Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sits inside a car as he visits a classic car exhibition on Fête Nationale in Shawinigan, Que., on June 24, 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
The stunning byelection loss in a reliably Liberal Toronto riding doesn’t bode well for the political future of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Leslie Church, the Liberal candidate for Toronto-St. Paul’s, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greet supporters at a campaign volunteer event in Toronto in May 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey
Both Liberals and Conservatives have invested a lot of resources into an upcoming Toronto byelection. If the Liberals lose the riding, it will be an ominous sign for Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.
Federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre speaks about his proposed car theft policy during a news conference at the Port of Montréal on Feb. 6, 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
The death of former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney will lead to a wide examination of his legacy. A lasting policy of the Mulroney regime is free trade with the United States.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh meets with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in November 2019.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
The supply-and-confidence agreement between the Liberals and NDP has helped both parties develop and take credit for the expansion of social policies across Canada. But is it on life support?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh as Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre looks on at a Tamil heritage month reception in January 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Does the ‘diploma divide’ make politics more about culture than economic inequality?
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre speaks at his party convention on Sept. 8, 2023 in Québec. A strategy focused on fiscal conservatism, family and traditional values regarding sexuality could be very advantageous for his party.
La Presse Canadienne/Jacques Boissinot
Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative party could make gains by rallying the libertarian right, evangelical Christians and immigrant communities, especially Muslims, on issues of sexuality.
Pierre Poilievre speaks in the House of Commons during Question Period on Parliament Hill in June 2008 when he was 29.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Can a politician with a relatively narrow life experience represent the diverse needs of Canadians?
Paul Langlois, left, and Rob Baker from the Tragically Hip help unveil a plaque at Springer Market Square in Kingston, Ont., in February 2017.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg
There is a distinction between deliberate use of a song to support a particular political campaign, and incidental music in the background at a social function hosted by a political party.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks to the crowd gathered at a meet-and-greet in Stoney Creek, Ont., in March 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Alex Lupul
The goal of the labour movement is to advance the interests of workers everywhere. Nativist narratives about defending Canada could explain Pierre Poilievre’s popularity among some union members.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre greet each other as they gather in the House of Commons to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth in Ottawa on Sept. 15, 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Canadians went to the polls twice in two years, in 2019 and 2021. Here’s why yet another federal election likely looms in the fall of 2023 or the spring of 2024.
Newly elected Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre speaks at the Conservative Party of Canada leadership vote on Sept. 10, 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
By focusing on issues that pertain to ordinary Canadians, Pierre Poilievre could be offering a compelling alternative to Justin Trudeau’s unpopular Liberals now that he’s won the Conservative leadership.
Federal Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre poses for photographs with supporters at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver in April 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Pierre Poilievre’s momentum among young Canadians, if maintained, could bring the Conservative Party of Canada a notable electoral advantage in the next election.
Conservative Party interim leader Candice Bergen smiles as she rises for the first time since assuming the position during Question Period in the House of Commons.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Democracy benefits from the electoral viability of an alternative party on the centre-right. An unelectable, far-right Conservative Party will solidify the Liberal Party’s dominance.
Interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen finishes her remarks during an emergency debate in the House of Commons on the situation in Ottawa.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
The trucker convoy is a sign that Canada is on the cusp of its own Jan. 6, with Conservatives taking a page from Donald Trump’s playbook.
Members of the Conservative caucus applaud Erin O'Toole after his address to the group during a meeting in Ottawa in June 2021. Beside O'Toole is Candice Bergen, the party’s new interim leader following O'Toole’s ouster.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Regardless of a given leader’s shortcomings, in some instances structural elements may also significantly influence the fate of party leaders in Canada and abroad.
Erin O'Toole speaks about climate change at an Ottawa event in April 2021.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
After being ousted as Conservative leader, Erin O'Toole warned the country faced a dire moment of division. At the moment, however, it’s the party he attempted to lead that’s bitterly divided.
People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier speaks from a podium to supporters during the PPC headquarters election night event in Saskatoon, Sask., in September 2021.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards
Voters concerned about the push to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and what they perceived as a loss of freedom were much more likely to vote PPC than voters concerned about anything else.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau harvests broccoli at the Ottawa Food Bank Farm on Canada Day 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Canada’s urban/rural divide in terms of party support is increasingly pronounced. The leader who succeeds in building new support must overcome a powerful long-term trend.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh during a visit to Québec City on Sept. 3. During the campaign, he didn’t show that he really understood Québec issues.
The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld