Pierre Poilievre: The man who could become Canada's future PM
2025-01-09
Category: news

At 20 years old, Pierre Poilievre already had a roadmap for Canada.Canada's Conservative Party leader - now 45 - laid out a low-tax, small government vision for the country in an essay contest on what he would do as prime minister."A dollar left in the hands of consumers and investors is more productive than a dollar spent by a politician," he stated. Poilievre is one step closer to making his vision a reality, and even gave a nod to the essay in a recent interview with conservative psychologist and commentator Jordan Peterson.For months, Poilievre's Conservatives have enjoyed a large lead over the struggling Liberals in national surveys, suggesting they would win a majority government if an election were held today.Now Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced he's standing down, and with an election likely to be called soon, Poilievre is promising a return to "common sense politics". For Canadians frustrated with a sluggish economy and a housing and affordability crisis, he is offering an alternative to what he has labelled as Trudeau's "authoritarian socialism".A win would make him part of a wave of populist leaders on the right who have toppled  incumbent governments in the west.While it has invited comparisons to Donald Trump - and he has fans like Elon Musk and others in the US president-elect's orbit - Poilievre story is very much a Canadian one.
A Calgarian with his eyes set on Ottawa
Poilievre was born in Canada's western province of Alberta to a 16-year-old mother who put him up for adoption. He was taken in by two school teachers, who raised him in suburban Calgary."I have always believed that it is voluntary generosity among family and community that are the greatest social safety net that we can ever have," he told Maclean's Magazine in 2022, reflecting on his early life."That's kind of my starting point."As a teenager, Poilievre showed an early interest in politics, and canvassed for local conservatives. Poilievre was studying international relations at the University of Calgary when he met Stockwell Day, who served as a cabinet minister under former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper. At the time, Day was seeking the leadership of the Canadian Alliance - a right-wing party with Alberta roots that became part of the modern-day Conservatives in a 2003 merger - and he tapped Poilievre to help with campus outreach."He impressed me from the start," Day told the BBC in an interview. "He seemed to be a level-headed guy, but full of energy and able to catch people's attention."Day's leadership bid was successful, and he set out for Ottawa with Poilievre as his assistant. Some time after, Poilievre walked into his office on a cold winter night to ask his opinion about potentially running for office.Poilievre went on to win a seat in Ottawa in 2004 at the age of 25, making him one of the youngest elected Conservatives at the time. He has held that seat since.
From "Skippy" to party leader
In Ottawa, Poilievre was given the nickname Skippy by peers and foes alike due to to his youthful enthusiasm and sharp tongue.He built a reputation for being "highly combative and partisan", said Randy Besco, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto.Behind the closed doors of Conservative caucus meetings, Poilievre showed his diplomatic side, Day said."Pierre was always good at saying, 'Okay, you know what? I hadn't thought of that,' or he would listen and say: 'Have you thought of this?'" said Day. Still, confrontational politics became a cornerstone of Poilievre's public persona. After becoming Conservative leader in 2022, he would target Trudeau with biting remarks as a way to connect with disaffected voters.It has landed him in trouble at times. In April, he was expelled from the House of Commons for calling the prime minister a "wacko".Poilievre told the Montreal Gazette in June that he is a fan of "straight talk"."I think when politesse is in conflict with the truth, I choose the truth," he said. "I think we've been too polite for too long with our political class."His combative style has also been divisive, and he has been criticised for oversimplifying complex issues for political gain.While Canadians have been open to the opposition leader's message as a change from Trudeau's brand of progressive politics, just over half of them hold an unfavourable opinion of him, according to the latest polls.Poilievre has also had to shift his sights since Trudeau's resignation announcement, to get ahead of the inevitable match-up between him and the next Liberal leader. 
Poilievre on populism, immigration and Trump
The Conservative leader has been described as a "soft" populist for his direct appeals to everyday Canadians and criticism of establishment elites, including corporate Canada.He came out in support of those who protested vaccine mandates during the 2021 "Freedom Convoy" demonstrations that gridlocked Ottawa for weeks.He has pledged to deliver "the biggest crackdown on crime in Canadian history", promising to keep repeat offenders behind bars.On social matters, Poilievre has rarely weighed in - something Prof Besco said is typical of senior Conservatives, who see these topics as "a losing issue".While Poilievre voted against legalising gay marriage in the early 2000s, he recently said it will remain legal "full stop" if he is elected. The Conservatives also do not support legislation to regulate abortion, though they allow MPs to vote freely on the issue. "I would lead a small government that minds its own business," Poilievre said in June. Amid a public debate in Canada in recent months on immigration, the party has said it would tie levels of newcomers to the number of new homes built, and focus on bringing in skilled workers.Poilievre's wife, Anaida, arrived in Canada as a child refugee from Caracas, Venezuela.The Conservative leader has pushed for the integration of newcomers, saying Canada does not need to be a "hyphenated society".One of his major promises - to cut Trudeau's national carbon pricing programme, arguing it is a financial burden for families - has raised questions over how his government would tackle pressing issues like climate change.
Canada also faces the threat of steep tariffs when Trump takes office later this month, with the US-Canada relationship expected to be a major challenge. Poilievre has pushed back at Trump's comments suggesting Canada become a 51st US state, vowing to "put Canada first". He has not stepped much into foreign policy otherwise, with his messaging focused instead on restoring "the Canadian dream".Above all, Poilievre says he wants to do away with "grandiosity" and "utopian wokesim" that he believes has defined the Trudeau era, in favour of the "the things that are grand and great about the common people"."I've been saying precisely the same thing this entire time," he told Mr Peterson.