TORONTO (AP) — Until a few months ago, Pierre Poilievre was seen as a shoo-in to become Canada’s next prime minister and shepherd his Conservative Party back…
Until a few months ago, Pierre Poilievre was seen as a shoo-in to become Canada’s next prime minister and shepherd his Conservative Party back into power for the first time in a decade. Then President Donald Trump declared economic war on the U.S.’s neighbor to the north and even threatened to make Canada the 51st state.
Poilievre, a career politician and firebrand populist, has campaigned with Trump-like braggadocio, even taking a page from the “America First” president by adopting the slogan “Canada First.” But his similarities to Trump might cost him the chance to become prime minister when Canadians head to the polls on April 28.
Trump’s frequent attacks on Canada’s economy and sovereignty have infuriated Canadians and led to a surge in nationalism that has bolstered Liberal Party poll numbers.
Like Trump, Poilievre brags about the size of the crowd at his campaign rallies and attacks the mainstream media, recently calling a female journalist a protester. In response to the changes in public opinion, some Poilievre supporters wore hoodies to a recent rally with the slogan, “Do you believe the polls?”
The change in the polls has been dramatic. In a mid-January poll by Nanos, the Liberals trailed the Conservatives by 47% to 20%. In the latest Nanos poll, which was conducted during a three-day period that ended April 19, the Liberals led by six percentage points. The January poll had a margin of error 3.1 points while the latest poll had a 2.7-point margin.
“The Trumpy hectoring of people, the slogans, the big rallies — like it all just seems like so Trump. And people are not loving Trump right now in Canada,” said Kory Teneycke, a key figure in conservative Canadian politics who directs campaigns.
