Fissure among Conservatives undermining Poilievre’s pitch he’s a national unifier: experts
Tensions within the Conservative movement have reached a boiling point leading up to the federal election, with experts warning that the long-standing divide between mainstream and populist factions is ready to crack wide open. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s attempts to position himself as a unifier are being challenged as prominent figures within the party clash over key issues.
The recent rift began when former Reform Party leader Preston Manning and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, both Western-populist-styled Conservatives, made controversial statements that drew criticism from former Stephen Harper cabinet ministers James Moore and Jason Kenney. The antagonism between these different factions of the party has been simmering for some time but is now coming to the forefront as the election approaches.
Smith’s meeting with Liberal Leader Mark Carney and her subsequent list of demands raised concerns within the party. Her calls to rule out using Alberta’s oil exports as a bargaining chip and her letter to Quebec Premier François Legault on provincial sovereignty sparked further controversy. When U.S. President Donald Trump exempted Canada from additional tariffs, Smith’s response was met with criticism from Moore and Kenney, who highlighted the impact on other industries.
Manning’s column in the Globe and Mail warning of Western secession if the Liberals win the election further exacerbated tensions within the party. Poilievre, while distancing himself from Manning’s views, is facing challenges in maintaining unity among his fellow Conservatives. His efforts to present himself as a defender against the Trump administration are being undermined by conflicting statements from within the party.
Political experts suggest that the Conservative Party’s struggle to appeal to a broad coalition of progressive and populist conservatives is at the root of the current discord. Maintaining cohesion within the base while catering to different ideologies is proving to be a significant challenge for Conservative politicians. The concentration of the party’s voter base in Alberta and Saskatchewan further complicates their path to electoral success compared to the more evenly distributed support for the Liberals.
As the election draws near, the fissures within the Conservative movement are only deepening, making Poilievre’s task of uniting the party even more challenging. The divisions between mainstream and populist conservatives are becoming more pronounced, threatening to overshadow the party’s electoral campaign. The need for a cohesive and united front is paramount for the Conservatives, and how they navigate these internal divisions will be crucial in determining their success in the upcoming election.
