Finding his voice: Poilievre’s refined tone paves way for transition to broader audience, say politicos

After a landslide victory, missing from new Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s celebratory speech were some of his more controversial proposals and incendiary political slogans, as insiders and experts say his tone is transitioning for a general election audience. Poilievre (Carleton, Ont.) became the Tory leader on Sept. 10 after winning 68.15 per cent of the […]
A Poilievre Conservative leadership would be a test: is love really stronger than hate?

CHELSEA, QUE.—Here’s some “plain language” for the presumptive Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who has announced that all government communication must be comprehensible and direct should he become prime minister: less hate, more compassion. There is no question Poilievre has struck a deep vein of discontent as he’s campaigned, drawing unprecedented crowds across western Canada and […]
Politicos question why Liberals are holding their fire against Poilievre

Should Pierre Poilievre win the Conservative leadership race next month as expected, political insiders say he won’t make an easy opponent for the Liberals. Poilievre (Carleton, Ont.) has already been blasting the prime minister and the government day-in and day-out, and has been gaining traction with Canadians. But the Liberals have done little to respond […]
All hands on deck to get out the vote in the Conservative leadership election

With the Conservative leadership election in the home stretch, the winner needs to walk away with 16,901 of the total 33,800 available points, and all five leadership campaigns are making last ditch efforts to urge their supporters to cast their votes as soon as possible. “We’re pushing on every channel we can,” said Chris Rougier, […]
What are people buying into with Poilievre?

OTTAWA—In 2008, when then-prime minister Stephen Harper delivered a formal apology to former students of the residential schools program, Pierre Poilievre said the Indigenous recipients of compensation payments needed to get to work, not get money from Ottawa. “My view is that we need to engender the values of hard work and independence and self-reliance. […]
Pierre Poilievre’s resume should tell you all you need to know

HALIFAX—Pierre Poilievre has caught the eye of Washington Post contributing columnist David Moscrop, and it isn’t pretty. “The problems Canada and the world face are far too great to leave to a right-wing, doctrinaire, stuffed-shirt of a politician of such little distinction, capacity, or imagination,” he recently wrote. In case you missed his drift, Moscrop […]
‘Prevailing sense that toxicity is continuing to rise,’ as report finds one in six tweets analyzed during 2021 federal election ‘likely to be toxic’

An analysis of over two-and-a-half million tweets over 36 days during the 2021 federal election campaign by the Samara Centre for Democracy found that over 475,000—or one in six—were identified as “likely toxic,” meaning they likely contained sexually explicit content, profanity, identity attacks, threats, and insults. Amid an increasing trend in toxic exchanges, threats, and […]
More immigrants running for political office means paving the way for active citizenship

Kristyn Wong-Tam made history when they became the first Asian-Canadian, queer, and non-binary person elected to Ontario’s legislature, significantly expanding the vision of what a politician looks like in this country. Wong-Tam joins other recent Canadian political “firsts” among Ontario MPPs, including Bhutila Karpoche, the first elected official in North America of Tibetan descent, and […]
Conservative MPs unsure ‘which Poilievre they will get’ as party leader if he wins leadership

If Pierre Poilievre wins the leadership on Sept. 10, Conservative MPs are unsure if they will get a leader who will moderate his views and make a sincere effort to bring the party together, or one who will “double down” on his campaign rhetoric and his hard-hitting leadership style, say some Conservative MPs and senior […]
Trudeau Liberals should be ‘worried’ about bleeding support to Conservatives, say veteran pollsters

With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau losing ground in national public opinion polls, and the Conservatives gaining traction even though they are in the midst of a leadership campaign, the Liberals should be “worried” because the next election will see the governing party asking Canadians for a fourth mandate which is an uphill battle for any […]