Canada’s Conservative Party backs Poilievre, votes to retain him as leader

Canada’s opposition Conservative Party has voted by a wide margin to keep Pierre Poilievre as leader following a mandatory leadership review triggered by its loss in the last federal election.

At a party convention in Calgary on Saturday, Conservatives backed Poilievre with 87.4% of the vote, reaffirming his leadership after the party was defeated by the Liberals under Prime Minister Mark Carney in April.

The result comes after a sharp political reversal. In January, the Conservatives were polling more than 20 points ahead of the Liberals, but momentum shifted after repeated remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump about Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state helped rally voters around Carney.

Although Poilievre lost his own parliamentary seat in the election, he returned to the House of Commons after winning a by-election in August.

Ahead of the vote, Ashton Arsenault, a former aide in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, said Poilievre needed at least 75% support to clearly demonstrate confidence in his leadership. The final result exceeded that threshold comfortably, signaling unity within the party heading into the next election cycle.

Meanwhile, public opinion remains mixed. Pollster Angus Reid reports Carney’s approval rating has climbed to 60%, the highest since he became Liberal leader. While about 80% of Conservative supporters back Poilievre, broader public sentiment is less favorable, with 58% of Canadians viewing him negatively.

Sources: Reuters