Former Conservative PM Stephen Harper endorses Pierre Poilievre for party leader

The former prime minister says Poilievre served as a strong minister under him when the Conservatives were last in power before being defeated by Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2015.

Harper says Poilievre spent the past few years in opposition and is the party’s “most vocal and effective critic” of the government.

He says Poilievre has talked about pressing economic issues like debt and inflation and presented solutions that are “rooted in sound Conservative ideas.”

Last week, the Conservative Party of Canada set a date for the third — and almost certainly final — debate in its leadership contest, even as two candidates rejected the organizers’ decision to hold one.

The party has told members to mark their calendars to watch the August 3 event online. Campaigns expect the debate to take place in Ottawa.

Poilievre, the perceived front-runner in the contest, announced through a campaign statement Thursday, July 21 that he would not attend. 

Garry Keller, vice president with StrategyCorp, told The Rob Snow Show on Tuesday, July 26 that the recent news comes as no surprise. 

“Mr. Harper's backing is very valuable,” he said. “Mr. Harper has strong views about the future of the party and the movement and the sense is, if this is good enough for Harper, it's good enough for me.”

Listen to the full interview with Gary Keller below:

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2022