Former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper has endorsed Pierre Poilievre to be the party’s next leader.
In a rare public return to party politics, Harper released a short video on Twitter discussing his endorsement.
Harper says the contest to lead the party is filled with candidates, but one stands out.
https://t.co/T94tPmMViZ pic.twitter.com/GNFEmx68qO
— Stephen Harper (@stephenharper) July 26, 2022
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 that he would not attend.
