Conservative Party of Canada leadership contender Jean Charest is accusing rival Pierre Poilievre of exaggerating his membership count, calling the claim 鈥淧ierreinflation.鈥�

The former Quebec premier says the Poilievre campaign鈥檚 assertion that they鈥檝e 311,958 Canadians thus far to support their team is 鈥渁ll spin.鈥�

鈥淎t the rate it鈥檚 going, we call it 鈥楶ierreinflation鈥� in terms of recruiting members. I think he鈥檚 recruited members in the state of Maine and New Hampshire if you鈥檙e to follow his logic鈥� He keeps inflating the numbers, no one believes the numbers,鈥� he told CTV鈥檚 Question Period.

Charest wouldn鈥檛 say specifically how many memberships his base has acquired, arguing the number is irrelevant as the race ultimately comes down to a point system.

鈥淵ou can have 10,000 members in a riding, it鈥檚 worth 100 points鈥� If you have 100 members in another riding, it鈥檚 worth 100 points. It鈥檚 100 points per riding,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e鈥檝e based our campaign on having a broad-base of support across the country in all ridings because that鈥檚 the way the race was designed so that whoever would win would have the broadest base of support across the country.鈥�

Patrick Brown is the only other contender to have released their membership count this far in the race, noting it stands at 150,000.

Last week, the Conservative Party鈥檚 executive director, Wayne Benson, said candidates were told to expect that 鈥�well over鈥� 600,000 members will place a vote to decide who among them should take over the party鈥檚 top post.

During the 2020 leadership race, the party counted 269,469 eligible voters.

Due to the record number of potential voters, the party said it is a 鈥渇ew weeks behind in terms of processing鈥� the membership list to be able to send out to candidates before a new leader is elected on Sept. 10.

However, National Council President Robert Batherson confirmed in a separate interview on CTV鈥檚 Question Period that time frame is still workable.

鈥淲e鈥檙e more than prepared in terms of doing our internal verification, doing the processing, making sure there鈥檚 a preliminary list for the leadership campaigns to verify on their own end and challenge and then have that final list on which we鈥檒l base the ballot packages going out,鈥� he said.

Charest said he and other campaigns have called for an interim list to be sent out urgently.

鈥淚f we don鈥檛 have access to the list of members so that we can campaign, reach them and persuade them, then what鈥檚 the point?鈥� he said.