Who Is Pierre Poilievre? Man Seen As Justin Trudeau's Replacement As PM

Justin Trudeau resigned as the Canadian Prime Minister and the leader of the Liberal Party on Monday, January 6. With that, all eyes are now on Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party, tipped to be the next Canadian Prime Minister.

Pierre Poilievre's Background

Pierre Poilievre, 45, is the leader of Canada's Conservative Party. He was born and raised in Calgary and holds a degree in international relations from the University of Calgary. His political journey began in 2004 when he was elected as a member of parliament for the Conservative Party.

Poilievre has previously served as a senior cabinet minister under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He lives in the Eastern Ontario village of Greely with his wife Anaida, a former political advisor, and their two children, Valentina and Cruz.

Odds Of Poilievre Becoming PM

According to Polymarket, a decentralised prediction platform, users are betting heavily in Poilievre's favour, giving him a 90 per cent chance of becoming Canada's next elected prime minister. Poilievre himself appears confident of his prospects. Following Trudeau's resignation, he posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating that Liberals were trying to trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians for another 4 years, just like Justin. The only way to fix what Liberals broke is a carbon tax election to elect common sense Conservatives who will bring home Canada's promise.”

Nothing has changed.

Every Liberal MP and Leadership contender supported EVERYTHING Trudeau did for 9 years, and now they want to trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians for another 4 years, just like Justin.

The only way to fix what… pic.twitter.com/YnNYANTs1y

— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) January 6, 2025

Pierre Poilievre's Political Views

Poilievre identifies as a lifelong conservative and a staunch advocate of free-market policies. He has been vocal about his plans to reduce government spending and bureaucracy. In a recent interview, he promised to implement “the biggest crackdown on crime in Canadian history.”

His economic policies include cutting bureaucracy and foreign aid, reducing consultancy fees, and eliminating corporate welfare for large companies. Poilievre has also proposed removing the federal sales tax on new homes valued under $1 million to address Canada's housing crisis.

A key point of criticism for Poilievre has been the Trudeau government's carbon tax, which he opposes. However, he maintains that his party remains pro-immigration, distinguishing himself from more extreme views on immigration policies in other countries.

Controversy Surrounding Poilievre And Diwali Celebration

Pierre Poilievre faced backlash in October 2024 for cancelling a longstanding Diwali celebration on Parliament Hill. This event, organised by the Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), was held annually for 23 years. The abrupt cancellation, which came without an explanation, disappointed many within the Indo-Canadian community. The move was seen by some as a reflection of Poilievre's cautious approach to India-Canada relations during a time of heightened diplomatic tensions.

India-Canada Relations

The cancellation of the Diwali event has raised questions about how a Conservative government under Poilievre would handle relations with India. A former High Commissioner to Canada suggested that Poilievre could try to balance competing narratives pushed by both pro-Hindu and pro-Khalistani factions as the 2025 elections approach. Poilievre has yet to present a detailed plan for improving diplomatic relations with India.