Justin Trudeau resigned as Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Liberal Party on Monday, January 6. With this, now all eyes are on Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, who could be the next Canadian Prime Minister.
Background of Pierre Poilievre
45 year old Pierre Poilievre is the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. He was born and raised in Calgary and holds a degree in International Relations from the University of Calgary. His political journey began in 2004 when he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party.
Poilievre previously served as a senior cabinet minister under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He lives in the village of Greely, in eastern Ontario, with his wife, Anaida, a former political consultant, and their two children, Valentina and Cruz.
Poilievre likely to become Prime Minister
According to PolyMarket, a decentralized prediction platform, users are betting heavily in favor of Poilievre, giving him a 90 percent chance of becoming the next elected Prime Minister of Canada. Poilievre himself appears confident of his chances. Following Trudeau’s resignation, he posted on Were trying. The only way to fix what the Liberals have broken is a carbon tax election to elect common-sense Conservatives who will bring home the promise of Canada.
Nothing has changed.
Every Liberal MP and leadership contender supported everything Trudeau did for 9 years, and now they are going to continue deceiving Canadians for the next 4 years like Justin by swapping in another Liberal face for voters. Want to trick.
The only way to fix that… pic.twitter.com/YnNYANTs1y
– Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) 6 January 2025
Political views of Pierre Poilievre
Poilievre identifies as a lifelong conservative and staunch supporter of free-market policies. He has been vocal about his plans to reduce government spending and bureaucracy. In a recent interview, he promised to implement “the largest crackdown on crime in Canadian history.”
His economic policies include cutting bureaucracy and foreign aid, reducing consulting fees, and ending corporate welfare for large companies. Poilievre has also proposed removing the federal sales tax on new homes priced under $1 million to address Canada’s housing crisis.
A major point of criticism for Poilievre has been the Trudeau government’s carbon tax, which he opposes. However, he says his party remains pro-immigration, distinguishing itself from more extreme views on immigration policies in other countries.
Controversy regarding Poilievre and Diwali celebrations
Pierre Poilievre faced criticism for canceling the long-planned Diwali celebration on Parliament Hill in October 2024. Organized by Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), the event has been organized annually for 23 years. The sudden cancellation without any explanation disappointed many in the Indo-Canadian community. The move was seen by some as a reflection of Poilievre’s cautious approach to India-Canada relations at a time of heightened diplomatic tensions.
india-canada relations
The cancellation of Diwali events has raised questions about how the Poilievre-led Conservative government will handle relations with India. A former High Commissioner to Canada suggested that Poilievre could try to balance the competing narratives promoted by both pro-Hindu and pro-Khalistan factions as the 2025 elections approach. Poilievre is yet to present a detailed plan to improve diplomatic relations with India.
