The man who could become Canada’s future PM

At the age of 20, Pierre Poilievre already had a map to Canada.

The leader of Canada’s Conservative Party – now 45 years old – has offered a minimalist vision of the country’s government in a draft of what he would do as prime minister.

“A dollar left in the hands of consumers and investors is more valuable than a dollar spent by a politician,” he said.

Poilievre is one step closer to making his vision a reality, and he acknowledged that in a recent interview with psychologist and commentator Jordan Peterson.

For months, Poilievre’s Conservatives have been leading the struggling Liberals in national polls, meaning they would win a majority government if an election were held today.

Now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he is standing down, and an election could be held soon, Poilievre is promising to return to “smart politics”.

For Canadians frustrated by the economic crisis and housing and affordability issues, he is offering an alternative to what he called Trudeau’s “authoritarian socialism.”

A victory would make him one of the right-wing leaders who have overthrown Western governments.

Although he has invited comparisons to Donald Trump – and has fans like Elon Musk and others in the US president-elect’s path – Poilievre’s story is very Canadian.

Poilievre was born in the western Canadian province of Alberta to a 16-year-old mother who put him up for adoption. He was adopted by two school teachers, who raised him in downtown Calgary.

“I’ve always believed that free will between family and community is the best form of security we can have,” he told Maclean’s Magazine in 2022, reflecting on his childhood.

“That’s my race to begin with.”

As a young man, Poilievre showed a keen interest in politics, and applied to political enthusiasts.

Poilievre was studying international relations at the University of Calgary when he met Stockwell Day, who served as a cabinet minister under former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

At the time, Day was seeking the leadership of the Canadian Alliance — a right-wing party with Alberta roots that became part of today’s Conservatives in a 2003 merger — and recruited Poilievre to help with school outreach.

“He impressed me from the start,” Day told the BBC in an interview. “He seemed like a headstrong man, but full of energy and able to attract people’s attention.”

Day’s leadership bid was successful, and he left for Ottawa with Poilievre as his assistant. After some time, Poilievre entered his office on a cold night to ask him his opinion on the matter of wanting to be in the position.

Poilievre won the seat in Ottawa in 2004 at the age of 25, making him one of the youngest candidates at the time. He has been in that position ever since.

In Ottawa, Poilievre was nicknamed Skippy by friends and foes alike for his youthful enthusiasm and sharp tongue.

He built a reputation for being “very critical and partisan,” said Randy Besco, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto.

Behind closed-door Conservative caucus meetings, Poilievre showed his diplomatic side, Mr Day said.

“Pierre would always say, ‘Well, you know what? I never thought of that,’ or he’d listen and say: ‘Have you thought about that?’ ” said Day.

However, controversial politics became the cornerstone of Poilievre’s people. When he becomes Conservative leader in 2022, he looks to Trudeau with hurtful words as a way to connect with disaffected voters.

This has gotten him into trouble at times. In April, he was kicked out of the House of Commons for calling the Prime Minister “wacko”.

Poilievre told the Montreal Gazette in June that he is a fan of “straight talk”.

“I think when honor is at odds with the truth, I choose the truth,” he said. “I think we’ve been respectful for a long time with our political class.”

His military style has also been controversial, and he has been criticized for oversimplifying complex issues for political gain.

While Canadians have been receptive to the opposition leader’s message as a change to Trudeau’s progressive politics, more than half of them have a negative view of him, according to recent polls.

Poilievre has also had to change his views since Trudeau announced his resignation, to preside over the inevitable debate between himself and the next Liberal leader.

The Conservative leader has been described as a “soft” populist because of his direct appeals to everyday Canadians and criticism of leading figures, including Canadian companies.

He came out to support the protesters at the 2021 “Freedom Convoy” protests that blocked Ottawa for weeks.

He has promised to deliver the “biggest crackdown on crime in Canadian history”, and promised to keep repeat offenders behind bars.

On social issues, Poilievre has not said anything – which Prof Besco said is similar to the Conservatives, who see these topics as a “lost issue”.

While Poilievre voted against legalizing same-sex marriage in the early 2000s, he recently said it would remain legal if elected.

The Conservatives also do not support abortion laws, although they allow MPs to vote freely on the issue.

“I would lead a small government that runs its own business,” Poilievre said in June.

Between a public debate in Canada in recent months on immigration issues, the party said it will link new arrivals to the number of new homes built, and focus on bringing in skilled workers.

Poilievre’s wife, Anaida, arrived in Canada as a child refugee from Caracas, Venezuela.

The Conservative leader urged the integration of newcomers, saying Canada should not be an “unsettled society”.

One of his biggest promises – to scale back Trudeau’s carbon pricing program, saying it is a financial burden for families – has raised questions about his government’s ability to deal with issues such as climate change.

Canada also faces the threat of lower tariffs when Trump takes office later this month, with US-Canada relations expected to become more strained.

Poilievre is back Trump’s comments suggest that Canada will be the 51st The US pledges to “put Canada first”.

He has never been involved in politics, otherwise his message is focused on restoring the “Canadian dream”.

Above all, Poilievre says he wants to end the “bigotry” and “utopian wokesim” that he believes have defined the Trudeau era, in favor of “larger and larger things for ordinary people”.

“I’ve been saying the same thing all along,” Peterson said.