Poilievre << *pwah lee EHV ruh* or *pwah lee EHV* >>, Pierre (1979-…), is a Canadian political leader. He became the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, and of the official opposition, in 2022. The official opposition is the party with the second most seats in Canada’s House of Commons. Poilievre has served as a Conservative member of Parliament (MP) in the House since 2004. He is known for his right-wing populism and combative political style. He supports low taxes, a diminished welfare state, and government nonintervention in personal and business decisions in the marketplace. In general, populists claim to defend the interests of the common people against those of the elites.
Pierre Marcel Poilievre was born on June 3, 1979, in Calgary, Alberta. Poilievre became interested and active in politics as a teenager. He was inspired by the book Capitalism and Freedom (1962), by the American economist Milton Friedman. While a student at the University of Calgary, Poilievre was an aggressive leader of the right-wing Reform Party campus club. In 2002, he went to Ottawa, Ontario, to work in the Canadian House of Commons as an assistant to Stockwell Day, then a Canadian Alliance party MP. In 2008, Poilievre completed a B.A. degree from the University of Calgary, where he studied international relations.
Poilievre was first elected as a federal member of Parliament in 2004. He has represented the Ontario ridings (electoral districts) of Nepean-Carleton and Carleton. From 2008 to 2011, Poilievre served as parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. From 2013 to 2015, he held several junior and senior positions in Harper’s Cabinet, including minister of employment and social development, and minister for democratic reform. Poilievre became well known as a key spokesperson for several of the Harper government’s most disputed and unpopular policies. The Liberal Party won a federal general election in late 2015. From 2015 to 2022, Poilievre served as a shadow minister (official opposition critic) of various government departments.
The Conservatives lost another general election in late 2021. In early 2022, they voted to remove Erin O’Toole as Conservative Party leader. Poilievre then ran successfully for the post. During the campaign, he publicly supported Canadians who opposed mandatory vaccination against the disease COVID-19. This stance drew many new members to the Conservative party. In September 2022, Poilievre easily defeated Jean Charest—the former premier of Quebec—and several other leadership candidates. He officially became party leader on September 10.
