Conservative Senator Jean-Guy Dagenais, who supports Jean Charest in the leadership race, compared leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre to Vladimir Putin for wanting to reduce the CBC’s budget.

In an interview with radio host Dominic Maurais on CHOI 98.1 Radio X in Quebec City, Dagenais reiterated that he would renounce his Conservative Party membership if Pierre Poilievre became leader of the party. 

Dagenais gave vague reasons as to why he does not like Pierre Poilievre, recalling an instance a few years ago where Dagenais allegedly met Poilievre and said hello, and where Poilievre did not respond. 

Dagenais then compared Poilievre to Vladimir Putin for wanting to defund the state broadcaster CBC. 

“Vladimir Putin closed down a TV station in Russia… [Poilievre] wants to shut down CBC in Canada”, Dagenais told the host who immediately pushed back calling the comparison “idiotic”. 

Dagenais supports Jean Charest in the current Conservative leadership race. He was appointed as a Senator by Stephen Harper in 2012, who now supports Pierre Poilievre in the current leadership race.

Pierre Poilievre has no intention to forcibly shut down the CBC, but rather advocates for cutting down its public funding as the state-funded media has become increasingly biased in recent years.