Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre expresses high confidence in his ability to lead the party in the upcoming election. In an exclusive interview on “Rosemary Barton Live,” Poilievre stated his belief that both January and the next election will be successful for the party.
In January, Poilievre is set to undergo a mandatory leadership review by his caucus to determine his continuation as the leader. This review is mandated by the party’s constitution, which requires a vote on the leader’s future if they do not voluntarily step down after an election defeat.
This upcoming review will mark the first test of Poilievre’s leadership since the Conservatives faced a loss in the federal election in April, resulting in Poilievre losing his long-held Ottawa seat after 20 years of representation.
Despite the setback in the last election, the Conservatives managed to gain 24 new seats and garnered 42 percent of the total votes, a significant figure in Canadian elections. Poilievre made a successful return to the House of Commons by winning a byelection in the Alberta riding Battle River-Crowfoot in August.
Recently, concerns were raised by some Conservative MPs regarding Poilievre’s leadership after he criticized the RCMP leadership as ‘despicable.’
Poilievre remains optimistic about maintaining party support, emphasizing the importance of performing well both during the January review and on election day to secure backing from both the party and the nation.
Reflecting on past Conservative leaders, Poilievre hopes to follow in the footsteps of Stephen Harper, who retained leadership after an election loss and went on to serve nearly a decade as prime minister. In contrast, the two most recent Conservative leaders, Erin O’Toole and Andrew Scheer, were removed from their positions following election defeats in 2021 and 2019, respectively.
In response to whether he believes the party will offer him a second chance, Poilievre expressed his confidence in receiving another opportunity to lead.
The full interview with Poilievre will be broadcast on “Rosemary Barton Live” on Sunday at 10 a.m. ET.
