Poilievre Says He'll Buck Trend of Conservative Governments Adopting Leftist Policies, in Interview With Jordan Peterson

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks to reporters in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sept. 19, 2023. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he will resist the trend of conservative governments worldwide adopting leftist and globalist policies once in power if he becomes prime minister.

Poilievre made the comments during a podcast interview with Canadian psychologist and author Jordan Peterson, which was released on Jan. 2.

Poilievre told Peterson that many conservative leaders have “made the mistake” of adopting leftist policies once they are elected as a way to have “all of the different political ideologies captured in one tent.” He said while this strategy may have worked for many over the short-term, it eventually leads to a “disaster” of rising inflation, higher deficits, and increased crime.

“Does the temptation exist to try and take on the political policies of the socialists in the short term? Sure, but it’s one that I will fiercely resist, because I know that by the fourth year of my mandate, people would be enraged because their lives would be even worse,” he said.

When asked by Peterson why Canadians should believe that Poilievre is sincere in his intentions and not just using “carefully calculated campaign slogans,” Poilievre said he had been speaking about reducing the size of government and maximizing personal freedoms for decades. He pointed to a 1999 essay he wrote in university on what he would do as prime minister, which used the same language as his speech launching his Conservative leadership campaign in 2022.

Poilievre told Peterson that as prime minister, he would cut federal bureaucracy, fire costly government consultants, slash foreign aid, and cut back on corporate welfare. He also promised to bring down deficit and taxes and “unleash the free enterprise system” to grow Canada’s economy relative to its debt.

“You take the national debt-to-GDP ratio—the denominator has to grow, and that’s why we need a bigger, more powerful GDP that can fund our country and diminish the relative size of our debts,” he said.

The latest Fall Economic Statement indicates that Canada’s federal deficit for the 2023-24 fiscal year grew to $61.9 billion.

In the last days of December, the NDP became the latest opposition party to say it would seek non-confidence motions to remove the minority Liberal government from power.

Poilievre told Peterson that when the House returns in late January, it would “take some weeks” to get MPs to vote on a confidence motion. “Then we'll see if [NDP leader] Jagmeet Singh’s latest promise of voting non-confidence was as insincere as his prior commitments to that effect,” he said.

Trudeau has said he is weighing his options over the winter break, as many voices inside the Liberal caucus are publicly calling for his ousting.

There’s been speculation that the Liberal government may prorogue the Parliament as it deliberates its future. Poilievre said should the Liberal Party hold a leadership race, it shouldn’t delay the time of an election.

The next federal election is to take place on or before Oct. 20, 2025.