Poilievre Retains Conservative Leadership With 87% Support

Members of the Conservative Party of Canada have voted overwhelmingly to retain Pierre Poilievre as party leader, following a leadership review held at the party’s annual convention in Calgary.

According to the party, more than 87 per cent of voting members supported Poilievre remaining leader, making him the first Conservative leader since Stephen Harper to survive a leadership review after an election defeat.

The vote came after Poilievre addressed delegates on Friday night, where he pledged not to abandon Conservative principles and outlined his vision for a future Conservative government.

Poilievre faced the review after leading the party to a fourth consecutive federal election loss to the Liberals, now led by Prime Minister Mark Carney. His position had been weakened further after losing his long-held Ottawa seat, forcing him to seek re-entry into Parliament through a byelection in Alberta.

Despite recent challenges, including the defection of two Conservative MPs to the Liberal Party, Poilievre received strong support from party members and senior figures, including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who publicly endorsed his leadership.

In his speech, Poilievre emphasized “hope” as the party’s theme moving forward, while sharply criticizing the Liberal government’s handling of issues such as the carbon tax, housing, crime, and energy policy.

He reaffirmed his opposition to the federal firearm buyback program and the industrial carbon tax, and restated support for an oil pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific coast.

Poilievre also addressed national unity, blaming Liberal policies for rising separatist sentiments in Alberta and Quebec, and pledged to govern in a way that respects provincial autonomy and shared national identity.

The leadership vote comes as recent opinion polls suggest the Liberals have gained ground, boosted by Carney’s international engagements and trade diplomacy.