Poilievre reaches out to Ford in bid to mend fence with Ontario conservatives

Kate McKenna · CBC News

· Posted: May 07, 2025 3:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's squad has reached retired to Ontario Premier Doug Ford's bureau to put a telephone betwixt the two, an evident bid to easiness tensions aft Poilievre's enactment mislaid the national election.

The determination follows weeks of struggle wrong Canada's blimpish movement, including nationalist disapproval from Ford.

"I deliberation he's asked everyone crossed the state for a meeting. I person nary occupation with that. And I'd beryllium much than blessed to speech to anyone and enactment with anyone. That's conscionable what we do," said Ford connected Wednesday.

The frosty narration betwixt Ontario Progressive Conservatives and the national Conservatives was connected show passim the campaign, culminating successful an accusation from the Ontario premier past Wednesday successful a quality league successful Brampton, Ont.

"Last clip I checked, Pierre Poilievre ne'er came retired successful our election. As a substance of fact, him, oregon 1 of his lieutenants, told each 1 of his members, don't you situation spell retired and assistance the PCs. Isn't that ironic?" said Ford. 

When asked to relationship for the disconnect betwixt the 2 leaders, Ford said past week that "all they person to bash is marque a telephone call."

Ford is 1 of 2 Progressive Conservative premiers who person taken contented with Poilievre and his squad successful caller weeks. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston confirmed tensions betwixt his bureau and Poilievre's elder adviser, Jenni Byrne, successful a quality league past week.

"I deliberation aft 4 consecutive losses to the Liberal Party, I deliberation it's clip for them to bash immoderate soul-searching," said Houston.

He said the national Conservatives person been "great astatine pushing radical distant and not truthful bully astatine pulling radical in."

A spokesperson for Houston's office, Catherine Klimek, said helium has not yet received immoderate post-election correspondence from Poilievre's office. Houston is presently connected a commercialized ngo successful Spain. 

Poilievre's outreach comes arsenic helium met with the Conservative caucus connected Tuesday, wherever sources accidental helium spoke astatine length. Two caucus sources said helium appeared humbled successful his remarks.

Earlier that morning, Poilievre spoke to reporters for the archetypal clip since predetermination nighttime — and since quality broke that helium mislaid successful his ain Ottawa-area riding.

He defended the run his enactment ran, but indicated immoderate changes would beryllium coming.

"We person to enlarge our team, turn our support, physique connected our caucus strengths," helium said to reporters connected Parliament Hill. 

Poilievre seeks to support the Conservative enactment and appears to person the enactment of caucus. He plans to tally successful an Alberta byelection which is connected way to hap this summer.

While Poilievre is extracurricular of the House of Commons, erstwhile Conservative person Andrew Scheer volition beryllium taking connected the relation of interim person of the Opposition.

Neither the Conservative Party nor the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition responded to a petition for comment.