Leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, has been riding a wave of high public opinion since the summer. Although the next federal election is not scheduled for another two years, Poilievre and his team seem to already be in campaign mode. Not only do the Conservatives appear to be flush with cash, but Poilievre has also enjoyed international attention for his recent viral “apple” video. The leader was praised by right-leaning outlets like the UK’s Daily Mail for giving it to a “woke” journalist in British Columbia.
Recently, Poilievre’s approach seems to be capitalizing on this notoriety and momentum. His events this month have been held in Liberal and NDP ridings. Earlier this month, Poilievre appeared at a rally held in the Vancouver Centre riding, where Liberal Hedy Fry has been the MP since 1993. Although Fry quipped that it was a waste of the Conservative leader’s time, it does indicate that the Conservatives believe that their message is broadly resonating with Canadians.
A recent poll from Abacus Data gauged how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Poilievre compare head-to-head on several policy areas. On issues like managing the economy (Poilievre +15), building more housing (Poilievre +18), and making life more affordable (Poilievre +17), Poilievre has a clear advantage over the Prime Minister. It is no surprise that Poilievre and his team continue to push their cost-of-living and affordability messaging in urban centres across the country which are among the most expensive places to live.
In recent weeks, Poilievre has also attended rallies in the BC riding of NDP MP Rachel Blaney, in the St. John’s South-Mount Pearl riding of Minister Seamus O’Regan, and Liberal MP Kody Blois’ riding of Kings-Hants in Nova Scotia.
Chair of the Conservatives’ fundraising arm, Robert Staley, stated that the party is no longer only interested in bringing out the “faithful”, but instead is turning its focus to reaching new voters with the ‘common-sense’ message.
Last week, Poilievre hosted an event in the Liberal stronghold of University-Rosedale, the riding represented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland. University-Rosedale for example, and most of Toronto under Trudeau’s tenure, have traditionally been slam-dunk red seats. While the Conservatives may be longshots in seats like University-Rosedale, Poilievre’s tour illustrates how the Conservatives see political opportunity well beyond their traditional strongholds.
It appears that the Liberals have taken notice of Poilievre’s polling numbers, as well. Ministers have been making weekly affordability announcements to highlight the government’s work and to take voters’ attention away from Poilievre.
The current supply and confidence agreement between the Liberals and the NDP keeps the prospects of an early election low, for now. However, with Pierre Poilievre at the helm and wind in their sails, the Conservatives appear to be ready.
