Conservatives rally behind Poilievre after Liberal majority win

A group of Conservative MPs say they remain behind Pierre Poilievre, despite growing questions surrounding his leadership after the Liberals secured a majority government in Monday’s byelection sweep.

The Liberal majority was bolstered by five floor-crossers, including four former Conservative MPs who defected from Poilievre’s caucus. Despite the losses, several high-profile Conservatives offered a chorus of support for their leader.

“Our caucus is united behind Pierre Poilievre,” said Regina-Qu’Appelle MP Andrew Scheer.

Melissa Lantsman, MP for Thornhill, echoed the sentiment, stating the caucus is “united behind a leader that has a vision,” while York Centre MP Roman Baber told reporters the party is committed to Poilievre leading them into the next election.

Rookie Conservative MP Andrew Lawton described Poilievre’s performance as a “tremendous job,” suggesting the leader is playing the long game to attract new voters and overcome polling numbers that show the Liberals with a significant lead.

“Pierre Poilievre has been working at broadening the coalition,” Lawton said. “We’ve seen him speak to more of you than I know perhaps he has in the past. We’ve seen him engage in podcasts with large audiences. We’ve seen him tour the country talking to Canadians.”

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While Poilievre received a resounding 87 per cent support vote during a leadership review in January, recent data suggests he is struggling to connect with the broader Canadian electorate.

Polling numbers released this week by Nanos Research places Liberal support at more than 45 per cent, compared to 32 per cent for the Conservatives. The same poll found Mark Carney is the preferred prime minister for 52.1 per cent of respondents, while Poilievre garnered 24.5 per cent.

Monday’s three byelection victories allow Carney’s Liberals to pursue their legislative agenda without requiring the support of other parties.

“Canadians have placed their trust in the government’s plan,” Carney said. “We now have reinforcements to help implement that and we’re going to go straight to work.”

The majority was made possible by five floor-crossing MPs — four of whom are former Tories who abandoned ship under Poilievre’s leadership; a leadership that also included a stunning loss to the Liberals in last year’s federal election.

On Tuesday, both Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford declined to weigh in on Poilievre’s future when asked separately by reporters if the Conservative leader should step down.

Carney said he respects Poilievre as a parliamentarian and will continue to work with him.

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