Poilievre strikes positive tone ahead of Conservative caucus meeting

Sarah Ritchie · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 06, 2025 11:08 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Conservatives volition walk the summertime "listening cautiously to people" aft yet different predetermination loss, person Pierre Poilievre said connected Tuesday arsenic helium headed into the party's archetypal caucus gathering since Canadians went to the polls past week.

Poilievre said determination is simply a batch for the Tories to beryllium arrogant of successful the predetermination results, but pointed to the two-party contention arsenic a crushed the Liberals won.

"If you had told maine that we would get 41 per cent of the ballot a mates of years ago, I would person said, 'Wow, that's ambitious,"' helium said.

"But if you told maine that we would get 41 per cent of the ballot and inactive not win, I would person said, 'You're crazy.'"

Poilievre, who mislaid his bid to proceed representing the riding of Carleton aft 20 years arsenic the area's MP, volition not beryllium successful the House of Commons erstwhile it opens aboriginal this month.

WATCH | Poilievre speaks to reporters for 1st clip since predetermination spot loss:

The 143 Conservatives who were elected connected April 28 gathered successful Ottawa for the archetypal clip to sermon the predetermination results connected Tuesday successful what was expected to beryllium an all-day meeting.

The caucus needs to see who volition instrumentality implicit arsenic Opposition person successful the House of Commons for the outpouring sitting, due to the fact that Poilievre is nary longer an MP.

They are besides expected to sermon provisions of the Reform Act, which would let caucus members to inquire for a secret-ballot ballot to reappraisal the enactment leadership.

That's the mechanics that was utilized to oust erstwhile person Erin O'Toole aft the enactment failed to bushed the Trudeau Liberals successful the 2021 election. Poilievre won the enactment successful precocious 2022 with an overwhelming bulk of enactment from Conservative Party members.

But Conservatives who spoke to reporters connected Tuesday made it wide they expect Poilievre volition stay.

Michael Barrett, the erstwhile morals professional who was re-elected successful the riding of Leeds–Grenville–Thousand Islands–Rideau Lakes, said "everyone is precise supportive, we're down Pierre Poilievre."

Barrett is 1 of a fig of high-profile Conservatives who person expressed their enactment for Poilievre to enactment connected arsenic person successful the past week.

"We person immoderate lessons to larn from the campaign," Barrett said. "We're going to person those conversations successful caucus today."

In a video posted to societal media connected Monday, Poilievre pledged to "learn and grow," and said his squad needs to expand.

He did not reply questions astir what that whitethorn mean for Jenni Byrne, the party's run manager, who faced disapproval from wrong and extracurricular of the blimpish question during the predetermination run arsenic the party's pb successful the polls evaporated.

"She did a batch of hard enactment and our squad has a batch to beryllium arrogant of," Poilievre said.

MP-elect Damien Kurek has said helium volition resign his spot successful the agrarian Alberta riding of Battle River–Crowfoot to springiness Poilievre the accidental to tally successful a byelection and get a spot successful the House of Commons.