Ottawa, ON – At a time when President Trump is fundamentally reshaping the international trading system, and threatening Canada’s economy and sovereignty, Pierre Poilievre’s plan recycles the same tired ideas he’s been peddling for years: more cuts, more division, and more chaos.
Leaders across business, advocacy, and public policy agree: Pierre Poilievre’s plan fails to meet this moment:
Economists:
- Andrew Leach: “The Conservative platform definitely reads like a platform you cobbled together in a week or two after you determined that your plan to not risk your big lead with a costed platform wasn’t going to work.”
- Mike Moffatt: “The Conservative plan is out and, ooof, is this costing a disaster.”
- Marc Lévesque: “Here’s the link to the fully costed CPC program. Oh, man. Guess what? They’re not going to be balancing the budget at any time during their term, if elected.”
- Rob Gillezeau: “I just finished my first quick scan of the Conservative platform and the first thing that stood out to me is how much less comprehensive it is than past offerings. It comes in at 30 pages (5 of them images) versus 83 pages in 2021, 104 pages in 2019, and 159 pages in 2015.”
Advocacy:
- Mark Garcia, Canadian Teachers Federation: “Mental Health appears 0 times in the Conservative Party of Canada platform. No wonder they didn’t respond to our questionnaire.”
- Shaun Haney, Real Agriculture: “The Conservative policy platform released today seems pretty light on direct agricultural issues…. I was expecting more.”
Thought leaders:
- Stéphanie Chouinard: “Had the same thought. I really expected a heftier, more detailed document. It’s not like the CPC were caught off guard by this election; they’d been asking for one for months. #cdnpoli”
- Fae Johnstone: “The Conservative Party platform includes 4 mentions of women. 3 of those are related to an anti-trans policy. That says everything that needs to be said about the Conservative Party and gender equity.”
- Max Fawcett: “The Conservative Party of Canada’s platform is 30 pages long. It has 17 pictures of Pierre Poilievre, including four full page ones (with no content). The Liberal platform is 67 pages long. It has one picture of Mark Carney. Take from that what you will. #cdnpoli”
- Amber Mac: “Between his (Pierre’s) inability to engage in an intelligent conversation about AI in a recent podcast episode…and his lack of focus on our tech / AI industries and infrastructure, his government-only work experience is blazingly apparent, as if he has missed the tech / AI revolution of the past decade (and he is oblivious to the threats coming from our southern border)….This is an unserious plan.”
- David Moscrop: “The Conservative platform could have been an email.”
- Ubaka Ogbogu: “If Poilievre loses the election, his plan is to join the Trump administration. At least that’s what his platform suggests.”
- Blake Brown: “The Conservative platform is out. The party avoids saying whether it will end the ban on assault-style rifles or the ban on purchasing or transferring handguns.”
Journalists:
- Campbell Clark: “The Conservative platform relies on the notion that their policies will make the economy boom – oil and gas mainly – so much that massive revenues will come pouring into government coffers. More than $22B in extra revenues by year 4”
- Chantal Hébert: “Apparently Canada’s public service is over-educated so the Conservatives, per their costed platform, promise to : “eliminate university degree requirements for most federal public service roles to hire for skill, not credentials.”
- Glen McGregor: “Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre unveils a party platform, called “Change,” which is heavy on tax cuts and does not bring the federal budget back into balance.”
- Cormac Mac Sweeney: “Conservatives release their platform…No path to balanced budget”
Canadians need real leadership in this time of crisis. Mark Carney’s plan will spend less so Canadians can invest more – so we can stand up to President Trump, cut taxes, build more affordable homes, create new jobs, and build Canada strong.
