He received 87.4 per cent approval
The Conservative Party of Canada is Pierre Poilievre’s to lead into the next election.
Party delegates voted 87.4 per cent in favour of keeping Poilievre on as leader during the 2026 Conservative Convention in Calgary, Alta.
Under the party’s constitution, a leadership review is automatically triggered if the party loses a general election.
Poilievre addressed supporters prior to the vote where he highlighted the government’s actions, which he says create hurdles and not paths.
Prime Minister Carney “taxes food production and then he creates new programs for food subsidies. In every case he blocks and taxes a thing and then subsidizes that same thing. But why not just get out of the way and let things move?” Poilievre said.
Poilievre’s supporters included John Barlow, the party’s ag critic.
Before the vote occurred Barlow told CBC the party’s “polling numbers are extremely strong. We’ve remained steady. I think Pierre has shown himself to be an articulate, strong, capable leader with great leadership abilities.”
On chat forums like Agriville.com, farmers are weighing in on the leadership results and what the future holds for the Conservatives with Poilievre at the helm.
One user wanted to see change.
“Personally, I think the Conservatives needed a new leader and Poilievre won’t beat the Liberals,” farmaholic wrote. “Even worse, his seat is in the west, the voting power is in the east and they’ll “see” him as a western leader.”
Another user believes to win the next election the Conservatives will have to keep the gains with one demographic while courting another. And that a Liberal majority government could fuel separatist sentiment.
“The key for the Conservatives will be to maintain the momentum with the younger demographic while at the same time convincing the over 60 crowd that Poilievre can be just as effective against Trump,” Hamloc wrote. “Nothing Carney has done since being elected has shown he has any positive abilities to negotiate with Trump, in fact exactly the opposite. If Carney gets a majority it will in my opinion help the separatist causes in both Quebec and Alberta.”
The Conservative convention also saw the party amend some policy positions.
In terms of items related to ag, here’s where the party stands as per its policy booklet.
The Conservative Party supports accelerated trade and economic agendas for agriculture including addressing trade barriers, expanding value-added manufacturing and processing, and supporting a domestic biofuel industry.
With respect to small farms, the party “recognizes supporting small (generational and new) farming operations as critical to a diversified agricultural sector with strong ties to local communities,” the booklet says. “A Conservative government will support small farms by expanding tax breaks on farm equipment and providing flexible financing and loan options for equipment and land.”
Conservatives also support ending the Temporary Foreign Workers program and the International Labour Mobility Program, but ensuring the ag industry has an appropriate labour pool.
“The Conservative Party of Canada believes Canadian jobs should be for Canadian workers. Limited programs to deal with temporary and genuine labour shortages such as agricultural harvests should replace them.”