Poilievre Accuses Liberals of Using ‘Radicalization Rhetoric’ Against Dissenting Voices

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks to reporters in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 11, 2023. The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre is accusing the Liberals of using increasingly radical rhetoric against those who disagree with them.

“What I really worry about is the increased radicalization of rhetoric by Liberals, particularly Justin Trudeau,” said the Tory leader during a press conference in Ottawa on Aug. 21.

“The nastiness and meanness that they’re directing at people who disagree with their policies, whether it’s Trudeau’s nasty comments directed at Muslim parents, or whether it is him jabbing his finger in people’s faces.”

The Tory leader was apparently alluding to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau telling a Muslim man in Calgary in July that concerns about gender ideology being pushed on children are fuelled by “misinformation and disinformation” coming from the “American right wing.”

Mr. Poilievre was responding to a reporter’s question about former Liberal minister Catherine McKenna suggesting on social media recently that Conservatives are “arsonists” for their stance against the carbon tax in the context of the raging wildfires in Canada.

“Really? Really?” responded Mr. Poilievre. “As if we paid higher taxes, we'd have less forest fires. Come on. Let’s get back to some common sense in this country, and let’s start to bring our people together instead of tearing the country apart.”

These comments came a few days after a Liberal cabinet minister accused the Conservative Party of undergoing a “radicalization” under Mr. Poilievre.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told a Montreal radio station on Aug. 16 that Mr. Poilievre is “comfortable straddling the line” with the “far-right” to whom he speaks through “codes.”

This accusation was repeated the same day during a press conference, with one reporter saying that Mr. Poilievre’s “own comments and actions have been characterized as dog-whistling to the far-right.”

Mr. Poilievre asked who was making that assertion and the reporter said it came from unspecified “experts.”

The Tory leader countered that Mr. Trudeau’s supporters are “so desperate” to distract from current economic and social woes because his “political career is falling apart.”

The Conservative Party under Mr. Poilievre has steadily focused on affordability issues amid inflation and rising interest rates. The party has gained a significant lead in the polls in recent weeks.

Mr. Poilievre was asked about this lead on Aug. 21 and he says it’s because Canadians are starting to realize the cost of housing has “doubled” under the Liberal government.

The Liberal cabinet has scheduled a retreat in Prince Edward Island from Aug. 21 to 23, and housing affordability is at the top of the agenda.

Liberals are confronted by an already tight housing market put under pressure by record levels of newcomers. They argue that increasing the labour pool is key to building new homes, but some economists assess the overall calculation isn’t right.

“The argument that immigration could invoke balanced effects on demand and supply side pressures on inflation that cancel each other out was never sensible and we’re getting the kind of persistent housing inflation I’ve warned about since last year when immigration numbers were skyrocketing,” wrote Scotiabank Vice President Derek Holt in an Aug. 15 note.