Three of the five candidates vying to become the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada are participating in the final debate of the race Wednesday evening in Ottawa.
The bilingual event, with the first half in English, began at 6pm ET and is expected to last about an hour and a half.
Jean Charest, the former premier of Quebec and one of only three candidates who took part in the debate, chided the presumptive front-runner, MP Pierre Poilievre, for not participating.
Charest compared Poilievre’s decision to “a fish that says it doesn’t want to swim in the ocean” and thanked Conservative MP Scott Aitchison and former Ontario MLA Roman Baber for running Wednesday.
LOOK | Charest reprimands Poilievre for being MIA
Charest scolds Poilievre for skipping the debate
Conservative leadership candidate Jean Charest says Pierre Poilievre has no reason to lose the final debate of the race.
Charest’s campaign team extended their criticism of Poilievre on Twitter:
Now, let’s hear Pierre’s opening remarks: #cpcdebate
—@JeanCharest_
MP Leslyn Lewis is also not participating in the debate, but was not specifically criticized for her absence.
The debate, which is taking place without a studio audience, comes just over a month since the party will select its third permanent leader in five years on September 10.
The party confirmed on Wednesday that it has already received approximately 150,000 ballots from a voter list with more than 670,000 names. The party’s membership is more than double what it was when Erin O’Toole was elected to lead the Conservatives in 2020.
Poilievre, Lewis sitting debate
Poilievre and Lewis are hosting meet-and-greets with supporters at the same time as Wednesday’s debate in Regina, Sask., and Cornwall, PEI, respectively.
Poilievre’s team previously indicated they would not participate in the debate because they felt the first debate in May was “an embarrassment” and instead want to bolster voter support.
Lewis said he had not received any information about the format of the debate and had told the party he would not be available on the date set for the event.
“Their decision is up to them,” Aitchison said before entering the debate venue.
“Party members deserve to be treated with respect. Simple as that,” Charest said moments later.
Under party rules, candidates must attend official party debates or face a $50,000 fine.
The party’s Leadership Elections Organizing Committee said it decided to hold a third debate after finding a majority of polled members supported the move.