Pierre Poilievre, the conservative political party leader of Canada is a champion of the free market and is one who supports people taking ownership of and responsibility for their own futures. He has been elected seven times to serve as a member of parliament by the citizens of Carleton. He has also served as a trusted senior minister in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet.
In this article, we’ll be walking you through his background, early life, political career, and much more.
What is Pierre known for?
Well, to begin with, the citizens love Pierre for who he is and his views to take the nation forward. He was appointed the Leader of His Majesty’s Official Opposition in September 2022. He is currently preparing to be the next Prime Minister of Canada.
His thoughts and views are very different from the other politicians. He wishes to build a country where-
- The state is a servant, not a master.
- Smaller government makes room for bigger citizens.
- People hold the freedom to build a business without heavy taxes.
To allow more personal freedom and responsibility, he believes that the government’s involvement in things should be limited. He has stood up multiple times for his citizens, battling out-of-control deficit spending and tax increases, after the Liberal addiction to debt became a concern.
He had immense support from Canadians as he was the first one to predict the inflation crisis and wanted to take action against it. It was a sneaky way for the government to raise money by raising commodity prices for the citizens. Today, more than half of families in Canada are struggling to feed themselves because of the price hikes.
He also was one of the first voices to take the courage and speak up against unscientific mandates and unacceptable limits on the freedoms of Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pierre is a strong advocate for freedom and even during COVID-19, he encouraged the government to end its politicized and divisive response.
Biography and Early Life
Mr. Poilievre was born to a 16-year-old mother in Calgary, on 3rd June 1979, and is 44 years old as of 2024. His birth parents were on the Irish-Canadian side. He was adopted by his parents, who were school teachers, Marlene and Don Poilievre, from Saskatchewan shortly after he was born. He was raised in suburban Calgary. He only met his biological mother and maternal grandfather for the first time in his life, during his early 20s. He can speak fluent English and French.
He went to the University of Calgary, where he was actively involved in the on-campus conservative club, played ice hockey, and went on camping trips with his younger brother, Patrick, who was also adopted. He was also a part of his school’s wrestling team till the age of 14. He graduated with a degree in international relations.
So, how did his interest in politics even start?
During his late teenage years, he started to gain interest in politics and read more books about it. He eventually also started to participate in student union protests.
Before running for office, he worked for Stockwell Day, and then as a member of the Canadian Alliance. Pierre knew in his heart that he wanted to pursue a career in politics and started becoming more actively involved in the Reform Party and Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta. He started following political campaigns at the age of 16 and also served the riding association. At the age of 17, he was a delegate to the Reform Party 1996 national convention in Vancouver, British Columbia.
He got married to Anaida, in 2017, and today, they have two children, Valentina and Cruz.
Being a Career Politician
According to the British academic Anthony King in 1981, the term “career politician” means those parliamentarians who devote their professional life to politics, entering politics in their 30s and leaving at retirement age. And Pierre Poilevre fits just the right definition, in fact, very closely. He was first elected to his Carleton riding in 2004 at the age of 25, not in his 30s. Pierre started his career in politics, including as a political staffer, and he holds a keen understanding of the legislative process.
Career politicians often face a lot of criticism for being detached from everyday life. While Poilievre, as a Conservative leader and MP, hears Canadians’ concerns, he may not be able to really empathize with them. Truly understanding them requires firsthand experience rather than merely listening to constituents.
Political Career
Before winning his first ballot in September 2022 for the Conservative Party leadership race, Pierre Poilevre was appointed as the official opposition’s main finance critic.
He was then promoted to the prime minister cabinet in 2013 under Stephen Harper, initially as a democratic reform minister and later as an employment minister.
Towards the end of January 2022, Pierre broke ranks with his leader and completely endorsed the movement, taking pictures with the protestors and sending doughnuts to truckers. He replaced Mr O’Toole in this process and maintained his front-runner status throughout the months-long campaign. After this win, Pierre Poilievre kept a socially low profile throughout the public inquiry into the government’s request for the Emergencies Act. He also bypassed the Parliament Hill news media, and instead, only focussed on asking questions in the House of Commons.
Finally, we believe that as a leader, his focus has pivoted from pandemic policies in favor of a consistent economic message centered on calling for lower taxes, which he initially felt very strongly about. His shadow cabinet selections indicated a more progressive stand on social issues. He is also trying to help immigrant communities and take a stand for them in the community.
Should Pierre be elected as the next Canadian Prime Minister?
Well, if elected prime minister, either of the two scenarios may happen- either he may use his experience as a career politician to advocate for issues that are really important to Canadians ( in fact, the ones he was highly advocating for at the start of his career), or he may choose to focus on partisan games in Ottawa.
What are your thoughts on this?