If Pierre Poilievre has held only a handful of press briefings since his election as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) and granted only a few hand-picked interviews, it is no accident of journey. The new leader indicates that he intends to stay the course and refuses to let the parliamentary press “control the agenda”. A strategy that carries risks, however, argue former strategists.
Elected Conservative leader on September 10, Mr. Poilievre has held just one press conference in federal parliament in 60 days. The event had been tense. The leader hadn’t planned to take questions from the media and found himself heckled by a reporter, until he agreed to answer a few of them. He has not met the parliamentary press since.
“I took questions from journalists,” he defended himself, passing through Vancouver on Wednesday. In addition to this press briefing, the leader has held two others — one in Toronto and one in Vancouver — since his election. These two media availabilities had not been announced to the parliamentary media, which receive daily the itinerary of the other party leaders.
“But it’s not just journalists on Parliament Hill who can ask questions,” chanted Mr. Poilievre, in a somewhat tense exchange with one of these journalists, who was also visiting Vancouver. .
“The Parliamentary Press Gallery believes it should dominate political debate,” mocked the Conservative leader, repeating that he wanted to meet local or multicultural media. It will no longer be just the Parliamentary Press Gallery that will have its voice. All Canadians will have a voice. Mr. Poilievre also gave a few interviews to reporters sympathetic to the CCP.
A long term risk
The strategy is simple, in the eyes of former strategist Rodolphe Husny: Pierre Poilievre only wants to speak on economic issues, which concern voters, and therefore avoid taking part in too many press briefings or interviews, where he might have to comment on other topics.
In the short term, the tactic may work. Mr. Poilievre did not hold the traditional press briefing to comment on the government’s economic statement, but excerpts from his speech in the Commons were nevertheless picked up by the media.
The economy being the topic of the hour, these words from the leader of the official opposition will always be sought after, explains Mr. Husny. “Once the economic news goes down, for sure there will have to be a rebalancing. Because there could then be a risk that the message – wanting it not to be addressed to the media – crystallizes, ”analyzes the former strategist in Stephen Harper’s government.
Mr. Poilievre should not wait too long to adjust the situation, however, in the opinion of Marc-André Leclerc, who was chief of staff to former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer. “He needs to broaden his electorate,” says Mr. Leclerc.
During a leadership race, a candidate does well to bet especially on social networks to reach as many members as possible. But in a pre-election and electoral context, the leader must reach more voters, notes Mr. Leclerc. “And we know that the older electorate, who vote more conservative, are also consumers of traditional media who are less on electronic platforms. You have to talk to them, too. »
A Léger-TVA poll revealed this week that the PCC remained third in Quebec, with 18% of the voting intentions – against 19% at the time of Erin O’Toole. Nationally, Mr. Poilievre is hot on Mr. Trudeau.
Pierre Poilievre answered 10 questions from journalists present in Vancouver.
He did not want to comment on the publications of the new director of communications of the party. Sarah Fischer had supported the Freedom Convoy occupying Ottawa last winter and called their incessant honking “music to [ses] ears “. She would also have taken up the conspiracy theory that the World Economic Forum is trying to dominate the world.
The leader retorted that his economic priorities were also those of “all [son] crew “.