeping the different wings of the party under control, something that both Erin O’Toole and Andrew Scheer couldn’t do.
“I’m hoping that Pierre can work with all conservatives. Stephen Harper could do it, and I believe Jean Charest has proven that he can do it. Pierre hasn’t proven he can do it yet.”
Currently there are six approved candidates in the Conservative leadership race, with another six declared. The vote for next Conservative leader will take place on September 10, 2022. Candice Bergen serves as interim Conservative leader.
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scott.tibballs@thefreepress.ca
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