Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is set to deliver a high-stakes speech Friday evening as he seeks to secure his position during a crucial leadership review at the party’s national convention in Calgary.
The address, scheduled to begin around 8:30 p.m. ET, is expected to centre on core themes Poilievre has emphasized throughout his leadership, including reducing immigration levels, strengthening public safety measures and addressing affordability and cost-of-living pressures. He is also anticipated to speak directly to western delegates amid growing concerns about regional alienation and renewed talk of Alberta separatism, including the possibility of a future provincial referendum.
Sources close to the Conservative leader told CBC News that Poilievre has been heavily involved in drafting and refining his remarks, mirroring the hands-on approach Prime Minister Mark Carney recently took with a major international speech.
Poilievre is likely to highlight gains made under his leadership, particularly the expansion of Conservative support among younger and working-class voters. Although he failed to form government in the last federal election and lost his own Ottawa-area seat, the party recorded its strongest vote share in decades.
The leadership review comes amid unease within Conservative ranks following three recent departures from caucus, including two MPs crossing the floor and one resignation. Delegates attending the convention expressed concern that another defection during the event could undermine Poilievre’s efforts to project unity after a turbulent year.
Such a move would be especially damaging as the Liberals, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, are on the brink of consolidating power. A further Conservative defection, combined with a recent Liberal byelection win in the Toronto area, could push the Liberals into majority territory and leave Conservatives facing a prolonged stint in opposition.
Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman addressed delegates on Thursday, urging them to stand behind Poilievre and dismiss what she described as external attempts to sow division within the party.
Following Poilievre’s hour-long speech, delegates will have a two-hour window to cast secret ballots on whether to initiate a leadership selection process. The roughly 2,500 votes will be counted by hand, with results expected later in the evening.
Under Conservative Party rules, leaders who lose a general election are subject to a leadership review unless they resign. While most observers expect Poilievre to survive the vote, party insiders say the size of his margin will matter. Some have suggested he should aim to match or exceed the 84 per cent support former prime minister Stephen Harper received in a similar review in 2005.
Historical precedents offer mixed lessons. Former Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark stepped down after receiving 67 per cent support in 1983, while NDP leader Tom Mulcair and Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie both lost their positions after weak review results following election defeats.
Despite those examples, Poilievre’s supporters remain confident, pointing to a unified caucus, favourable delegate demographics and strong backing in Calgary, which the leader considers his political home.
Former interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose added to that momentum by endorsing Poilievre in a video message released ahead of the vote, praising him as a determined and confrontational leader willing to challenge Liberal governance.
