Carson Jerema: Here’s how Poilievre can keep his job and defeat Carney

Carson Jerema: Here's how Poilievre can keep his job and defeat Carney The problems facing Canada are the same as under Trudeau Conservatives who think leader Pierre Poilievre needs to step down are doing their party no favours. There is also little agreement about why he needs to go, at least when you factor in the differing opinions from online activists and MPs speaking anonymously to Ottawa reporters over the past year. He’s by some accounts too mean, and by others, not mean enough. He’s either too much like a Liberal or not enough like one. Not focused enough on U.S. President Donald Trump, or too much like him. Too focused on the economy, or too focused on the culture war. Take your pick, there is a constituency of Conservatives who will identify one or all of these, no matter how contradictory, as the reasons why the Opposition trails in the polls. Recommended Videos Yet the party, under Poilievre, won a higher percentage of the popular vote last election than any conservative party since 1988. More importantly, as others have pointed out, Poilievre’s success at getting younger Canadians excited about voting Conservative is virtually unheard of in the western world. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s unconventional approach to getting a majority by enticing multiple Conservatives to cross the floor, or accept a Senate appointment, might reflect poorly on Poilievre’s leadership, but it’s also an opportunity. It has removed MPs who were not committed to the party, and given the Opposition time to craft a campaign capable of toppling the Carney Liberals. Conservatives certainly need time to figure this out because they have yet to develop an effective and coherent approach to opposing the prime minister. Poilievre, who not so long ago appeared so energetic and confident when squaring off against former prime minister Justin Trudeau, seems, these days, to be a lot like Christian Bale’s Batman after the Joker disappeared — a man without a mission, without a purpose. At the beginning of “The Dark Knight Rises,” years after the Joker escaped, without receiving justice, the outside world continued to rot, but Bruce Wayne is a shadow of his former self. I am not suggesting Canada is anything like the fictional cesspool Gotham became (though some days, I tell ya), or that Carney resembles the terrorist Bane, who ultimately provoked Batman back into action. - Anthony Koch: I'm a Conservative who wants to win! That doesn't make me a Liberal - Geoff Russ: Canadian voters are aging out of mainstream conservatism - Advertisement 1Story continues below But the same problems that plagued Canada under Trudeau, plague it still. High taxes and the government’s environmentalist agenda are strangling economic growth. Yes, Carney has referred a pipeline to the Major Projects Office, but the fact that a prime minister needs to approve an infrastructure project that should be private is a symptom of what is wrong, not proof that he cares about business. The pipeline will still be subject to the same resource-blocking environmental regulations as before. Not a single major infrastructure project has been approved since Carney entered office, and the economy flirts constantly with recession. Housing remains unaffordable and the cost of groceries is an insult to families everywhere whose wages have not caught up. Instead of getting a deal with the United States, as promised, Carney is leading the “resistance” against Trump. Canada’s cities remain hotbeds of violent crime, drug trafficking and fentanyl addicts in homeless camps, not to mention the keffiyeh-clad terrorist-supporting hate marches that still take over our streets. When anyone does get charged and ends up in court, judges routinely offend the basic principles of justice by finding new and creative ways to declare portions of the Criminal Code unconstitutional, or give offenders lower sentences because of their racial backgrounds or immigration status. Conservatives who are disheartened by the polls need to develop patience, because eventually the public is going to awaken to the fact that nothing has actually improved under Carney. They key is for Poilievre to have developed a fully formed plan for targeting the Liberals by the time that happens. If the prime minister adds a veneer of conservatism to his policies, push him to see how far he goes. If he brags about cutting temporary foreign workers, present a plan to completely reform the permanent resident and immigration regimes, refocused on prioritizing economic contributions over family reunification. If Carney talks about reinstating some mandatory minimum sentences and slightly updating the bail system, counter with a promise to use the notwithstanding clause to toughen sentences for offences across the board, but particularly violent crimes, and commit to deporting any non-citizen convicted of a crime. When faced with policies that would actually address the problems Canadians have, Carney’s so-called “conservatism” will wilt. Above all, what Carney’s tenure so far has shown is that appearing to be in charge is appealing to the public. Poilievre’s smarmy attack-dog persona worked well against Trudeau’s eternal smugness, but now he needs to elevate himself. One area, specifically, where the Conservative leader could improve is his recurring problem with, shall we say, pettiness. When introducing the newly elected B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay at a Calgary Stampede event, Poilievre said she was “fresh off a big win against Liberal lobbyists from out east.” That was a shot at Kory Teneycke, who managed the campaign of second-place finisher Caroline Elliott. Teneycke, who is credited with Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s three majorities, has been very critical of Poilievre, particularly during last year’s election. Perhaps Teneycke deserved the jibe, but the hit also landed on former Poilievre staffers Ben Woodfinden and Anthony Koch, who also worked on Elliott’s campaign, not to mention Elliott herself. While she finished second, Elliott and those around her are among the most energetic conservatives in the country and she has as been as sharp, if not sharper, on controversial topics like Indigenous land claims and gender ideology in schools than Poilievre himself. Keeping these people in the tent should be a priority for the Conservative leader. (Woodfinden, Koch and Elliott all regularly contribute to the Post). However, as far as this is a deficit for Poilievre, it is one that party activists will have already priced in. It is not a new complaint that the Conservative leader could do a better job at bringing different factions together. Besides, both the current and former prime ministers have faced similar criticisms. Changing leaders now won’t solve the underlying problem of how to campaign against the Carney Liberals. National Post Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. 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