Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre delivered a stark closing message to voters on Thursday, warning that re-electing the Liberals would drive Canada deeper into “despair.” After spending earlier parts of the week promoting a more optimistic platform, Poilievre reverted to a darker tone at a Halifax news conference, urging Canadians to reject Liberal Leader Mark Carney. He cited a federal report forecasting declining living standards and argued that another Liberal term would mean higher costs, rising crime, and worsening quality of life.
Poilievre accused the Liberals of presiding over a “lost decade,” claiming that many Canadians can no longer afford basic aspirations like homeownership or reliable transportation. He charged that Carney “doesn’t care if your family has to choose between owning a home or a working car,” framing the election as a critical moment to prevent further economic and social decline. Meanwhile, Carney has pushed back, acknowledging past Liberal missteps while promising to refocus on building “the strongest economy in the G7” if elected.
Despite confident messaging from Conservative insiders, reports have surfaced suggesting Poilievre may be facing a tighter race than expected in his Ottawa-area riding of Carleton. While the party denied any panic, a rally was quickly added to Poilievre’s schedule for Sunday night — his final major campaign stop before election day. The party has also deployed additional staff to nearby ridings, including Nepean and Kanata, seeking to protect Conservative strongholds and challenge Liberal seats.
Throughout his Halifax remarks, Poilievre emphasized “change,” mentioning the word more than 50 times in his 30-minute news conference. One of his final policy promises was to scrap the federal electric vehicle mandate, which currently requires all new cars sold in Canada to be zero-emission by 2035. Poilievre criticized the mandate as a “Liberal ban” on cars Canadians want to drive and pledged to dismantle it if elected, aligning himself with U.S. President Donald Trump’s similar opposition to EV sales targets.
As the campaign heads into its final days, Poilievre is betting that a message centered on economic frustration, personal choice, and national decline will resonate with voters seeking a new direction. He framed the choice as a return to affordability and freedom versus a continuation of Liberal-imposed hardship.
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