Former Conservative Party of Canada leader and Premier of Quebec Jean Charest is expected to formally launch his campaign for the leadership of the Conservative Party in Calgary this week.Dave Chan/The Globe and Mail
Calgary might not appear a natural home for Jean Charest, the former premier of Quebec. But the veteran of both provincial and federal politics, who will formally launch his leadership campaign in the city this week, has a surprising cadre of support in the heartland of Canadian conservatism.
In the early days of the Conservative Party leadership race that will shape the party for the next election, Calgary can easily be written off as Pierre Poilievre territory. Mr. Poilievre, who declared his intention to enter the leadership race more than a month ago, spent his early years in the city and also counts three dozen MPs from across the country as supporters – including many in Alberta and Saskatchewan. He promises to kill the carbon tax, has emphasized individual freedom and political taglines such as “JustinFlation,” and has already criticized Mr. Charest on issues such as climate and his record on fiscal conservatism.
But that hasn’t stopped Mr. Charest from trying to position himself as the other Conservative front-runner. His team has made a barrage of calls to Alberta friends and potential backers – some of them business community leaders with a long list of deep-pocketed contacts – in the days leading up to his leadership announcement at a Calgary brewery. That Thursday evening event will be surrounded with other meetings, before Mr. Charest flies on to Vancouver on Friday.
“There is no path to victory for any Conservative Party leader without strong engagement from Western party members,” said Michelle Coates Mather, director of communications for the Charest leadership campaign.
“You know his background. National unity is really important to him,” Ms. Coates Mather added, saying he wants to hear about the issues that matter to party members in the West. “Of course, we have a good idea. Western alienation is a serious problem.”
To Calgary businessman and supporter Don Chynoweth, it’s clear why Mr. Charest has decided to make Alberta’s biggest city the first stop of his leadership campaign.
“It is to show and demonstrate he knows he’s up against tough competition in the West. So why shy away from it? Wade into it right away and show your vision,” said Mr. Chynoweth, who knows Mr. Charest from Parliament Hill three decades ago and describes him as a fiscal conservative, “not an ultra-conservative.”
The Conservative Party of Canada will pick its new leader on Sept. 10. Those running have until April 19 to throw their hat into the ring and until June 3 to sell memberships. Ontario MP Leslyn Lewis, who placed third in the 2020 leadership race after a campaign that advanced social-conservative themes and surpassed expectations even against front-runners Erin O’Toole and Peter MacKay, announced Tuesday that she would also be running. Others, including Brampton, Ont., mayor and former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown, are also expected to enter the contest.
Mr. Charest was the Liberal premier of Quebec between 2003 and 2012 and, prior to that, served as the leader of the now-defunct Progressive Conservative party. He has already faced criticism that he’s out of touch with modern conservatism.
But his business community backers in Alberta are likely to give his campaign a significant boost, in both membership sales and fundraising. Not only is Mr. Charest a skilled politician with actual experience running a government, they say, he will also attract a broader range of voters across the country, including in Quebec. He also has maintained a strong network in the West.
Mr. Charest worked as an adviser for Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. (now TC Energy) until 2015, as it worked to advance the contentious Energy East project. And for the past decade, Mr. Charest has been a regular attendee at the annual Banff forum held by the Canadian Energy Executive Association – a quietly influential group formerly known as the Oilmen’s.
Businessman Doug McNeill, who spent 30 years working at his family’s Stream-Flo Industries Ltd. – a major manufacturer and exporter of oil, gas and subsea equipment, based in Edmonton – got to know Mr. Charest in Banff, and has been impressed by his broad knowledge of the energy industry.
Mr. McNeill said Mr. Charest “has a vision of bringing the country together instead of having us divided.”
Mr. Charest’s approach to climate and carbon pricing will be especially key in industry – and emissions -heavy Alberta. Mr. Poilievre has taken to social media to criticize Mr. Charest for being in favour of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal carbon price.
Mr. Charest, who ushered in a cap-and-trade system in Quebec while he was premier, has not directly responded to the criticism from Mr. Poilievre’s campaign. Ms. Coates Mather said more details are to come, but the party needs to come together to develop “credible and fair” carbon pricing policy, and there’s no path to victory for any federal Conservative Party without a strong environmental plan.
It’s still unclear how many Conservative MPs from the Prairies will be supporting Mr. Charest. In Calgary, MP Ron Liepert said Wednesday he hasn’t made any decision yet. But he noted Mr. Charest could appeal to “a number of progressive conservatives who are looking for a home, and are tired of the right-wing tail wagging the dog.”
Likewise, Calgary Heritage MP Bob Benzen said he also hasn’t decided. He said he’s looking forward to a competitive race, and said Mr. Charest is capable and impressive, but will have to make his positions clear on a long list of issues important to party members.
“Jean has to tell how he’s a Conservative. That’s what he has to tell Albertans, people in Saskatchewan and those in Western Canada.”
With a report from The Canadian Press
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