Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made a pit stop in south Edmonton Monday, hammering away a message focused on cost-of-living issues and federal unity.
He told the 5 p.m. barbecue crowd of several hundred that his team now has three priorities: “Affordability, affordability and affordability.”
The topic has become the tip of the Conservatives’ spear in recent weeks and echoes cost-focused messaging that’s been a mainstay for the party since Poilievre became leader in 2022. Days prior to the Edmonton event, the leader reorganized his shadow cabinet and dubbed it the “affordability team.”
Poilievre said his party is pushing for cuts to government consultants, foreign aid, corporate welfare, and “phony refugees” in order to bring down federal taxes. The industrial carbon tax, GST for used cars, and all gasoline taxes for the rest of the year are also on the chopping block for Conservatives, Poilievre said.
Edmonton Gateway MP and Conservative Deputy Leader Tim Uppal said the cabinet’s focus matches what he’s hearing in Edmonton.
“Here in Edmonton, affordability is the number one issue. People just aren’t able to make ends meet. Pay cheques are the same, but their expenses have gone up so much higher,” he said.
Poilievre was in Edmonton the same day Conservatives upbraided the Liberals for not making good on promises meant to cool rising oil prices. The federal government said in March that Canada would supply markets with 23.6 million extra barrels of oil as other countries agreed to release from their stockpiles. The Conservatives said the Liberals have yet to do so.
“As the conflict in the Middle East skyrocketed the price of oil, Canadians were looking for action that would deliver affordability,” an earlier Monday statement from Conservative energy critic Carol Anstey said.
Outside of affordability, Poilievre’s speech also fired shots at the Liberal firearms recall program and applauded the provincial government’s move to defy it,
Canadian unity
The event comes as many political leaders are fresh off appearances at the Calgary Stampede. Poilievre said he still had his “stampede boots” on while in Edmonton. Many of his talking points also matched a speech made days prior in Calgary, including his stance against Alberta separatism.
He backed federalism again in the province’s capital, telling the crowd he believes in a “stronger Alberta, within a united Canada.”
Despite the party leaders’ position, some Conservative voters in Edmonton are doubting federalism. Separatist demonstrators gathered on a residential street nearby, where blue signs stood saying: “Send Ottawa a message. Choose Alberta.” The barbecue’s location was the site for a separation event just months prior.
“Pierre Poilievre just doesn’t want to give us a choice; he’s just a federalist,” Jason LaFace said at the demonstration just down the road from the barbecue.
“How I look at it is, it doesn’t matter what the conservatives have tried. That’s why I’ve given up, because I was backing the conservatives 100 per cent, trying to get accountability,” said. LaFace, who moved to the province from Ontario in recent years.
Still, the Monday event was well received in a city that sent seven Conservative MPs to Ottawa in the last election. People stood and applauded to greet the party leader, while some wore shirts and held signs reading: “Pierre for Prime Minister” and “Alberta loves you, Pierre.”
Karim Bensalah, who attended the event, said he thinks Poilievre has a good shot should an election happen soon. Important to Bensalah is energy policy and improving efforts at getting Alberta oil to market, which he said will bolster the economy, and in turn, help affordability.
“So far, (Prime Minister Mark) Carney hasn’t delivered. Pierre is speaking common sense,” Bensalah said.
Related
Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.
You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.