Pierre Poilievre urged Conservatives to remain united and continue pushing their political message during a keynote address at the Canada Strong and Free Network Conference in Ottawa on Thursday.
Speaking before hundreds of conservative activists, politicians and supporters, Poilievre acknowledged recent political setbacks but insisted the Conservative movement is still winning key public policy debates across the country.
“We have won every single debate, on every single public policy issue in the last decade,” Poilievre told attendees, pointing to inflation, housing, carbon taxes, crime and resource development as areas where Conservatives were “proven right.”
The annual conference, regarded as one of Canada’s largest conservative gatherings, comes after the federal Conservatives suffered another election defeat to the Liberals earlier this year despite entering the campaign as early favourites.
Poilievre did not directly outline a roadmap for the next federal election, but instead focused his speech on motivating supporters and criticizing the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney.
He argued that the current Liberal government has failed to deliver meaningful change from the Trudeau era, describing the perceived difference between the two administrations as “an illusion.”
“Something bad is happening out there, and it’s getting worse,” Poilievre said, while accusing Liberals of excessive spending, rising deficits and failing to move quickly on promised national infrastructure and development projects.
The Conservative leader also framed the political battle as one between “free enterprise capitalism” and what he called “state-controlled crony capitalism,” saying special interest groups wield too much influence under Liberal rule.
Poilievre’s remarks come amid growing internal pressure within conservative circles for him to adjust his tone and strategy following the party’s fourth consecutive federal election loss since 2015.
Despite some recent efforts to soften his public image through international visits and longer-form interviews, Poilievre largely returned Thursday to the sharper political messaging that helped build Conservative momentum in recent years.
The conference also featured discussions on Canada-U.S. relations and global security, including a session with Conservative MP Shuvaloy Majumdar and former U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo.
Pompeo cautioned Canada against rebuilding closer ties with China, arguing that Western democracies should remain aligned despite tensions with the United States under President Donald Trump.
“Canada is important to the United States, and we are incredibly important to Canada,” Pompeo told attendees, while encouraging both countries to focus on long-standing strategic ties rather than political disagreements.