“Everyone knows that Pierre Poilievre supported the blockade,” Charest said in an interview with CTV’s Question Period.  “If you say to Canadians, ‘I want to be the leader of the Conservative Party and I want to be the main legislator in the country, but I do not have to obey the law,'” I’m sorry.  This is not just a leadership failure.  It excludes you, as far as I am concerned, to be someone who thinks or aspires to be the leader of a party “.
Anti-vaccination and anti-government protests have gripped downtown Ottawa for weeks this winter, leading to hundreds of arrests and millions of dollars in police and other spending on the city.  The federal government first invoked the emergency law and the county and city declared a state of emergency.
Poilievre, representing Carleton’s Ottawa rider, visited the truckers at stops along the way to Ottawa and voiced his support throughout, but there is no indication that Poilievre did not obey any law to support him. at the “Freedom Convoy” demonstrations.  Poilievre has already been nominated as an official candidate by the party, as have Charest and a few others.
“She is OK.  There are consequences to these decisions.  “And one of the consequences is that he should not be a party leader, much less a prime minister,” said Charest, noting that the protests had led to the closure of businesses, costing people their jobs.
This new line of attack comes as Poilievre, considered the leader of the leadership race, sees quite a few crowds at his rallies and events in Canada, but Charest said he was not worried about it, saying he was focusing his campaign on recruiting members. party.


CALLS FOR CRYPTO POSITION “AREA” 
In the interview, Charest also followed Poilievre’s position on cryptocurrencies, which included Canada becoming the “cryptocurrency capital of the world” and condemned him for “attacking the Bank of Canada”.
“Do you want to be the Prime Minister of Canada and tell Canadians that cryptocurrencies will eliminate inflation?”  Does anyone believe it?  Is there an economic person in the country who really said he was right?  I mean, this is not just wrong.  “It’s weird,” said Charest.
Asked about his stance on digital currencies, Charest said he believed cryptocurrencies “need to be regulated and understood”.


CLIMATE POLICY “CANNOT BE A CUSTOM” 
Referring to Poilievre’s promise to cancel the carbon tax, Charest said he did not believe his opponent had a serious plan to tackle climate change.
“Our position on coal in the next campaign cannot be a slogan.  “And if all you offer is a slogan, the Conservatives will be dead in the water.” 
“I have not heard anything from him that says it is serious for the environment, except a slogan.  And we know where that leads.  This leads to an immediate defeat in the next election campaign.  Talk to the candidates who participated in the last campaign.  “If you knock on a door,” Charest said.  “And you have nothing credible to say about the climate, you are dead in the water.  “Canadians are interested in this.”
Charest cites the price of coal as one of Canada’s measures to reduce carbon emissions, saying there are ‘smart,’ supportive, climate-friendly ways to get you where you need to go. .  And you can do it while supporting the oil and gas industry. “
CTV’s Question Period asked for an interview for Sunday’s show with Poilievre, he was not available.
With files from CTV News Ottawa