Pierre Poilievre is back. Like crabgrass pushing through sidewalk cracks, he鈥檚 crawled his way into the House of Commons again as leader of the Official Opposition, courtesy of a by-election win in Battle River鈥揅rowfoot.
This is Canada鈥檚 safest Conservative stronghold鈥攕o safe that a garden gnome in a blue tie could have pulled in 75% of the vote. But Poilievre is no garden gnome.
He鈥檚 a full-time campaigner, forever criss-crossing the country, railing against the Liberals and the so-called 鈥渂ought-and-paid-for media鈥� (the same outlets he eagerly quotes when it suits him), whether anyone asked for it or not.
His victory was inevitable in this stretch of rural Alberta, where the Conservative brand is less a political choice and more a hereditary condition. He swept 80% of the vote as if it were a clearance sale at Canadian Tire. Meanwhile, Premier Danielle Smith fans the flames of separatist fantasy with her Alberta sovereignty talk, a bedtime story for those who want Ottawa out of their lives but not out of their transfer payments.
Together, Smith and Poilievre create a toxic political cocktail that many Canadians are tired of sipping鈥攂ut that a majority of Albertans still guzzle like it鈥檚 happy hour at the Stampede. For those of us watching from outside this conservative sea, the result is about as surprising as finding a Tim Hortons in rural Alberta.
My own relatives live there, glued to Fox News all day, convinced Smith is the second coming of Ralph Klein. I grew up just one riding over, so I know exactly how suffocating the blue wave can be.
And yet, while this by-election was never in doubt, Poilievre鈥檚 return to the Commons serves as an irritating reminder that he never really leaves the stage. He鈥檚 a perennial campaigner鈥攎ore megaphone than man鈥攁lways shouting, never governing.
Canadians may groan, but he keeps popping up, louder than before, like the political equivalent of whack-a-mole.
On the other side, we鈥檙e still adjusting to Mark Carney鈥檚 leadership style and scratching our heads at some of his policies. But the numbers don鈥檛 lie: Carney enjoys a wide favourability gap over Poilievre, suggesting Canadians might be less enthused about a future under perpetual crabgrass.
So yes, Poilievre is back. But here鈥檚 the silver lining: his leadership review in January could finally give Canadians a chance to deal with this noxious pest once and for all. Pulling him out by the political roots may not be easy, but as any gardener knows, ignoring crabgrass only makes it spread.
- Wilbur Turner, LL.D. (Hon.)
~ Wilbur Turner is a political strategist and community advocate based in 麻豆精选, British Columbia, with deep roots in Alberta. With experience on the ground in federal and municipal campaigns, and a passion for civic engagement, Turner offers sharp, accessible insight into the political and social issues shaping our region and country. He was selected by the University of British Columbia for an Honorary Doctor of Laws for his significant contribution to the community. He also writes articles as QueerGranddad on Substack.
