Poilievre Outlines His Party’s Priorities in Speech to Caucus

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre holds a press conference in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Jan. 25, 2023.(The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his party will focus on rising crime rates, cost-of-living issues, travel delays, and increased government contracts to consulting firm McKinsey when Parliament reconvenes on Jan. 30.

Addressing Tory MPs at their caucus retreat on Jan. 27, Poilievre doubled down on former comments by saying again that everything in Canada “feels broken,” with which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previously took issue.

“What’s happening in our country?” Poilievre said. “Seriously, look around you. Crime is raging out of control in our streets. Our people are desperate that they'll have to lose their homes because of rising inflation and interest rates the government promised would never happen.”

In a speech to the national Liberal caucus during its holiday party on Dec. 14, 2022, Trudeau took issue with Poilievre’s characterization of the country as “broken.”

“When he [Poilievre] says that Canada is broken, that’s where we draw the line,” Trudeau said, adding, “I don’t accept Canadians and politicians that talk down on our country.”

The prime minister’s remarks were in reference to Poilievre’s previous comments to reporters in Vancouver on Nov. 9, 2022, that it “feels like everything is broken in this country right now.”

Poilievre outlined in his Jan. 27 caucus address some of the issues that Conservatives would pursue in the coming months, highlighting federal contracts awarded to McKinsey.

“The $1,000-a-day consultants at McKinsey have never had it so good,” Poilievre said, referring to over $100 million in federal contracts awarded to the consulting firm since the Liberals took power in 2015.

“A Poilievre government will cap government spending, cut the waste, and fire the high-priced consultants,” he said.

Crime Rates

Poilievre also spoke about rising crime rates, particularly in Toronto, which made numerous headlines while Parliament has been adjourned since mid-December 2022.

“Crime now rages out of control,” Poilievre said, citing several Toronto police reports from December of random attacks around the city, some of which were fatal.

The Conservative leader said Trudeau and his government are responsible for the recently-amended federal criminal code and the high rates of illegal firearms being smuggled over Canada’s border from the United States.

Bill C-5, which amended the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to remove 20 mandatory minimum sentences—including for some gun trafficking charges—was passed into law on Nov. 18, 2022.

Poilievre also touched on lengthy air and rail travel delays over the holiday season, both of which are currently being examined by a House of Commons committee, and also criticized federal spending that he said led to a “40-year high in inflation.”

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland recently said the federal government will cut some of its planned spending items if it turns out there is “less fiscal room” in 2023, but Trudeau said a day later that his government is “not going to slow down.”

“We’ve done a lot to deliver for Canadians over the past few months,” he said.

Noé Chartier contributed to this report.