The Conservative party met in Quebec City on the weekend amidst jubilance and enthusiasm for their leader Pierre Poilievre who has led the party to its strongest position in polls heading into the next election.
If an election were to be held today, Canada would have a Conservative majority Government.
While the party’s base may have been focussing on the culture war, leader Pierre Poilievre put more of his emphasis on unifying Canadians and portraying an inclusive image. Front and center of this image is his wife, Ana. A former Venezuelan refugee, Ana Poilievre reiterated what has become a slogan for the Conservatives “It is not where you are from, but where you are going.”
“The promise of Canada was; with hard work an individual could earn a powerful paycheck, that bought good food, paid for a decent home and retirement in a safe neighborhood, that each generation would be a little better off than their parents,” said Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre in his address to the party faithful at the convention. “That is the most important promise that Justin Trudeau broke!” he said.
Poilievre made his pitch clear. “Canadians have a choice between a common-sense Conservative government that frees hardworking people to earn powerful paychecks that buy affordable food, gas, and homes in safe neighborhoods or a reckless coalition of Trudeau and the NDP that punishes your work, takes your money, taxes your food. doubles your housing bill and unleashes crime and chaos in your neighborhood.”
While the new look Conservatives may be saying all the right things about the economy, the social conservative bent in the party also played out with the base. Social conservatives’ policies regarding limiting transgender surgeries for minors, putting an end to race-based hiring in federally funded research programs passed with overwhelming support.
These decisions will be issues of debate and contention in the next election as rival left-wing parties such as the Liberals and the NDP try and paint the conservatives as narrowminded and discriminatory to racial and sexual minorities.
The Conservatives have the tricky situation of appealing to their rabid and sometimes far out there base, while still being attractive and enticing to new voters who are now fed up with the Liberal party and Justin Trudeau’s mishandling of the economy.
While an election is not immediately on the horizon both the Liberals and NDP must be worried about the Conservative’s rise in the polls. Both parties must address the issues of affordability in Canada if they do not want to be utterly decimated in the next election’s seat count.
