LILLEY: Both leaders promise change, but only Poilievre can deliver
As the election kicks off, polls show Canadians want change in Ottawa and both Pierre Poilievre and Mark Carney are telling voters they are the one who can get the job done.
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Both Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Liberal Leader Mark Carney kicked off their election campaigns promising change.
It’s easy to see how Poilievre would be change after more than nine years of this Liberal government, it’s harder to see how Carney would bring change while leading the same cast of characters ruling the country since 2015.
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Yet, both men said the economy isn’t working well for most Canadians, opportunity for younger generations is not there and they promise to fix it, if elected.
“My generation was fortunate for us, there were more opportunities and life was more affordable. You had to work hard, but you could get ahead. That was the bargain,” Carney said.
Standing in front of Rideau Hall, Carney said that for the generations that followed the baby boomers, things haven’t been as good. He declared that it is time to build an economy that works for everyone.
“I know we need change, big change,” Carney said.
Standing across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Que., with Parliament Hill as a backdrop, Poilievre detailed all the ways the Liberal government has failed to deliver on Canada’s promise. He noted the doubling of housing costs, the fact that so many young people have given up on the dream of home ownership, the rising crime rates, and out-of-control government.
“Change and hope are both on the way. A new Conservative government will restore Canada’s promise, the promise that anyone from anywhere can do anything, that hard work gets you a great life in a beautiful home on a safe street under a proud flag,” Poilievre said.
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Both men agree that Canada isn’t working as it should, some might even say the system is broken, but which one will Canadians choose to deliver that change?
Will it be Carney, the man who just took over the Liberal Party after being Justin Trudeau’s economic advisor for five years, or will it be Poilievre, the man who correctly predicted inflation was on the way when Carney said it wouldn’t happen. He’s also the man who has highlighted the problems the government needs to fix but has refused to for years?
Voters clearly want change: An Ipsos poll released last week showed the Liberals leading with 42% voter support, compared to the Conservatives’ 39%, and also revealed 58% of Canadians say, “It’s time for another federal party to take over.” An Abacus Data poll released Sunday morning showed the Conservatives at 39% voter support above the Liberals at 36%, but 57% agreed with the statement, “It is definitely time for a change in government in Canada.”
Only 21% agreed with the statement, “Mark Carney and the Liberals should definitely be re-elected.”
If we truly want change that will build Canada’s economy to be robust and resilient in the face of Donald Trump’s tariffs, then Mark Carney is definitely not the man. Despite his stellar resume and credentials, Carney still holds policy ideas close to his heart that are not what Canada needs.
His devotion to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and his opposition to pipelines is quite well known. The fact that he still supports an emissions cap, which in reality becomes a production cap, for our oil and gas industry is another example of Carney’s out-of-date thinking and ill-advised policies.
Poilievre on the other hand wants to ensure that Canada grows its economy by harnessing the natural resources at our disposal instead of keeping them in the ground. He correctly points out that the Liberal Party Carney now leads has been blocking that kind of action for years.
“They blocked resource projects, raise taxes, driving our jobs south into the hands of the Americans. A half a trillion dollars of investment has fled our country,” Poilievre said.
“They blocked a pipeline that would have allowed us to go around the American market. They’ve killed LNG liquefaction plants, forcing us to sell all of our natural gas to the Americans at huge price discounts.”
If Canadians want change, if they want a leader who will grow the economy and stand up to Trump’s threats, the choice is clear.
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