Justin Trudeau resigned as Canada’s Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party on Monday, January 6, shifting attention to Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party, who is widely seen as the likely successor.
Who is Pierre Poilievre?
Pierre Poilievre is the leader of Canada’s Conservative Party. He is 45 years old and hails from Calgary. He graduated in international relations from the University of Calgary. Poilievre started his political career in 2004 when he was elected as a member of parliament for the Conservative Party.
He was a senior cabinet minister under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He lives in Greely, a village in Eastern Ontario, with his wife Anaida, a former political advisor, and their two children, Valentina and Cruz.
Prospects of Becoming PM for Poilievre
On Polymarket, a decentralized prediction platform, users have given Poilievre a 90% chance of becoming Canada’s next elected prime minister. Poilievre is full of confidence. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after Trudeau resigned:
“Liberals were trying to trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians for another 4 years, just like Justin. The only way to fix what Liberals broke is a carbon tax election to elect common sense Conservatives who will bring home Canada’s promise.”
Pierre Poilievre’s Political Vision
A lifelong conservative, Poilievre is an ardent defender of free-market principles. Reducing government spending and bureaucracy have been parts of his agenda. Recently, in an interview, he vowed to launch “the biggest crackdown on crime in Canadian history.
He suggests reducing consultancy fees, cutting off corporate welfare, and also eradicating foreign aid as economic proposals. His other proposed economic solutions have been to do away with the federal sales tax for new houses if the price falls within $1 million.
One of his main criticisms of the Trudeau government has been its carbon tax policy, which he opposes. Despite this, Poilievre emphasizes that the Conservative Party supports immigration, differentiating his stance from more restrictive policies seen elsewhere.
Controversy Over Diwali Event
In October 2024, Poilievre came under attack for scrapping an annual Diwali event held on Parliament Hill by the Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC). The event was held for 23 years consecutively and was scrapped without any explanation. Many people from the Indo-Canadian community were disappointed with this cancellation. Many thought that the decision reflected the cautious approach of Poilievre to India-Canada relations during increased diplomatic tensions.
India-Canada Relations
The axed Diwali celebration has sparked all sorts of speculation on how a Poilievre-led Conservative government would handle the India file. A former High Commissioner to Canada speculated that Poilievre may have to juggle between competing narratives by pro-Hindu and pro-Khalistani factions as elections in 2025 draw closer. However, Poilievre has yet to outline any specific strategy on how to build up ties with India.
