Outpouring of support for Charest

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This article was published 08/05/2022 (1300 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dozens of people at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 3 on Sunday had a chance to hear why Jean Charest is the best candidate to unite the Conservative Party of Canada and defeat the Liberal government in the next federal election.

Embarking on a tour across the country, Charest, the former leader of the Progressive Conservative party and three-term premier of Quebec, made a stop in Brandon to share why he is best suited to represent the party — ahead of the leadership election that will take place on Sept. 10.

The Brandon Legion event marked a significant announcement for Charest’s campaign as Larry Maguire, the Conservative member of Parliament for Brandon-Souris, arrived to endorse the potential leader whom he has known for a long time.

“Mr. Charest is a proven winner, a proven statesman, and a proven leader,” Maguire said.

“People are making their choices based on their personal views as well as what they see in these leaders. They see a person in Mr. Charest that can easily beat the Liberals in the next election.”

Maguire commended Charest’s appearance in southwestern Manitoba and said he has been one of the best premiers to serve Quebec during his long tenure of representing Canada at the provincial and federal level.

Maguire said it was an easy decision to endorse Charest based on their shared views on pipeline developments, balanced budgets, fiscal accountability and knowledge of Canada’s agriculture industry.

For Charest, it’s a relationship that goes back over 30 years, prior to Maguire’s first time in the Manitoba legislature.

“We stayed in touch throughout the years and when he first got elected to the provincial legislature I was delighted and then when he was elected to the House of Commons even more,” Charest said.

“This is a story of two people who have known each other for a long time, and I have a lot of respect for Larry. I think he’s the salt of the earth.”

Pat Bowslaugh, a Brandon resident, has been a lifelong supporter of the party. One of many residents in attendance on Sunday, she told The Sun that Charest has decorum and is an excellent public speaker.

“He has a presence that is commendable to most people without being erratic at one end or the other,” Bowslaugh said.

“I think because of his experience, he brings a skill base that would be a great value to Canada, not only Quebec.”

Sitting across from Bowslaugh, Diane Squair said she believes Charest is the most experienced candidate running for the Conservative leadership and doesn’t stray too far right or too far left on the political spectrum.

“He exemplifies my beliefs in what social policies should be. I would support him again and be pleased to do so,” Squair said.

Much like Bowslaugh, Squair said she could potentially lose respect for the party if Charest doesn’t receive the nomination this fall.

“If some of the other ones [candidates] get in, I’d have to seriously think about leaving, and that’s a big decision when you’ve been a lifetime conservative,” she said.

Derryk Jackson recalled a time many years ago when he wrote to Jean Charest regarding an issue with Health Canada.

A resident in Brandon since 1974, Jackson was elated to shake hands with the man who personally wrote back to him with a signature, after other politicians had ignored him.

“I believe he would be a unifying force for the Conservative Party of Canada,” Jackson said.

“I think to govern in Canada, whether it’s Liberal or Conservative, you must be pretty close to the centre. We got to meet all people’s needs. I believe Jean Charest knows how to straddle that as Stephen Harper did.”

Jackson, who retired from working as a life insurance agent, works part-time as a school bus driver for the city. He said Charest’s battle-hardened and wise personality resonated with Maguire, and could sense the local MP would endorse his colleague at the federal level.

“I believe Larry Maguire is in it for the common man and common good of southwestern Manitoba,” Jackson said.

“His endorsement is important. I think Larry has a much wider kaleidoscope approach to how this is going to feed out. This isn’t just about how we can be exciting at question period. This is about how we can defeat Justin Trudeau.”

Maguire’s endorsement comes following the news from Dan Mazier’s team to support Pierre Poilievre as the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Jackson said he has no problem with the views of Mazier, the member of Parliament for Swan River-Neepawa, and instead suggested that the party needs to be reunited to work properly in the best interest of their votership.

“I think sometimes people that are newer into the political arena will have different perspectives on what’s going to happen going into the future,” Jackson said.

“The party has to be together. We can’t be off on tangents. [It’s about] who can win this seat in the next election. It would be a shame to have it get away, and the time is right.”

For more details on Charest’s leadership potential and policy views, head on over to the latest edition of Sunny Side Up, where The Brandon Sun had a sit-down conversation on the podcast with him on these topics.

» jbernacki@brandonsun.com

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