Rebel News owner Ezra Levant was 'mentor' to Poilievre, says author

Jorge Barrera · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 19, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has documented historical ties to Rebel News proprietor Ezra Levant, the media property astatine the epicentre of a contention that has engulfed Canada's Leaders' Debates Commission. 

After facing disapproval for allowing right-wing media activists to predominate the post-French statement property conference, the committee cancelled Thursday's post-debate question-and-answer league citing undefined information concerns.

The commission's determination Thursday came amid tensions betwixt Levant — a governmental activistic down 2 entities registered with Elections Canada arsenic third-party advocacy groups — and immoderate journalists covering the English statement on-site.

The contention that flowed astir Levant and his right-wing Rebel News online media employees partially overshadowed the cardinal lawsuit of the evening. 

The national leaders English-debate was a pivotal infinitesimal for Poilievre who was seeking to drawback the momentum and polling pb distant from Liberal Leader Mark Carney arsenic the run headed into its last week. 

"On the astir important nighttime of the astir important run of Poilievre's life, Ezra Levant showed up," said Mark Bourrie, writer of a precocious published publication connected Poilievre, Ripper, successful an interrogation with CBC News. 

"If things hadn't derailed, [Ezra] would person astir apt been dominating the questions himself that nighttime and that would person been truly something, to person this travel afloat ellipse aft 25 years." 

Levant declined a petition for remark from CBC News. 

CBC News asked the Conservative Party if Poilievre inactive considered Levant a person and if determination had been immoderate discussions oregon coordination betwixt the 2 astir predetermination communications. 

"No. Your insinuations are false. Conservatives are focused connected our ain run to bring location Canada's promise, little the outgo of living, axe taxes, physique homes and marque Canadians safe, for a change," said the statement.

Worked to get Levant elected

In his book, Bourrie writes that Poilievre became portion of a "historically important clique" astatine the University of Calgary that "became a ample portion of the halfway of the modern Conservative movement." This radical included radical similar erstwhile Alberta premier Alberta Jason Kenney, instrumentality prof Benjamin Perrin and writer Ezra Levant.  

Poilievre and Levant would extremity up moving intimately together, including by co-authoring a Calgary Herald op-ed in 2002.

Bourrie said that Poilievre was successful his aboriginal 20s erstwhile helium joined a squad that included Levant down a propulsion to person Stockwell Day pb the recently minted Canadian Alliance — a enactment with Western populist roots that yet merged with the Progressive Conservative Party to go today's Conservative Party. 

Day won the enactment of the caller enactment successful 2000, defeating Preston Manning, who founded the Reform Party. Day soon mislaid the 2000 national predetermination to Jean Chretien's Liberals and resigned his station successful 2001. 

But Poilievre and Levant had their sights on different goal. Poilievre began campaigning to assistance Levant — past a young lawyer in his precocious 20s — go the Canadian Alliance campaigner successful the riding of Calgary Southwest, which Manning held but would soon vacate connected his status successful January 2002.  

But they wouldn't permission thing to chance. 

"Poilievre was moving for Ezra… Poilievre was his media manager. Poilievre was the 1 putting unneurotic TV commercials, billboard ads. They spent a batch of money," said Bourrie. 

One TV commercialized featured Poilievre and his existent run manager Jenni Byrne, with Stockwell Day's grandchild, posing arsenic an Alberta family. 

This ad, on with details of Poilievre's enactment for Levant successful the riding information campaign, is besides recounted by a 2nd book, Pierre Poilievre: A governmental life, written by existent Conservative campaigner Andrew Lawton. 

Despite moving astir 80 vigor and tv ads, renting billboards and spending reportedly implicit $100,000, Levant would ne'er get a accidental to correspond the riding, adjacent aft securing the information successful February 2002. 

Stephen Harper would go Canadian Alliance person that year, unit Levant aside, and instrumentality the riding for himself in a May 2002 by-election. 

Bourrie said Levant and Poilievre's paths diverged astatine this constituent —Poilievre would enactment successful the electoral governmental crippled portion Levant would go an influential subordinate successful the right-wing media sphere. 

But during this era, arsenic a Western-based blimpish question turned into a nationalist governmental force, Levant became a "mentor and idiosyncratic who opened opportunities" for Poilievre, said Bourrie. 

"Poilievre got to spell from fundamentally a assemblage person to moving a existent campaign, making big decisions, spending money," helium said. 

"That indispensable person helped him to truly determination up of radical his property and his procreation of governmental people. He's a staffer ... and soon after, runs and helium wins. He evidently earned his spurs connected that."

A 4th of a period later, Levant and Poilievre's paths again crossed successful Montreal. But this time, Bourrie said it was Levant campaigning through his registered third-party advocacy entity, ForCanada, paying for a motortruck to flash messages attacking Carney portion rolling astir the statement venue.