When Parliament returns on Sept. 15, the rematch will begin between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
For a variety of reasons, Poilievre, not the PM, faces the greatest scrutiny as Parliament resumes. And that scrutiny is at the most basic level. Everyone knows that Poilievre can deliver an insult with the best of them. But with a leadership review just a few short months away, the question is whether he still is the right person to lead the Conservative party back to government.
Recent polling by the Angus Reid Institute suggests that the answer is a resounding no. In fact, the latest Reid poll presents Poilievre and the Conservative Party of Canada with a nightmare scenario.
According to the poll, Poilievre has the support of 68 per cent of Conservative voters. But 50 per cent of Canadians would be “ashamed to call him PM.” That number represents a 10-point increase since 2023.
As much as I can’t stand Poilievre, and think he would have sold us up the river, if he’s in parliament doing his one-trick attack dog stunts, then Carney will be forced into defending anything that isn’t “elbows up.” So far, I think many of us have given him the benefit of the doubt with things like the digital services tax and various tariff concessions - it’s possible he is acting strategically there - but it’s about time he either starts dropping the other shoe or defending himself.
The equivalent Liberal party in the US capitulated to death to Republicans, leading a fascist takeover. In wouldn’t count on Carney alone to put in boxing gloves on without massive public pressure; secure and make sure he knows that Canadians need a fucking fighter.