What to know about Canada's opposition leader Pierre Poilievre
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Pierre Poilievre at a news conference in Dec. 2024 in Ottawa. Photo: Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation from party leadership Monday has put a renewed spotlight on his Conservative rival, Pierre Poilievre.
Why it matters: Trudeau's resignation has ignited a search for his replacement in his Liberal Party, which polls show is lagging significantly behind the Conservative Party ahead of a general election slated to take place by October.
What they're saying: Poilievre was quick to weigh in on the political fracas surrounding Trudeau, writing in a post on X Monday that Liberals wanted to "trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians."
- "The only way to fix what Liberals broke is ... to elect common sense Conservatives," he added.
What is Poilievre's background?
Poilievre, 45, has led Canada's Conservative Party since 2022 and is currently running for prime minister.
- Born and raised in Calgary, Poilievre graduated from the University of Calgary with a degree in international relations, per his website's biography.
- Poilievre was first elected to office as a member of parliament for the Conservative Party in 2004. He previously served as a senior cabinet minister in the government of Trudeau's predecessor Stephen Harper.
- His wife, Anaida Poilievre, is a former political advisor. The couple married in 2017 and have two children.
What are his political views
Poilievre's biography touts him as a "life-long conservative, champion of a free market."
- In an interview released Friday, Poilievre vowed to pursue "the biggest crackdown on crime in Canadian history," slammed the Trudeau government as "radical," and denounced "wokeism."
- "We're going to cut bureaucracy, cut the consultants, cut foreign aid, cut back on corporate welfare to large corporations," he added.
- Previously, Poilievre has proposed cutting the federal sales tax on new homes valued under $1 million to address the country's housing shortage.
- Poilievre has also railed against the Trudeau government's carbon tax, which was meant to help the country reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
The intrigue: While Poilievre's policies echo those of President-elect Trump, they notably diverge from Trump's MAGA goals regarding immigration.
- While Trump has repeatedly vilified immigrants and promised mass deportations, Poilievre has insisted that the "Conservative party is pro-immigration."
What is his relationship to Trump?
While Poilievre is open to working with Trump, the Canadian politician has stopped short of fully embracing him.
- In response to Trump's repeated suggestions that Canada could become America's 51st state, Poilievre vowed last month that such a thing would "never happen."
- Poilievre said on The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast that he could strike a "great deal" with Trump to increase Canada's oil and gas exports to the U.S. and "make both countries safer, richer, and stronger."
Go deeper: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigns as party leader
