CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP HOPEFULS FACEOFF IN FIRST OFFICIAL DEBATE

By Chandrayee Roy Choudhury,

 CanadaConservative leadership candidates laid into one another over COVID-19 mandates and the trucker convoy in downtown Ottawa in the first unofficial debate of the race Thursday.





Leslyn Lewis, the MP who placed third in the 2020 leadership race, challenged longtime Ottawa MP Pierre Poilievre over his record on standing up for Canadians’ freedoms throughout the pandemic. Many Conservatives opposed health measures like vaccine and mask mandates.



Poilievre is running on a promise to give more freedoms to Canadians.



Lewis, who opposes abortion and is promising to ban so-called sex selective abortions, also challenged Poilievre over his stance on social conservative issues, allegedly he has spent the past few days avoiding media questions on the matter.