It's been one week: N.B. political panel weighs in on federal election campaign
How the major parties are doing at getting their message out after 1st week on the hustings
Some New Brunswick political watchers say the first week of the federal election campaign left them wanting to hear much more substance and vision from those vying to form the next government of Canada.
That's the synopsis from a panel convened by Information Morning Moncton for regular check-ins during the campaign.
Don Moore is a past president of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick, an assistant professor of management at Crandall University and chair of the Codiac Regional Policing Authority.
Sarah Lord ran for the Green Party in the last provincial election, has a background in biotech, works in health and wellness, and runs a hiking tour company.
Aldéa Landry is a Moncton lawyer, business leader, and former deputy premier of New Brunswick. She co-chaired Mark Carney's federal Liberal leadership campaign in the province.
Don Moore says he sees the cost of housing and groceries cost as one of the main issues of this campaign. (CBC)
Geoff Martin teaches political science and international relations at Mount Allison University and ran as a candidate for the provincial NDP in Tantramar in 2003.
Here's a breakdown of their first discussion, edited for length and clarity.
Q: What do you think is the most important issue of the campaign?
A: Aldéa Landry.
We still have cost of living issues with things like housing and electricity. But with tariffs, we stand to lose 11,000 jobs in the province. And we have a single customer for almost all our exports. That calls for dramatic changes.
A: Don Moore.
Things like housing and groceries cost way more than they did. How did we get here? What allowed this to happen? How does this get fixed? Combine that with Canada-U.S. relations and its effects locally, provincially and nationally.
A: Sarah Lord.
For me, it's unity. How do we hold ourselves together as a nation, stop the mudslinging and work together to reach consensus on really serious issues that threaten our existence.
A: Geoff Martin.
I think it's about the party's platform to deal with the U.S. and provide a vision for the future of Canada that doesn't rely on tax cuts, smaller government, market magic and the old compact theory of French and English. We have a very diverse country and we have to all move along together.
Aldéa Landry says she's hearing people talk about about tariffs and the need to change the way Canada trades. (Radio-Canada)
Q: What are you hearing from people in your communities?
A: Geoff Martin.
They're very concerned about the high cost of living, the existential threat we're feeling, the sacrifices they may have to make in the trade war and what things will look like afterwards. The terrain really feels like it's shifting and unstable.
A: Sarah Lord.
People seem to be upset over the fact that they can't elect a prime minister. They want to vote their values and they want their vote to count. We're often told we have to vote a certain way to get rid of something we don't want, instead of voting for something we really do want.
A: Don Moore.
People are asking questions, like what is the key to success for dealing with Donald Trump, who is the best leader and what is the best party or government structure. They're getting sick and tired of trying to figure things out because messages from the U.S. are frequently changing.
A: Aldéa Landry.
People are talking about tariffs and the need to change the way we trade and they're expressing national pride and unity, even in Quebec. I think Canadians are concerned about the disrespect that's been shown to our country and leaders.
Q: What's standing out for you in the messaging from party leaders?
A: Don Moore.
They've mostly been reacting to things that are happening. People want to hear more about their views and plans for our country for the next five years, 10 years, and beyond.
A: Geoff Martin.
There's no discussion yet about things like public enterprise or the role of government, just standard things that were probably planned back in December or January. I don't think those are appropriate any more.
A: Sarah Lord.
I like the global perspective of Mark Carney — the fact that he is reaching out to different countries. But I also want to hear more strategies and vision to strengthen the Canadian economy and sustainably move forward with strength and unity.
A: Aldéa Landry.
Tax cuts are being offered and a vision of less dependence on the United States government. There are opportunities to broaden our reach and to create jobs by building infrastructure, but that will require public support and working with First Nations and provinces.
New Brunswick
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Conservative | NDP | Green | PPC | Libertarian | Other | ||||||||||
| Acadie—Bathurst |
|
Serge Cormier[2] |
|
James Brown[6] |
|
Ty Boulay[10] |
|
Wayne Wood[3] |
|
Randi Raynard[4] |
|
|
|
|
|
Serge Cormier |
| Beauséjour |
|
Dominic LeBlanc[2] |
|
Nathalie Vautour[6] |
|
Alex Gagne[22] |
|
Josh Shaddick[3] |
|
Eddie Cornell[4] |
|
Donna Allen[23]® |
|
|
|
Dominic LeBlanc |
| Fredericton—Oromocto |
|
David Myles[2] |
|
Brian Macdonald[6] |
|
Nicki Lyons-MacFarlane[10] |
|
Pam Allen-LeBlanc[3] |
|
Heather Michaud[4] |
|
Crystal Tays[22] |
|
Dominic Cardy (CFP)[24] |
|
Jenica Atwin†[25] Fredericton |
|
|
June Patterson (Comm.)[12] | |||||||||||||||
| Fundy Royal |
|
Bill Kudla[2] |
|
Rob Moore[6] |
|
|
|
Hans Johnsen[3] |
|
Alastair MacFarlane[4] |
|
Wayne Wheeler[22] |
|
|
|
Rob Moore |
| Madawaska—Restigouche |
|
Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault[2] |
|
Michel Morin* |
|
Daisy Petersen[10] |
|
Ann McAllister[3] |
|
|
|
François Provost[22] |
|
|
|
René Arseneault$[26] |
| Miramichi—Grand Lake |
|
Lisa Harris[2] |
|
Mike Dawson[6] |
|
|
|
Matthew Ian Clark[3] |
|
|
|
William Jones[22] |
|
|
|
Jake Stewart$[27] |
| Moncton—Dieppe |
|
Ginette Petitpas Taylor[2] |
|
Jocelyn Dionne[6] |
|
Serge Landry[10] |
|
|
|
Mark Duperron[4] |
|
Sherie Vukelic[22] |
|
|
|
Ginette Petitpas Taylor Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe |
| Saint John—Kennebecasis |
|
Wayne Long[2] |
|
Melissa Young[6] |
|
[g] |
|
David MacFarquhar[3] |
|
William Edgett[4] |
|
Austin Venedam[22] |
|
|
|
Wayne Long¢ |
| Saint John—St. Croix |
|
Karen Ludwig[2] |
|
John Williamson[6] |
|
Andrew Hill[10] |
|
Nathan Gower[28] |
|
Marc-André Michaud[4] |
|
Keith Tays[22] |
|
Kelly Newman (CFP) |
|
John Williamson New Brunswick Southwest |
| Tobique—Mactaquac |
|
|
|
Richard Bragdon* |
|
Michael Winter[10] |
|
Liam MacDougall[3] |
|
Vern Brundle[4]® |
|
Patrick Geraghty[22] |
| |||
Here's who's running in N.B. for the April 28 federal election
Canadians will vote for a new federal government
As the April 28 federal election approaches, Canadians will soon be heading to the polls — and parties are filling their slates of candidates.
Here is a riding-by-riding list in New Brunswick with what we know so far about who is running and for which party.
This list is not yet complete as candidates have until April 7 to declare their intention. Elections Canada will publish a complete list of candidates on April 9.
We will update this list as we obtain more details from the candidates and campaigns. Click on each riding's name to learn more from Elections Canada.
Acadie-Bathurst
This
riding covers Gloucestor County and parts of Restigouche County,
including the Village of Belledune and parts of the Jacquet River Gorge
protected natural area. It also includes parts of Northumberland County,
including Tracadie. (Elections Canada)Liberal Party of Canada: Serge Cormier, incumbent.
Cormier was an elected MP in 2015 and 2019. He has lived in Acadie-Bathurst throughout his life and his father was a fisher. He has served as a parliamentary secretary in fisheries, immigration and defence.
Conservative Party of Canada: James Brown.
Brown is a high school teacher with the Anglophone School District North. He said he was a health sciences college teacher in Ontario before moving to the rural community of Allardville, near Bathurst.
Green Party of Canada: Wayne Wood.
CBC News is waiting for more information on this candidate.
Libertarian Party of Canada
CBC News has reached out to the leader of the Libertarian Party of New Brunswick for the name of their candidate in this riding.
New Democratic Party: Ty Boulay.
Boulay's campaign says he relocated to northern New Brunswick a few years ago and has Acadian roots. He ran for the NDP in New Brunswick's 2024 provincial election in the Belle-Baie-Belledune riding.
People's Party of Canada: Randi Raynard.
Raynard is described as dedicated to supporting freedom, respect and fairness for the community of Acadie-Bathurst, according to the PPC website.
Beauséjour
This
riding covers parts of Kent County and some parts of Westmorland
County, excluding the City of Moncton, parts of Dieppe and the villages
of Salisbury and Petitcodiac. (Elections Canada)Liberal Party of Canada: Dominic LeBlanc, incumbent.
LeBlanc was first elected to Parliament in 2000 and has represented Beauséjour for about two and a half decades. He has held several cabinet positions throughout his career. His father, Romeo LeBlanc, was a former federal cabinet minister and Governor General of Canada.
Conservative Party of Canada: Nathalie Vautour.
Vautour was born in Dieppe. She is a Université de Moncton graduate and a business owner. Both her parents grew up in New Brunswick.
Green Party of Canada: Josh Shaddick.
Shaddick was born and raised in Miramichi. He is the regional manager for a drug and alcohol testing company, and ran as the Green candidate from Miramichi East in the 2024 New Brunswick provincial election.
Libertarian Party of Canada: Donna Allen.
Allen was born and raised in southeastern New Brunswick. She ran as a Libertarian in the Tantramar riding in the 2024 provincial election.
New Democratic Party: Alex Gagne.
Gagne is the former chair of the New Brunswick NDP youth caucus and a former organizer with the tenants' rights union Acorn, according to a spokesperson for the NDP. He is the former vice president for the New Brunswick NDP and was the Moncton East candidate in the 2024 provincial election.
People's Party of Canada: Eddie Cornell.
Cornell has served as a gunner in the Canadian Armed Forces for over a decade. He has also worked with the Ontario Provincial Police and participated in support of the 2022 trucker convoy in Ottawa, according to his campaign.
Fredericton-Oromocto
This riding covers Fredericton, Oromocto, New Maryland, parts of rural Hanwell and three First Nations. (Elections Canada)Communist Party of Canada: June Patterson.
Patterson was the candidate from Fredericton for the Communist Party of Canada in the 2021 federal election, where she campaigned for 2SLGBTQ+ rights as a trans woman. Her bio at the time said she had been active in environmental justice and tenants' rights movements.
Conservative Party of Canada: Brian Macdonald.
Macdonald was a New Brunswick MLA from 2010 to 2016 who later ran for the leadership of the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party. He has also served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Green Party of Canada: Pamela Allen-LeBlanc.
Allen-LeBlanc ran for the Green Party in Fredericton-York in the 2024 provincial election. She is an author and a Reiki therapy instructor.Liberal Party of Canada: David Myles.
Myles is a Juno Award-winning singer and songwriter and a former CBC radio host.
Libertarian Party of Canada: Crystal Tays.
Crystal Tays was born and raised in southern New Brunswick. She ran as a Libertarian candidate for Kings Centre in the provincial election of 2024.
New Democratic Party: Nicki Lyons-Macfarlane.
Lyons-Macfarlane was the NDP candidate for Fredericton South-Silverwood in the 2024 provincial election. They are a law library technician at the University of New Brunswick and represent the library assistants unit at Unifor Local 4504.
People's Party of Canada: Heather Michaud.
Michaud is described as dedicated to supporting freedom, respect and fairness for the community of Fredericton-Oromocto, according to the PPC website.
Fundy Royal
This
riding includes Albert County, some parts of Kings and Queens counties,
some parts of Saint John County, excluding the city of Saint John. It
also consists of some areas of Westmorland County. (Elections Canada)Conservative Party of Canada: Rob Moore, incumbent.
Moore was first elected as the MP for Fundy in 2004. After a defeat in 2015, he was re-elected in the renamed riding of Fundy Royal in 2019 and 2021. He served in the Stephen Harper cabinet as Minister of State for ACOA.
Green Party of Canada
CBC News has reached out to the Green Party of Canada for the name of their candidate in this riding.
Liberal Party of Canada: Bill Kudla.
Kudla is a retired electrician from General Motors. He worked with the company for more three decades. He has also worked with Unifor. He is a resident of Lower Coverdale.
Libertarian Party of Canada: Wayne Wheeler.
Wheeler was the Libertarian candidate from the Sussex Three-Rivers riding in the 2024 provincial election.
New Democratic Party
CBC News has reached out to the New Democratic Party for the name of their candidate in this riding.
People's Party of Canada: Alastair MacFarlane.
MacFarlane's campaign describes him as a Hillsborough-based horticulturist and machinist who entered politics after he was inspired by Maxime Bernier, leader of the party.
Madawaska-Restigouche
This riding covers Madawaska County and parts of the counties of Restigouche, Victoria and Northumberland. (Elections Canada)Conservative Party of Canada: Michel Morin.
Morin has served on New Brunswick's Haut-Madawaska municipal council. He was the Conservative candidate from Madawaska Les Lacs-Edmundston in the 2024 provincial election.
Green Party of Canada
CBC News has reached out to the Green Party of Canada for the name of their candidate in this riding.
Liberal Party of Canada: Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault.
Deschênes-Thériault has served as a councillor in Kedgwick, where he grew up, since 2021. He works as an associate researcher at a specialized consulting firm, where he focuses on the Canadian Francophonie, according to his official Facebook page.
Libertarian Party of Canada: François Provost.
Provost is the current president and a co-founder of the Libertarian Party of New Brunswick.
New Democratic Party: Daisy Petersen.
Petersen was the NDP candidate from Restigouche East in the 2024 provincial election.
People's Party of Canada
CBC News has reached out to the People's Party of Canada for the name of their candidate in this riding.
Miramichi-Grand Lake
This riding covers some areas of Northumberland, Kent, Queens and Sunbury counties, and a part of York County. (Elections Canada)Conservative Party of Canada: Mike Dawson.
Dawson was first elected as a member of New Brunswick's legislative assembly in 2022. In 2024, he was re-elected as the MLA for Miramichi West. He is a businessman and worked in the trade of drywall and painting for 14 years.
Green Party of Canada
CBC News has reached out to the Green Party of Canada for the name of their candidate in this riding.
Liberal Party of Canada: Lisa Harris.
Harris was the deputy mayor of Miramichi. She was elected as a New Brunswick MLA in 2014, 2018 and 2020. In 2016 she became a provincial cabinet minister. She was the Liberal candidate for Miramichi-Grand Lake in the 2021 federal election.
Libertarian Party of Canada: William Jones.
Jones ran as the Libertarian candidate for Albert-Riverview in the 2024 provincial election.
New Democratic Party
CBC News has reached out to the New Democratic Party for the name of their candidate in this riding.
People's Party of Canada
CBC News has reached out to the People's Party of Canada for the name of their candidate in this riding.
Moncton-Dieppe
This riding covers the city of Moncton and some parts of Dieppe. (Elections Canada)Liberal Party of Canada: Ginette Petitpas Taylor, incumbent.
Petitpas Taylor was elected as the member of parliament representing Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe in 2015, 2019 and 2021. She has held several federal cabinet positions with the Liberal government.
Conservative Party of Canada: Jocelyn Dionne.
Dionne is the president of a business and management consulting company. Dionne is a Université de Moncton graduate and a volunteer hockey coach.
Green Party of Canada
CBC News has reached out to the Green Party of Canada for the name of their candidate representing this riding.Libertarian Party of Canada: Sherie Vukelic.
Vukelic was the Libertarian candidate from Saint John West-Lancaster in the 2024 provincial election.
New Democratic Party: Serge Landry.
Landry ran as the NDP candidate for Moncton-Dieppe-Riverview in the 2021 federal election. He works with the Canadian Labour Congress as the regional representative for New Brunswick. He also works at a long-term care centre.
People's Party of Canada: Mark Duperron.
Duperron is described as dedicated to supporting freedom, respect and fairness in his community, according to his campaign.
Saint John-Kennebecasis
This
riding covers parts of city of Saint John that are east of the St. John
River, Saint John Harbour, Rothesay and Quispamsis, and areas of the
Simonds Parish. (Elections Canada)Liberal Party of Canada: Wayne Long, incumbent.
Long was elected as the MP for Saint John-Rothesay in 2015, 2019 and 2021. He was also the president of the Saint John Sea Dogs Hockey Club for more than a decade.
Conservative Party of Canada: Melissa Young.
Young is described as a life-long New Brunswicker, with more than three decades of experience in workforce development and "a champion for skilled trades," according to her campaign website. She has also been the CEO of Skilled Trades Ontario.Green Party of Canada: David Macfarquhar.
Macfarquhar ran as a Green Party candidate in the 2022 Quebec election. His campaign says he grew up in Quispamsis. He is an engineer, physicist and data scientist.
Libertarian Party of Canada: Austin Venedam.
Venedam was the Libertarian candidate for the riding of Rothesay in the 2024 provincial election.
New Democratic Party
CBC News has reached out to the New Democratic Party for the name of their candidate in this riding.
People's Party of Canada: William Edgett.
Edgett's campaign describes him as passionate about serving Canadians. The PPC campaign site says he is an advocate for parental alienation issues in New Brunswick.
Saint John-St. Croix
This
riding covers Charlotte County, parts of Kings County including Grand
Bay-Westfield, some parts of Queens and Saint John counties, including
parts of the city of Saint John that are west of the St. John River and
Saint John Harbour. It also includes parts of Sunbury and York counties,
including the village of McAdam. (Elections Canada)Conservative Party of Canada: John Williamson.
Williamson was elected as the MP for New Brunswick Southwest in 2011. After being defeated in 2015, he was re-elected in his riding in 2019 and 2021. He has worked as the national director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and has also been the director of communications in the Prime Minister's Office.
Green Party of Canada
CBC News has reached out to the Green Party of Canada for the name of their candidate in this riding.
Liberal Party of Canada: Karen Ludwig.
Ludwig served as the MP for New Brunswick Southwest from 2015 to 2019. Before entering politics, she worked in the field of education for many years. She is a Canadian alternate commissioner for the Roosevelt Campobello International Park.
Libertarian Party of Canada: Keith Tays.
Taysis the leader of the Libertarian Party of New Brunswick. He ran as the Libertarian candidate for Fundy-The Isles-Saint John Lorneville in the 2024 provincial election.
New Democratic Party: Andrew Hill.
Hill served the Canadian Forces as a non-commissioned member for more than 17 years, during which he held several roles in the military, said his campaign. He lives in Charters Settlement and was raised in the Maritimes.
People's Party of Canada: Marc-Andre Michaud.
Michaud is a Royal Canadian Air Force veteran and works as a lead engineer with the Department of National Defence in New Brunswick, according to his campaign. He was born in Quebec and lives on a small homestead in New Brunswick.
Tobique-Mactaquac
This riding covers Carleton County, some parts of Victoria County and some areas of York County, excluding Fredericton. (Elections Canada)Conservative Party of Canada: Richard Bragdon, incumbent.
Bragdon ran for the Conservatives in the 2015 federal election in Tobique-Mactaquac. He was elected as a member of parliament in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Green Party of Canada: Liam MacDougall.
MacDougall ran as the Green Party candidate for Albert-Riverview in the 2024 provincial election. He's a first-year student in political science at Fredericton's St. Thomas University, according to his campaign.
Liberal Party of Canada:
CBC News has reached out to the Liberal Party of Canada for the name of their candidate in this riding.
Libertarian Party of Canada: Patrick Geraghty.
Geraghty lives in the Tobique First Nation. He is a construction worker, homesteader, singer and songwriter, according to the party.
New Democratic Party: Michael Winter.
Winter grew up in a small town of southern New Brunswick and is passionate about health care, affordable housing and protecting the environment for the residents of Tobique-Mactaquac, said an NDP spokesperson.
People's Party of Canada: Vern Brundle.
Brundle is described as dedicated to supporting freedom, respect and fairness in his community, according to the party website.
Corrections
- A prior version of this story had inaccurately said candidate Nathalie Vautour was born in Quebec.Mar 28, 2025 8:55 AM ADT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
----
Militant et défenseur de la justice sociale. Fier il lutte pour le logement abordable, de meilleurs soins et les droits des travailleurs.
Conservatives fear 'dysfunctional' campaign and 'civil war' in the party: sources
Conservative sources describe a campaign that is 'highly disorganized' and 'a mess'
As Conservative infighting over how the campaign is handling U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats spills into the open, sources within the party are describing a "dysfunctional" campaign with too much centralized power and belittling and aggressive treatment of staff.
More than half a dozen Conservatives, who spoke to CBC News on the condition they not be named for fear of retribution, describe a campaign that is "highly disorganized" and "a mess." The sources include individuals both inside and outside the campaign.
Several of the sources allege that too many decisions have to go through Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's chief strategist, Jenni Byrne.
"Jenni's in charge and that's all you know," said one Conservative campaign worker, who described the situation as dysfunctional.
There's no evidence of a master plan, said the Conservative, and people are left to figure things out themselves.
Sources said some people learned what they'd be doing on the campaign just hours before the race officially began — even though the Conservatives have been calling for an election since 2024.
Relying on 'tight inner circle'
One source described how the campaign didn't have some "basic stuff" in place before the writ was issued.
Poilievre and Byrne are not inclined to listen to outside advice, sources said, relying instead on "a tight inner circle," which is composed, in part, of people who also work at Byrne's lobby firm outside the campaign period.
The frustration is amplified because Conservatives have gone from anticipating they would form a majority government to seeing a dramatic rebirth for the Liberals under its new leader, Mark Carney, fuelled by concerns over Donald Trump's plans for Canada.
Too many decisions have to go through Poilievre’s chief strategist, Jenni Byrne, several sources allege. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
CBC's Poll Tracker suggests the Liberals are now most likely to form government — and claim a majority.
CBC News reached out to the Conservative campaign about the issues raised in this story. A spokesperson declined to comment.
The tension spilled out into the open this week when veteran Conservative strategist Kory Teneycke began publicly calling out the federal campaign, suggesting it was headed for disaster.
"Look, I think for the Conservatives in the campaign cockpit, every buzzer and alarm is going off. And the plane is like going 'bzzzzz' and it's like 'pull up, pull up, pull," Teneycke told an audience Wednesday as part of a panel at Toronto's Empire Club of Canada.
He argued the Conservative campaign was wasting energy talking about concerns around the World Economic Forum and trying to link the Liberals to an initiative to boost immigration levels known as the Century Initiative, rather than leaning in on the public's concerns about the U.S. president's treatment of Canada.
"I'll make the case tonight, and hopefully this will permeate the Conservative Party war room somewhere — you've got to get on the f****ing ballot question that is driving votes. Or you are going to lose."
In a subsequent interview with CBC News, Teneycke said Poilievre is acting too "Trump-y" with his pet names for political opponents and sloganeering, and it's a turnoff for voters the party needs to win.
Teneycke managed the last three election campaigns for Doug Ford's Ontario PC Party, including Ford's recent re-election to a majority government. He also worked under former prime minister Stephen Harper, including working on Harper's 2015 campaign with Byrne.
The Conservative loss to the Liberals that year left many hard feelings, particularly as the party resorted to now-panned measures like the '"barbaric cultural practices" tip line in an unsuccessful effort to shore up their support.
This week, Teneycke went as far as releasing internal PC party numbers to the Toronto Star to show the federal Liberals taking a significant lead over the Poilievre's Conservative Party of Canada.
Conservative
strategist Kory Teneycke has begun publicly calling out the federal
campaign, suggesting it was headed for disaster. (CBC)
The public criticism that the campaign has failed to adequately address concerns about Trump is just not landing at the top levels of the federal campaign, sources said.
Poilievre and Byrne "just reject that this is the central ballot question," said one Conservative.
'Weird fixation' on minor issues
One Conservative suggested the tension — not only between Teneycke and Byrne but also between the Ontario and federal Conservative leaders — amounts to a "civil war" within the Conservative movement.
Yet another source said the campaign has a "weird fixation" with relatively minor issues, like how the media is reporting Poilievre's rally crowd sizes. This Conservative said this should not be a concern for senior leaders like Byrne, given other issues they are grappling with.
This source said the priority should be on crafting a better strategy to blunt the Liberal momentum.
But the source wasn't hopeful that would actually happen.
"There won't be a shift because the people who run this campaign don't want to shift," this person said, referring to both Byrne and Poilievre.
What is likely to happen, this source said, is some sort of "counteroffensive" against Carney, with "persistent attacks" to try and sully the Liberal leader's reputation and drive down his favourability ratings.
One Conservative said Poilievre has repeatedly condemned Trump and some of the criticisms of him being too soft on the president are unfair, pointing to Poilievre's forceful statement after the president announced a plan to slap tariffs on autos.
But this source said the campaign has missed the mark on its policy announcements, focusing on non-U.S. or trade-related issues that are of little concern to voters when the country faces a crisis with its one-time closest friend and neighbour.
The source said Thursday's TFSA top-up announcement sounded tone-deaf, while Poilievre's tough-on-crime pitch on Friday at a B.C. sawmill, which could face disruptions because of U.S. tariffs, was bizarre.
This source said Poilievre is not used to running behind, and he's wedded to the playbook that got him in the lead in the first place.
Poilievre says it's election day result that matters, not pollingA source said the campaign staffing is also a particular concern, with last-minute adjustments to who's doing what causing uncertainty and confusion.
Allegations of 'bullying'
In addition to concerns about focus, several sources describe aggressive behaviour by leaders on the campaign, suggesting it is an environment ruled "by fear."
There's frequent yelling and belittling, sources said. One source says the way the highest echelons of the campaign have treated one team member can only be described as bullying.
"It's bullying. There's no other word for it."
Two sources said Poilievre is set to speak more about Trump and his threats in an upcoming swing to Ontario.
Some Conservatives defend the direction the campaign is taking.
Kate Harrison, a Conservative strategist, said on CBC's The House the ballot question that will help the Conservatives is "around cost of living, affordability, and frankly the problems and the track record that brought Canadians to this place of vulnerability based on the last nine years."
Harrison pointed to a poll from Narrative Research, which found two-thirds of respondents identified the cost of living as one of the most important issues facing Canada today.
"I think that there is a link that Conservatives can make between the policies of the last nine years — yes, the threat and the impact of tariffs and this existential threat that Canadians face — without it having this be a referendum on Donald Trump alone," Harrison said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Rosemary Barton, Benjamin Lopez Steven
Top Conservative strategist says Poilievre needs to urgently pivot or he will lose
Conservative leader is acting too 'Trump-y' and needs to make a change, says strategist
One of the country's top Conservative strategists who just helped Ontario Premier Doug Ford win a sizable majority government says Pierre Poilievre urgently needs to make a pivot and start talking more about the issue voters care about most — the U.S. threat — or he risks losing the federal election.
In an interview with CBC News, Kory Teneycke said only weeks ago Poilievre was on track to win a massive majority government, and now every major pollster in the country says it's the Liberals who are set to win big. If an election were held today, the Conservatives would lose, Teneycke said.
He said it's because of U.S. President Donald Trump — and the Conservative Party's inadequate messaging around what it would do to try and stop his tariffs and annexationist threats.
But it's not just that, Teneycke said, there's also a stylistic issue — the party's leader is just too "Trump-y" and he's got to make a change fast.
Teneycke said Poilievre acts and sounds too much like the president, with his pet names for his political opponents ("Carbon tax Carney") and catchy sloganeering ("big beautiful bring it home tax cut"), and it's off-putting to voters the party needs to win.
"It all sounds too Trump-y for a lot of voters," Teneycke said.
Teneycke, who held senior roles under former prime minister Stephen Harper including director of communications before becoming a strategist at firm Rubicon, said Poilievre is "negative all the time" and it's "hard to be liked by the public" when you're like that.
"There needs to be more of an emphasis on a positive message," he said.
"And I think you have to be a little more direct and more consistent in terms of the message around the U.S."
Asked about his sinking poll numbers Thursday, Poilievre said: "We'll wait for Canadians to make the choice on election day."
Poilievre says it's election day result that matters, not polling"After the lost Liberal decade of rising costs and crime and the economy being down under America's thumb, do the Liberals deserve a fourth term in power? Or is it time to put Canada first for a change with a new Conservative government that will axe taxes, build homes, unleash resources and bring home the jobs?" Poilievre said.
Teneycke said Poilievre and his team are also running this campaign as if the main opponent was still former prime minister Justin Trudeau and that the issues that were in focus last year — the cost of living, inflation and the housing crisis — are the ones that matter most when voters are clearly indicating it's Trump who is top of mind.
"I'm not raising this critique out of animus for the Conservative Party," Teneycke said.
"I'm bringing it up as somebody who spent his entire career trying to elect Conservatives and many of them at the federal level. But I think we're just on the wrong track. And I think we need to adjust, refocus the campaign on the one big issue and soften the tone."
Internal Ontario Progressive Conservative polling obtained by CBC News paints a bleak picture for Team Poilievre in Canada's most populous province.
Carney's Liberals are at 48 per cent provincewide and the Conservatives at 33 per cent. The poll, which surveyed 1,902 respondents, was conducted March 24-26. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of a similar size would have a margin of error of +/- 2.2 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
The Toronto Star was first to report the results of the internal polling.
In remarks to the Empire Club in Toronto Wednesday evening, Teneycke said the campaign's current trajectory is concerning.
"I'll make the case tonight and hopefully this will permeate the Conservative Party war room somewhere — you've got to get on the f--king ballot question that is driving votes or you are going to lose," Teneycke said.
Asked about those remarks Thursday, Poilievre said he's the one who can best defend Canada.
"I'm the only one who will stand up to the U.S. president. The president wants the Liberals back in," he said.
Poilievre was critical of Trump in the wake of his latest tariff broadside.
The Conservative leader said Trump is unfairly "attacking his closest neighbour and America's best friend."
"My message to President Trump is knock it off. Stop attacking America's friends," he said.
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President Trump Says He Spoke with Canadian PM Mark Carney: Full Q&A With Reporters
Bloomberg Podcasts Hear what Trump said about call with Canadian prime minister
Has the rise of Carney's Liberals sunk this upstart centrist party?
The Canadian Future Party bills itself as a place for voters disillusioned by Liberals and Conservatives
Dominic Cardy, leader of the upstart Canadian Future Party, is under no illusions that he will be prime minister after Canadians cast their vote next month.
"This party just started and what we really want to do in this race is to raise the profile for the ideas we're putting out there," he told CBC News.
"We're hoping that we can keep on providing new ideas that the Liberals and the Tories and really anyone else can steal if they want to. For us, it's about democracy, not about parties."
The Future Party officially launched last summer, billing itself as a centrist option for voters who have become disillusioned with the Liberals and Conservatives.
But the party was formed while Justin Trudeau and his more progressive Liberal brand was tanking in the polls. The Liberals have seen a sharp resurgence under Mark Carney's more centrist approach.
CEO and founder of Abacus Data, David Coletto, said there didn't seem to be much support for a new centrist party even before Trudeau stepped down.
"There is a myth about this centrist voter that exists that is moderate on all sides. I don't know if that's true," he told CBC News.
"It's too simple to say that most voters are in the middle or in the centre. I don't necessarily agree. It depends on the issue."
The Future Party ran candidates in two byelections in September but garnered less than one per cent of the vote in both contests.
Coletto said Carney's shift to the centre does leave "a lot less space" for the Future Party. But he argued a larger problem facing any new party is the emergence of U.S. President Donald Trump as a central ballot question.
Pollster
David Coletto said a problem for smaller parties is how to make a
response to President Donald Trump a central part of their message. (Matt Rourke/The Associated Press)
"I think that the broader issue-set has made it hard for a brand-new party with an unknown leader to get any traction, because Trump and all the chaos that's come from that has created a demand for stability," Coletto said.
But Cardy, a former New Brunswick MLA and cabinet minister, said he's concerned that the Conservatives and Liberals thus far are lacking sufficient plans to address Trump, specifically when it comes to national defence.
"There's still a huge gap between what we need to talk about when it comes to defending our country and what the major parties are proposing," he said.
Cardy also said he isn't concerned about the Liberal shift to the centre and its increasing popularity.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney is seen as more centrist than his predecessor, Justin Trudeau. (Andrej Ivanov/AFP/Getty Images)
"We'd always said that the goal, our biggest goal, was to try and drag politics back to the centre," he said.
"We certainly haven't had the time to build [our party] into anything formidable yet."
He said his party's platform focuses on issues where he thinks the Liberals and Conservatives lack "credible positions." The platform has three pillars: boosting defence, democratic reform and making social services more efficient.
Still, he said it's "fantastic" that the Liberals are moving toward the centre.
No full slate of candidates
The party isn't expected to run a full slate of candidates, but Cardy is optimistic that they can run in up to 100 ridings.
"The election is earlier than we'd hoped," he said, noting that the party only started creating its riding associations in January.
"We'll have as many [candidates] as we can get. But again, we decided that yes, we're going to run a campaign that's limited because we're new and that's fine."
Cardy himself is running in Fredericton. Although he said he will focus on his local campaign, he intends to make a few trips to various communities across the country — even if he has to fly there himself.
"I've got my own little two-seat, fast, little airplane. So if I can get that tuned up in time, I'm going to go and fly that around the country a little bit to get to events," he said.
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