Canada’s Conservatives keep Poilievre as leader despite election loss

Canadian Conservatives Reaffirm Support for Poilievre Despite Election Setbacks

Members of Canada’s Conservative Party have voted overwhelmingly to keep Pierre Poilievre as their leader, despite his election loss last year and recent party defections that have weakened the opposition’s position in Parliament.

At the party’s convention in Calgary, Alberta, Poilievre secured 87.4% support in a leadership review vote announced early Saturday. This strong endorsement comes at a challenging time for the Conservative leader, who lost his own parliamentary seat in the April election that saw Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals return to power.

Though Poilievre has since rejoined the House of Commons, his party faced another setback with the recent defection of two Conservative lawmakers to the Liberal Party. These defections have brought Carney’s government to the brink of a majority, leaving them just one seat shy of being able to pass legislation without opposition support.

In his pre-vote address to party members, Poilievre notably avoided mentioning U.S. President Donald Trump, despite Trump’s ongoing threats to Canada’s economy and sovereignty. The omission has drawn criticism from political commentators and even former Conservative cabinet minister Jason Kenney.

“For not addressing the US presidential elephant in the room, which is currently such a key issue for many Canadian voters of various partisan and ideological stripes,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, summarizing the criticism Poilievre has received.

Instead, Poilievre focused on the need for Canadian unity and strength in uncertain times. “In this dangerous and uncertain world, Canadians must stand united so we can stand on our own two feet. United and strong Canadians will bow before no nation anywhere on earth,” he told party members.

Poilievre did acknowledge the importance of supporting Carney’s efforts to remove U.S. tariffs and diversify Canada’s exports, signaling a willingness to work with the government on critical economic issues affecting Canadian interests.

Just a year ago, Poilievre was widely considered a front-runner to become Canada’s next prime minister and lead the Conservatives back to power after a decade in opposition. That trajectory changed dramatically when Trump declared what many have characterized as an economic war against Canada, even suggesting he might make Canada the 51st U.S. state – remarks that have inflamed tensions and reportedly led to a decline in Canadian tourism to the United States.

The ongoing threats from Trump have united many Canadians across political lines, creating a challenging environment for opposition leaders who must navigate complex national security and economic considerations.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Carney has seen his political standing strengthen following his widely praised speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he condemned economic coercion by powerful nations against smaller countries. The address received international attention and was viewed as indirectly challenging Trump on the global stage.

“Many members of the base like him but, as far as the broader Canadian electorate is concerned, he’s much less popular than Mark Carney, who recently shined on the world stage at Davos and has re-centered the Liberal Party of Canada ideologically in ways that even some moderate conservative voters like,” Béland noted about Poilievre’s current position.

The Conservative convention comes at a pivotal moment in Canadian politics, with the Liberal government consolidating power while positioning itself as a defender of Canadian sovereignty and economic interests on the international stage. For Poilievre and the Conservatives, the challenge remains finding a compelling message that resonates with voters beyond their base while addressing the complex relationship with Canada’s largest trading partner and closest ally.

Despite these challenges, the strong leadership vote suggests that Conservative Party members remain confident in Poilievre’s ability to rebuild the party’s electoral fortunes and provide effective opposition to the Carney government in the months ahead.