Poilievre accusations an attempt to distract from crypto plunge: Brown

Conservative Party leadership contender Patrick Brown says accusations by Pierre Poilievre that his campaign reimbursed membership fees are an attempt to distract from his rival’s economic policy pledges.

Brown said Poilievre is hiding behind the attacks as the world’s cryptocurrency market tanks.

“This is Pierre Poilievre trying to change the channel. This week, there was a big story in world news and it was that cryptocurrency was crashing and Pierre Poilievre’s signature economic policy was recommending Bitcoin to Canadians,” said Brown in an interview on CTV’s Question period.

“He does not want to answer questions about how he has brought out economic policy that is embarrassing for the Conservative Party.”

In a June 10 letter to the chair of the Leadership Election Organizing Committee obtained by CTV News, Conservative MP and co-chair of Poilievre’s campaign Tim Uppal raised “concerning membership sales practices” within the Brown camp.

“During the leadership context, the Poilievre campaign received repeated reports that organizers working for the Brown campaign were arranging to reimburse the membership fees paid by individuals who agreed to join the Party using the Brown campaign’s web portal,” the letter reads.

Brown denies the claims.

WOULD BROWN RUN WITH POILIEVRE AS LEADER?

The Brampton mayor also told CTV Question Period that he wouldn’t run as a federal member of Parliament under Poilievre’s leadership.

“Because of the positions he's taken, that don't speak to an inclusive Conservative Party, I think it would be an electoral disaster. I'm not interested in being part of another losing election,” he said.

He says he would, however, run federally if Jean Charest, Leslyn Lewis, Scott Aitchison or Roman Baber were to take the top post.

BROWN HAS 'NO PLANS' TO REGISTER AS BRAMPTON MAYORAL CANDIDATE

Time is running out for Brown to officially opt out of another mayoral bid. He has until August 19 to declare himself as a candidate.

Asked whether he’s made up his mind, Brown said only that he’s “committed” to the federal Conservative Party leadership race.

“I have no plans to register, I still feel very confident that I can win this race and put the Conservative Party in a position to defeat the Liberals and the NDP in the next election,” he said.