GUNTER: It’s really just a vanity project for Jean Charest

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Jean Charest will not pledge to support the Conservative Party of Canada in the next federal election unless he wins the party leadership next month. This makes his campaign nothing more than a vanity project.

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Everything revolves around Jean.

Throughout, Charest’s campaign was notable for its smug elitism and contempt for the Conservative base, indeed its contempt for any Canadian who did not share his narrow, “progressive” view of the Golden Triangle (Montreal-Ottawa -Toronto) of the country.

Charest has shown himself as nothing more than another Justin Trudeau, politically, but perhaps without Trudeau’s most squeaky traits: the annoying propensity to point to virtue instead of rule and to present smarmy apologies for every un-“woke” insult committed in our nation’s past.

Charest and Trudeau seem about equally obsessed with climate alarmism. Indeed, Charest’s environmental legislation while he was premier of Quebec was very similar to Trudeau’s policies since becoming prime minister.

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Now, after Charest’s remarks following Wednesday’s leadership debate, it’s clear his unofficial campaign slogan should be “If you don’t let me win, I’ll take my ball and go home.” .

It was a tactical mistake for Charest to participate in Wednesday’s debate after front-runner Pierre Poilievre and social-conservative MP Leslyn Lewis declined to attend.

That left Charest alone on stage with the only two other candidates, MP Scott Aitchison and former Ontario provincial legislator Roman Baber. Coupling with Aitchison and Baber just made him look like another of the distant too-rans. Charest seemed shorter than taller.

But perhaps the most telling point of the evening came in the post-debate media availability when CBC’s Chris Rands asked Charest, “Are you going to stay in the party and run if you don’t win?”

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It’s a legitimate question, and one that’s easy to answer directly – if your answer is “yes”.

But with a sneer of exasperation, Charest danced around with a response.

“It will be a real honor for me to lead the party and become the next Prime Minister of Canada,” he replied without conviction or obvious pleasure in his remarks.

He added that he is “focused on one goal and that is to become party leader and then prime minister of Canada.” (It’s actually two goals, but we get the point, Mr. Snarlypuss.)

In a follow-up, Rand asked, “If you lose, would you support Mr. Poilievre?”

Again, an irritated Charest dodged: “There is only one possible scenario, I will become the leader of the party… Thank you.

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It is not difficult to fake a “sincere” promise of loyalty. Happens all the time.

We’ve all seen leadership races in many parties where, after the results are announced, the runner-up rushes to congratulate the winner, then steps to the microphone and pledges their unwavering support for the new boss.

Many of these finalists no doubt utter profanity and insults in their heads, but they put on a brave public face for the good of the party.

Not Charles.

Charest’s campaign from the start was built on the mistaken belief that a small-c Conservative cannot win a general election in Canada. He is a liberal. (He has spent nine years as Liberal premier of Quebec and 14 years as leader of the Liberal Party of Quebec since the last time he did anything formal as a Conservative), with many policies that would delight liberals, such as a carbon tax, comfort with communist China, gun control and lots of government spending.

Yet he expects conservatives to accept his leadership with gratitude simply because he is not Justin Trudeau.

I despise Trudeau, but not to the point of welcoming Charest.