An electorate worried about the cost of living, a new “look” and a rise in the polls at the expense of the Liberals have all strengthened Pierre Poilievre’s profile: the Conservative leader was chosen by editorial offices across the country as “the personality who most marked the news in 2023”, following a survey conducted by The Canadian Press.
“He changed the political discourse and he reaped the rewards,” wrote Rob Roberts, editor in chief of the National Post, in his response to the survey. “He is clearly the favorite to become the next prime minister. »
The annual survey of The Canadian Press collected 97 votes cast among the client information departments of the national press agency, in the English- and French-speaking media; 25 respondents chose Mr. Poilievre.
New Manitoba NDP Premier Wab Kinew, the first First Nation member to be elected premier of a province in Canada, is tied with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in second place, with 14% of the vote. voice.
Pierre Poilievre, 44, was elected leader of the federal Conservatives in September 2022 with a huge majority on the first ballot, unifying the party and its caucus in a way not seen since Stephen Harper became the very first leader. of the modern Conservative Party of Canada, then Prime Minister for almost 10 years thereafter.
The leader of the official opposition will begin 2024 after months of growing support in voting intentions, while Mr. Trudeau and his Liberals are lagging behind in the polls. The ruling party has been scrambling to catch up with the Conservatives’ effective messaging — and their leader’s social media savvy — on housing and the cost-of-living crisis.
Mr. Poilievre has also succeeded in reviving the debate on carbon pricing with his incessant campaign on the removal of this “tax” which he directly links to the cost of living. He claimed victory when Mr. Trudeau decided to suspend federal pricing on residential oil heating, following numerous complaints in Atlantic Canada, where the Liberals were in free fall in the polls.
Even Mr. Trudeau admitted that the Conservative message had hit the target: he declared to The Canadian Press in an end-of-year interview last week that the Conservatives had “succeeded in scapegoating his climate policy” as the main culprit for rising prices.
“The rise of the Conservative Party of Canada in the polls — at the expense of the ruling Liberal Party — has a lot to do with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s successful attempt to blame the Trudeau government and its carbon tax policy for the rise in inflation and the affordability problems faced by ordinary Canadians,” wrote Matt Goerzen, editor-in-chief of Brandon Sunin his response to the survey.
“The Liberals’ failure to anticipate these problems by finding solutions to the rising costs of gas, food and mortgages allowed Mr. Poilievre to gain an advantage, and he expertly exploited and continuing Canadians’ growing anger and frustration with our country’s economic woes. »
Bite the apple
Although Mr. Poilievre has maintained a campaign-style pace since becoming leader, crossing the country several times for partisan rallies and fundraising events, next year will mark the 20e anniversary of his first election as an MP for a riding in the Ottawa region.
Long known for his brawling style and hyperpartisan rhetoric in the House, he has softened his tone somewhat – and ditched his glasses – as part of efforts to redefine himself in the eyes of Canadians. And polls tend to suggest that it works.
To get more voters, particularly those in key GTA ridings, as well as women over 50, to accept the idea that Mr. Poilievre is a good agent of change after more than eight years of Liberal rule , the party launched a $3 million advertising campaign.
The ads also feature what many conservatives see as another trump card to their success: his wife, Anaida Poilievre.
A Venezuelan immigrant who adopted Canada from Quebec, she played a larger role in organizing fundraising events and participating in cultural events with newcomer communities.
She also helped design the party’s latest merchandise, including a t-shirt with an image of her husband chewing an apple. Reference to the video, which has gone viral even elsewhere in the world, where the Conservative leader dismisses a British Columbia journalist’s questions about his status as a “Trump-style populist”, by responding with his own questions, while crunching an apple, clearly in full control.
Political staffers, Conservative caucus members and supporters surfed the viral video, carrying apples to various meetings and events to include in photos.
“We see a lot of memes on TikTok,” underlines Lenie Lucci, editor-in-chief of the Montreal Gazette.
Neither the Conservative Party nor the office of the leader of the official opposition responded to a request for comment regarding Mr. Poilievre’s rise in the polls or for an end-of-year interview with the leader. Mr. Poilievre has also not given a press conference since November 23.
Many Conservatives directly attribute the Conservatives’ success to Mr. Poilievre, who makes it a point to be directly involved in communications efforts. We are thinking in particular of a recently released 15-minute video ad, documentary style, with Mr. Poilievre narrating.
The video explains how Canada’s housing shortage began and how Mr. Poilievre plans to fix it. It generated millions of clicks, but economists believe that it cuts corners a bit and twists some facts a little freely.
Veteran Conservative MP Ed Fast, who supported the candidacy of former Quebec Premier Jean Charest in the leadership race, said Mr. Poilievre had matured in his new role. “He’s certainly learned the ropes of running a caucus, there’s no doubt about that anymore,” Mr. Fast said.
Last year, “the protester of the freedom convoy” was named “the personality who made the most impact in the news” by almost half of the respondents.