Earlier this year the Conservative party was thrust into a leadership campaign. I did not support Pierre Poilievre in the leadership race because I felt at the time he didn’t have strong support across the country.
Clearly, I was wrong and party members overwhelmingly voted for Pierre Poilievre as our new leader. He won handily in almost every riding in the country, including our own here in Signal Hill. I have always believed that political parties only succeed when everyone gets behind the new leader. This situation is no different, and Pierre has my complete support.
Since his win, Pierre has deeply impressed me. I have observed a much more mature Pierre Poilievre. His questioning of the government has been measured and focused. I am observing a leader whose messages are resonating with Canadians and is motivating all members of caucus. His ability to focus on connecting directly with Canadians through social media is something that our party desperately needs to get better at, and I am hopeful that Pierre will help modernize our operation.
While the enthusiasm within the Conservative party is high today, much work remains. Conservatives need to make inroads in Quebec, the Greater Toronto area, Vancouver and the BC lower mainland. While we saw tremendous growth in the Conservative party membership during the leadership election tripling the numbers of members in ridings like Signal Hill doesn’t result in additional seats.
It is certainly true that many Canadians are seeking an alternative to the current Liberal government. It is now up to Conservatives to win over those who traditionally vote for another party. The challenge now will be to connect with Canadians who didn’t buy a membership in 2022 and win them over to vote Conservative in the next election.
That election could still be three years away as the NDP is showing no signs of breaking the agreement to prop up the Liberals. This extra time however could work in favor of Mr. Poilievre who needs time to win over those Canadians and form a majority government.