Despite a surprising personal defeat and a fourth failed attempt to unseat the Liberals, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is not going anywhere—at least according to former party leader and Saskatchewan MP-elect Andrew Scheer. In a candid interview on CTV’s Power Play, Scheer dismissed any talk of leadership change, affirming that Poilievre will “absolutely” remain at the helm of the party.
“Pierre is a fighter,” said Scheer. “He’s doing it for the people who have been left behind. That’s really what inspires him.” Poilievre, who lost his long-held seat in Carleton to Liberal challenger Bruce Fanjoy by over 4,300 votes, has not publicly commented in detail since the election. However, a concession speech early Tuesday morning gave no hint of resignation, as he pledged to continue fighting for Canadians.
Despite the defeat in Carleton, Poilievre’s Conservatives received 8.08 million votes, accounting for 41.3 percent of the popular vote—marking the party’s highest total since Brian Mulroney’s Progressive Conservatives won a majority in 1988. Still, it was not enough to secure victory, with the Liberals edging out the Conservatives in overall vote share at 43.7 percent.
Scheer argued that these numbers prove the strength of Poilievre’s leadership and the broad support he has garnered. “There’s another step to this journey,” Scheer said. “But there’s an incredible base of support here that we could not have achieved without Pierre’s inspirational leadership.”
A source close to the Conservative campaign confirmed to CTV News that Poilievre is actively making calls to grassroots members and intends to return to the House of Commons. This would likely require a sitting Conservative MP to step down, followed by a byelection—a process that could take months. Scheer didn’t confirm whether such arrangements are underway, but expressed confidence in a united front moving forward.
Tensions between federal and provincial conservatives came to the forefront following election night, as Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston publicly criticized the Conservative campaign. Ford, who did not campaign with Poilievre, implied a lack of mutual support, saying, “Pierre never came out in our election. In fact, one of his people told their members not to help the PCs.” Houston added that the federal party needs to “do some soul searching,” claiming it did more to push people away than bring them in.
Scheer pushed back against both assessments. “You can’t say we pushed people away when we got more votes. That’s just mathematically false,” he said. He also downplayed the significance of Ford’s critique, noting the Conservative Party isn’t concerned with personal grievances. “I wish conservatives at other levels would focus on the people they serve. Canadians don’t care about political egos or interpersonal drama,” he added.
Pressed on whether better cooperation with provincial leaders like Ford could benefit the Conservative cause, Scheer acknowledged the need for introspection but stood his ground. “More people in Ontario voted for Pierre Poilievre than for Doug Ford. That’s just a fact.”
According to Elections Canada, Poilievre garnered over 3.3 million votes in Ontario during the federal election, compared to the 2.1 million votes Ford received in the last provincial contest. While Poilievre may be temporarily out of the House, his influence within the party—and his drive to lead it—remains firmly intact.