Conservative and Liberal Tensions Escalate Ahead of Parliamentary Resumption

Two weeks before the resumption of parliamentary work, the tone is getting tougher between conservatives and liberals. The advance of Pierre Poilievre’s troops in the polls amplifies the partisan climate.

The glasses are missing. Pierre Poilievre swapped the tie for the t-shirt. At his conference, we noticed him smiling more. The Conservative leader even makes jokes. As when speaking of his wife at the start of his speech Friday evening: Why is this beautiful Quebecer with this square head who has lost her glasses? A little self-deprecation to soften your image and appear less abrasive.

The message has not changed and appeals to fear:$ per month. She’s not angry […], she’s just afraid she won’t be able to pay to keep the roof over her head”,”text”:”The family who saw their mortgage payments increase by $1,000 a month. She’s not angry […]she’s just afraid she won’t be able to pay to keep the roof over her head”}}”>The family who saw their mortgage payments increase by $1,000 a month. She’s not angry […]she’s just afraid she won’t be able to pay to keep the roof over her headhe illustrated.

During his sweeping speech Friday evening, the Conservative leader painted a portrait of his Canada broken : cost of living, crime, decline in freedom of expression.

He targeted Justin Trudeau and Yves-François Blanchet because they support the principle of carbon pricing, in particular. Justin Trudeau and the Bloc who punish your work, take your money, tax your food and double the price of your housingdid he declare.

The problem of crime came up several times. Justin Trudeau, it’s not the Labrador hunters opening fire in downtown Toronto, it’s the violent repeat offenders you continue to releasehe said.

Pierre Poilievre also expressed his dissatisfaction with the changes to passports made last May, including the disappearance of illustrations depicting historical moments of the country in favor of representations of Canadian nature. He accuses the Prime Minister of wanting erase our proud history.

The liberal response

Declining in the polls, Justin Trudeau’s troops felt the need to go on the attack and respond to the conservative leader. Liberal ministers launched their response at the doors of the Quebec City Convention Center when conservative delegates were gathered.

Their counter-offensive also relied on anxiety, highlighting the threat that the election of a Poilievre government could represent. Rise of the far right et radicalization of the Conservative Party : Minister Soraya Martinez accuses Pierre Poilievre of importing American policy to Canada.

What is worrying is to see in the conservative congress today, for example, the pro-life coalition. We see the gun lobby. We see groups who do not believe in climate change. It is a danger, a danger for the achievements of Quebecersshe said.

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Minister Pablo Rodriguez fell back on a classic tactic, taken from the liberal toolbox: associating conservatives and austerity.

[Pierre Poilievre] wants to cut, cut, cut, but we don’t know where. Is it going to be among the seniors? Is it going to be dental care? Is it going to be at the daycare level? he insisted.

Faced with discouraging polls and repeated attacks from Pierre Poilievre on the housing and cost of living crises, the Liberals feel the need to be combative. So much for the sunny ways.

Solutions?

Both parties are betting that in these uncertain times, the most powerful lever is that of fear. At the moment, slogans have the upper hand over concrete proposals.

On Friday, during Pierre Poilievre’s speech, Canadians were not treated to many new and detailed ideas. Regarding the housing crisis, he simply repeated his intention to link infrastructure financing for municipalities to the construction of new housing on their territory. Note that the Liberals already link part of federal funding to the construction of new homes.

When it comes to the environment, the Conservative leader wants to encourage businesses to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through investments in green technologies and eliminate obstacles to carrying out projects such as hydroelectric dams and wind turbines. , and produce green minerals. But the means and targets remain vague. How, for example, would it offset the effect of the abolition of the carbon tariff on the CO emissions balance sheet?₂ you Canada?

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The Liberals, for their part, have difficulty breaking away from the image of a government trying to catch up on issues of housing and the cost of living. After eight years in power, the burden falls partly on their shoulders. Canadians who were hoping for a concrete plan from Justin Trudeau, after the recent Cabinet retreat in Charlottetown, have not seen any new proposals.

The idea put forward by ministers of imposing a cap on the number of foreign students in the country, in order to appease the demand for housing, has mainly led to criticism from Quebec and from certain university directors so far .

There is greater pressure on the government currently in power to quickly present concrete solutions to Canadians. On the opposition benches, Pierre Poilievre is undoubtedly betting on waiting until he is closer to the elections before presenting a complete strategy.

According to the most recent Abacus* survey, 58% of Canadians believe that the country is heading in the wrong direction.

In search of solutions, the electorate must for the moment be content with partisan rhetoric from the two main parties. Will the months leading up to the next election campaign be driven by emotion or by a debate on public policies?

After the scarecrows, will Canadians be treated to a battle of ideas?