Top Conservative strategist says Poilievre needs to urgently pivot or he will lose

John Paul Tasker · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 6:24 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

One of the country's apical Conservative strategists who conscionable helped Ontario Premier Doug Ford triumph a sizable bulk authorities says Pierre Poilievre urgently needs to marque a pivot and commencement talking much astir the contented voters attraction astir about — the U.S. menace — oregon helium risks losing the national election.

In an interrogation with CBC News, Kory Teneycke said lone weeks agone Poilievre was connected way to triumph a monolithic bulk government, and present each large pollster successful the state says it's the Liberals who are acceptable to triumph big. If an predetermination were held today, the Conservatives would lose, Teneycke said.

He said it's due to the fact that of U.S. President Donald Trump — and the Conservative Party's inadequate messaging astir what it would bash to effort and halt his tariffs and annexationist threats.

But it's not conscionable that, Teneycke said, there's besides a stylistic issue — the party's person is conscionable excessively "Trump-y" and he's got to marque a alteration fast.

Teneycke said Poilievre acts and sounds excessively overmuch similar the president, with his favored names for his governmental opponents ("Carbon taxation Carney") and catchy sloganeering ("big beauteous bring it location taxation cut"), and it's off-putting to voters the enactment needs to win.

"It each sounds excessively Trump-y for a batch of voters," Teneycke said.

Teneycke, who held elder roles nether erstwhile premier curate Stephen Harper including manager of communications earlier becoming a strategist astatine steadfast Rubicon, said Poilievre is "negative each the time" and it's "hard to beryllium liked by the public" erstwhile you're similar that.

"There needs to beryllium much of an accent connected a affirmative message," helium said.

"And I deliberation you person to beryllium a small much nonstop and much accordant successful presumption of the connection astir the U.S."

Asked astir his sinking canvass numbers Thursday, Poilievre said: "We'll hold for Canadians to marque the prime connected predetermination day."

WATCH | Poilievre asked astir declining canvass numbers: 

"After the mislaid Liberal decennary of rising costs and transgression and the system being down nether America's thumb, bash the Liberals merit a 4th word successful power? Or is it clip to enactment Canada archetypal for a alteration with a caller Conservative authorities that will axe taxes, physique homes, unleash resources and bring location the jobs?" Poilievre said. 

Teneycke said Poilievre and his squad are besides moving this run arsenic if the main hostile was inactive erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau and that the issues that were successful absorption past twelvemonth — the outgo of living, ostentation and the lodging situation — are the ones that substance astir erstwhile voters are intelligibly indicating it's Trump who is apical of mind.

"I'm not raising this critique retired of animus for the Conservative Party," Teneycke said.

"I'm bringing it up arsenic idiosyncratic who spent his full vocation trying to elite Conservatives and galore of them astatine the national level. But I deliberation we're conscionable connected the incorrect track. And I deliberation we request to adjust, refocus the run connected the 1 large contented and soften the tone."

Internal Ontario Progressive Conservative polling obtained by CBC News paints a bleak representation for Team Poilievre successful Canada's astir populous province.

Carney's Liberals are astatine 48 per cent provincewide and the Conservatives astatine 33 per cent. The poll, which surveyed 1,902 respondents, was conducted March 24-26 and has a borderline of mistake of +/- 2.2 per cent.

In remarks to the Empire Club successful Toronto Wednesday evening, Teneycke said the campaign's existent trajectory is concerning.

"I'll marque the lawsuit contiguous and hopefully this volition permeate the Conservative Party warfare country determination — you've got to get connected the f--king ballot question that is driving votes oregon you are going to lose," Teneycke said.

Asked astir those remarks Thursday, Poilievre said he's the 1 who tin champion support Canada. 

"I'm the lone 1 who volition basal up to the U.S. president. The president wants the Liberals backmost in," helium said.