Conservatives Celebrate Poilievre's Progress Despite Electoral Defeat

Canadian Conservatives are rallying behind Pierre Poilievre after his party's defeat to Mark Carney's Liberals, highlighting notable advancements in Ontario and appeal among younger voters.

Although Poilievre lost his seat in the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton, many party members are advocating for him to continue as leader, commending him for achieving the Conservative Party's best electoral performance since 2011.
The party is set to engage in introspection following a significant decline from a 20-point polling advantage earlier this year, coinciding with Justin Trudeau's resignation and Donald Trump's aggressive posturing towards Canada's sovereignty, which has created notable shifts in the political landscape.

Despite the electoral setback, some Conservatives believe Poilievre should maintain his leadership role. They applaud his efforts, which resulted in the Liberals being denied a majority government—winning 169 seats compared to the Conservatives' 144 and 30 for smaller parties. "I believe Pierre's future is very promising. Just look at his achievements so far," stated Scott Aitchison, a re-elected Conservative MP from Ontario, during a Tuesday appearance on CBC Television.

"He absolutely must remain our leader." The Conservatives exceeded expectations in the recent election, particularly in Ontario, the country's most populous province. The party notably performed well in the southwestern region, a manufacturing stronghold feeling the impacts of Trump's trade policies. It gained seats from both the Liberals and the left-leaning New Democratic Party, traditionally allied with trade unions. Poilievre seems to have effectively tapped into the frustrations of younger Canadians contending with soaring housing costs and sluggish economic growth. While turnout demographics are still being assessed, pre-election polling indicated a substantial shift among voters aged 18 to 34, especially men, towards the Conservatives. Jamil Jivani, a Conservative MP, suggested the results contradicted polling data, arguing that many young voters view the party as a champion for ambition and innovation. "That's our identity for young people, and we will continue to provide that vision for Canada," he asserted. In Quebec, the Conservatives secured only one seat more than in the 2021 election, whereas the Liberals gained nine. Analysts noted that Poilievre should have appointed a prominent candidate to lead in the French-speaking province, where the Conservatives have historically struggled. "We solidified and even expanded our Conservative base in Quebec," commented political strategist Carl Vallee. "We connected with a new generation of young Quebecers who now identify with the Conservatives." However, the party must confront the reality that, from mid-2023 onwards, Poilievre was widely anticipated to be the next prime minister.

His difficulty in adapting his message amid Trump's increasing provocations against Canada may have hampered broader voter appeal, particularly among older demographics. "Poilievre became a drag on the Conservatives. While the party surpassed expectations, he lost his own seat," remarked Lori Turnbull, a Dalhousie University professor. Jason Kenney, a former cabinet minister under Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, asserted on CBC that Poilievre has earned the opportunity to continue leading the party. Nevertheless, he emphasized that Poilievre must distance himself from "MAGA North," a fringe faction within the party that admires Trump, and support the idea of Canada aligning with the U.S. Former Conservative cabinet minister Lisa Raitt mentioned on BNN Bloomberg Television that she anticipates Poilievre will convene with his caucus to gauge sentiments before determining the next steps. She noted the challenges of asking a sitting MP to step aside for the leader to run in a secure district. Dimitri Soudas, former communications director for Harper, expressed that while the party should not change its leader, there should be a thorough evaluation of what went right and wrong. Despite Poilievre securing the highest percentage of the popular vote for a Conservative leader since 1988, he still faced defeat.
"He needs to conduct a postmortem because if everything had gone according to plan, he would have won," Soudas pointed out. "Poilievre miscalculated his response to Trump; although he did eventually address the issue, it came too late as the Liberals had already made it a focal point."
Bloomberg.