Conservative leadership candidates Jean Charest, Roman Baber, and Scott Aitchison came together on Wednesday night for the party's third and final debate..The three candidates sat around a table with debate moderator Rob Batherson to discuss issues such as indigenous healthcare, infrastructure, energy, and free speech during a one-and-a-half-hour discussion in both English and French..Absent from the debate were candidates Pierre Poilievre and Leslyn Lewis. Instead, Poilievre held a campaign event in Regina, Saskatchewan, while Lewis chose to meet with supporters in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island. Both candidates will receive a $50,000 fine from the party for skipping the debate.."For a candidate in the leadership race not to participate in the debate is like a fish saying he doesn't want to swim in the ocean," Charest said of Poilievre's absence.."Roman Baber, Scott Aitchison, and I agree on one thing. If you are going to unite the party, you have to show up. Leadership is about actually showing up," he said..Charest's campaign also took to Twitter to attack Poilievre, posting a link to a website showing a "live" view of Poilievre's opening statement..When asked about inflation and the rising cost of living, Charest said the Bank of Canada should have begun increasing interest rates much earlier than they did. He committed to reducing Canadians' personal income tax if elected, which he did during the 2008 recession when he was premier of Quebec..Charest said he would eliminate the federal government's carbon tax "on consumers" while keeping it for large emitters. "My proposal is taking a book out of the page of what Alberta does, with a levy on large emitters. And by the way, this is what the oil patch agrees with so that we can reach zero emissions by 2050.".If elected as prime minister, Charest would also scrap the ArriveCan app, which he claimed has made Toronto Pearson International Airport one of the worst in the world. "Who would have thought Canada would be a country where you can visit for a week, and leave your luggage here for two weeks?" he asked..Charest said he would keep Canada's supply management system if elected, as it provides consumers with supply and price stability.."You say you'd abolish it and then negotiate with the Americans," Charest said to Aitchison at one point. "Well, if you abolish it, then what's your leverage? Supply management gave your riding a stable source of revenue.".Aitchison, the MP for Parry Sound—Muskoka, Ontario, said he believes Canada can keep its commitment to reach net-zero emissions while also scrapping the carbon tax. He plans to do so by phasing out coal, focusing on nuclear energy, and investing in "technology, not taxes.".Regarding inflation, Aitchison said there is no "magic solution," but said firing a government employee was not an option. This was a reference to Poilievre's campaign promise to fire Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem if elected as prime minister..Instead, Aitchison said he would focus on restoring a balanced budget, bringing down taxes, and then paying off Canada's debt..The former mayor of Huntsville, Ontario, also criticized the federal government for seeing airports as "cash cows" instead of economic development tools. "The Ministry of Transportation charges them huge rents, and that's crippling them. They should be seen as economic development drivers," he said..Baber, the former Conservative MPP that was booted from Premier Doug Ford's cabinet for questioning lockdowns, said he would continue standing up for Canadians impacted by COVID-19 vaccine mandates..Baber says the best way to improve opportunities for rural Canada is to create jobs, but said the Liberal government is discouraging farming.."I do not believe Canadians should be made to drive less or to farm less. We have global food shortages," Baber said. There's a lot of joking going around with a plant outside of London, Ontario, making 4 million crickets." "I'm not eating crickets.".On the environment, Baber said he would "not be afraid to take on the radical left and the environmental mob." He pointed out that Canada produces less than one and a half percent of all global emissions, while China and Russia have been polluting with few consequences.."I do not believe that taxing Sally $10 at the gas pump every time she fills up her car is actually going to affect the global climate," Baber said.
