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Charest bows out of Tory race, citing rules of contest and changed party
MONTREAL – Former Quebec premier Jean Charest has announced that he will not seek the federal Conservative leadership.
In an interview today with Radio-Canada, Charest says the rules of the leadership race and the tight timeline before the June 27 convention make it hard for a candidate from outside the party like him.
He says the party has changed a lot since he left it in 1998 to enter provincial politics as Liberal leader.
He also cites his happy family life and busy career as a lawyer and strategic adviser as reasons not to jump back into politics.
READ MORE: Names in the mix: a list of potential Conservative leadership contenders
Charest had been testing the waters for a leadership attempt since current Conservative leader Andrew Scheer announced his intention to resign.
His hopes were not helped by the release last week of police warrants that revived allegations of illegal fund-raising in the Quebec Liberal party during Charest's tenure as leader.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2020.
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