Canada's Conservative Party has decided to stick with Pierre Poilievre, keeping him as leader despite last year's election loss and his low standing with national voters. Delegates at a convention in Calgary voted overwhelmingly in Poilievre's favor, with 87% of the more than 2,500 members backing him in a leadership review required after the 2025 defeat. The party had once been favored to win that election but instead lost to Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals in April. A weaker showing at the convention could have fueled internal doubts; instead, the result released Saturday strengthens Poilievre's grip on the party, the New York Times reports.
In his speech before the vote, Poilievre reprised themes from his campaign, emphasizing issues such as crime, affordability, and opposition to "cancel culture" and "identity politics." He framed the result as support for staying true to conservative principles and gave little indication of shifting toward the center to court broader support. Poilievre has been likened to President Trump but did not mention him; Trump remains influential with segments of the Conservative base but unpopular overall in Canada. In fact, the party's decision appears to reflect a a gap between party activists and the wider electorate. Polls show nearly 60% of Canadians view Poilievre negatively, while roughly the same share holds a positive opinion of Carney.
The party's fortunes have fallen since Justin Trudeau's resignation and Carney's arrival as Liberal leader; Poilievre not only led the Conservatives to defeat but lost his longtime seat before returning to Parliament in a safe Alberta seat. Poilievre didn't say much about how he'd handle Trump's threats and policies, an area Carney has addressed more forcefully. A CBC analysis suggests that although it's clear his party believes in Poilievre, he has a long way to go win over the nation at large.
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