Corey Charest joins me to talk about his campaign and the challenges facing him in the final three weeks of the campaign. We talk about the mail-in primary and how to get out the vote and get the vote counted.
00:01:20.740The other part of it, Corey, that is difficult to read from everyone's point of view, including the media, is that it's 100 points per writing.
00:01:37.660And that's where we have focused our campaign to be as efficient as possible.
00:01:41.540So it's all about getting out the vote.
00:01:45.120Yeah, and getting out the vote, whether it's, you know, for folks who haven't dealt with partisan races, you know,
00:01:50.760it's particularly important in nominations and leadership races because people are selling memberships like all get out.
00:01:57.420But often people might not be the most motivated voters.
00:02:00.260You know, the campaign that sells the most memberships doesn't always win.
00:02:04.620And it's a matter of waking them up and saying, OK, come on, now you've got to follow through and get that voted.
00:02:08.920And as you said, with it being a photocopied piece of identification and mailing it, the turnout's probably as hard as all you guys are working on this.
00:02:16.620It's probably going to be a bit limited.
00:02:28.060His leadership, his organizers have all come over to me almost to a person.
00:02:34.460And we are now working with them so that the people that they had recruited, a lot of them in cultural communities, are voting and that they'll vote for me.
00:02:44.680And we're very encouraged by that because they are voting.
00:02:47.360They are supportive of certainly my leadership.
00:02:50.200And they are not, you know, say it very directly.
00:03:46.520Well, if someone votes for Patrick Brown as first choice or had done that and indicated Jean Charest as their second choice, well, then that second choice will be interpreted as a first choice for me.
00:03:59.320So that's good, you know, in that scenario.
00:04:02.440If they've just voted for Patrick Brown, no one else, and left the rest of the ballot blank, then the ballot will not count.
00:04:10.340I mean, there will be no consequence to that ballot.
00:04:15.060It just adds just another color or layer to the complications of the race, but so be it.
00:04:20.400We're working hard to make sure that people understand how to vote and who to vote for.
00:04:26.380If they want a leader who can actually win the country, you know, Corey, all the polling indicates that if I become the leader, I will form a national majority conservative government.
00:04:35.840If it's Pierre Poitier, we stay in opposition.
00:04:38.560So that's very much the ballot question for a number of conservatives who are just tired of losing.
00:04:44.840I mean, we've lost three consecutive election campaigns, and it's not the liberals that won them.
00:04:50.760We lost them, and that's enough, frankly.
00:04:53.400So now is the time to choose a leader who is going to unite the party, the country, and who will win a national government.
00:05:14.780You've taken September 11th as a break.
00:05:16.780I mean, to say that you are the one who can win the general election, that still means there's going to be a heck of a lot of work between that day and a general election day, whenever that might be.
00:05:28.660What are your first moves as the new leader of the party?
00:05:31.380I will hit the ground running on September 11th, the day after, in fact, the evening of, to talk to the other leadership candidates to make sure that they know that they're welcome aboard my team, all of them, including Pierre Poitier.
00:05:44.800I will then meet with the caucus members and the leadership of the party in very, very short order in the hours and the days that will follow to make sure that everyone knows that, as a leader, they are welcome in my team, that we are going to be working together to prepare the next election campaign and to win that election campaign.
00:06:05.500And I'm not going to lose a day the moment I become the leader to do that.
00:06:09.800We need to prepare the platform for the election campaign.
00:06:12.480I can, you know, tell you in advance, Corey, it's going to be very much focused on the economy and a national government able to deliver big projects and make big things happen.
00:06:21.700That's where I'm at and that's what I've done all my life and to unify that caucus and that party.
00:06:28.100And that's exactly what I'll deliver on to deliver a national government.
00:06:32.400And then I guess a priority as well, and it's hard to tell where, but you'd want to get a seat in the House of Commons as soon as possible.
00:06:38.660You're one of the contenders who doesn't currently have one.
00:06:40.740And is there an area you would have in mind already or spots that look like they might become vacant?
00:06:46.700Let me share, you know, a secret with you.
00:06:51.040If there were a seat that opened up out west, I'd love to run out west.
00:06:54.980And the general election campaign, you know, my, of course, because of where I am from and my attachment to the eastern townships of Quebec of where I'm from, that's another story.
00:07:07.440But to get into the House of Commons as rapidly as possible, which is what I would want to do, I think it would be great to have a seat in western Canada.
00:07:16.660So if the outcome doesn't come out as you hope, and perhaps you're the second place finisher, you know, I know it's hard to speculate, but what sort of approach to maintain unity and positivity for the party, you know, could you be taking at that point?
00:07:30.540Corey, I led this party when there were only two members left after the 93 catastrophic election campaign.
00:07:44.380So that, you know, anyone who questions my loyalty, the party, frankly, needs to remember the history and what I've stood for and what I've fought for all my life.
00:07:55.000I will remain a conservative because that's who I am, and those are the values I believe in.
00:08:00.480Those are the values that I worked with when I governed and formed a government.
00:08:05.720So I'll be there, and I'm going to remain active.
00:08:10.800And for the rest, the only scenario for me I see is being the leader of the party and leading us into a campaign and winning a national government.
00:08:18.000Well, I appreciate that because, again, you know, these races can be such good party-building exercises, but they can also lead to a lot of fracturing and cause more damage than before they even began.
00:08:28.920So, I mean, maintaining a positive tone, I think, is really important right now.
00:08:34.800If there's someone who's going to have a lot of bridges to fix, who's burned a lot of bridges, it's Mr. Putty.
00:08:39.740I mean, he's been calling, you know, do we have to go through it, calling people liars and calling on their integrity or accusing them and not being conservatives or blah, blah, blah?
00:08:49.580I mean, as though there's purity tests, as though there's some laboratory in which we get tested.
00:08:54.680I mean, what do you say to the electorate when they want to vote for you?
00:08:57.200No, don't vote for me because, no, no, no, don't vote.
00:09:01.060If we're going to form a government, we have to have an open mind and be welcoming of all those who believe in the same things we believe in and want to support us.
00:09:13.320You look at all the polling says, I become the leader, we form a government.
00:09:17.220And I'm sorry to say, if Mr. Putty becomes a leader, we stay in opposition.
00:09:21.680Well, so what have you got on your schedule for this final few weeks to get that vote out and encourage people to mark that ballot your way?
00:09:32.700I was in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia and the Toronto area, Vaughan, Hamilton and Mississauga, Toronto.
00:09:41.060I'm heading to Quebec City tomorrow and I'm going to be back working out of Montreal on Friday and Saturday and then I'll probably hit the road back in Ontario next week.
00:09:52.400So it's going to be a very, very busy time.
00:09:55.300Tomorrow will be a very busy day in Quebec City.
00:09:58.380We're meeting with some of our members, supporters.