---------- Original message ---------
Date: Fri, Apr 11, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Subject: Re: Mail
To: Verville, Charles <Charles.Verville@victoriaville.ca>
From: Verville, Charles <Charles.Verville@victoriaville.ca>
Date: Fri, Apr 11, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Subject: Mail
To: davidraymond.amos333@gmail.com <davidraymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Hello,
I confirm that the mayor’s office haven’t receive the email you sent yesterday.
I invite you to check the mail address :
antoine.tardif@victoriaville.
Charles Verville
Chef de Division des communications
Division des communications
Service des communications et des relations citoyennes
819 758-6419, poste 3276
Hôtel de ville
1, rue Notre-Dame Ouest, C.P. 370
Victoriaville (Québec) G6P 6T2
|
|
|
CONFIDENTIALITÉ: Le présent courriel (y compris ses pièces jointes, s'il y a lieu) est
confidentiel. |
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Apr 11, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Subject: Attn Louis Lafleur Re missing email
To: <info@blf-inc.com>, <llafleur@blf-inc.com>
Cc: <info@campobelloislandnb.ca>, <antoine.tardif@victoriaville.ca>, <Elisabeth.Briere@parl.gc.ca>, <slevitz@torstar.ca>, <newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com>, <brisson@partipopulaireducanada.ca>, <philippe.darcangeli@equipeppc.ca>, <mairie@sherbrooke.ca>
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From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Apr 11, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Subject: Poilievre says Carney is using U.S. president and his economic threats as a campaign 'distraction'
To: pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, djtjr <djtjr@trumporg.com>, fin.minfinance-financemin.fin <fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@canada.ca>, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, Chrystia.Freeland <Chrystia.Freeland@parl.gc.ca>, hon.melanie.joly <hon.melanie.joly@canada.ca>, Marco.Mendicino <Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca>, dominic.leblanc <dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca>, prontoman1 <prontoman1@protonmail.com>, <ps.publicsafetymcu-securitepubliqueucm.sp@canada.ca>, <kevin@kevinklein.ca>, Press <press@bankofengland.co.uk>, jamie.dimon <jamie.dimon@jpmorgan.com>, Stephane.vaillancourt <stephane.vaillancourt@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, Frank.McKenna <frank.mckenna@td.com>, <patrick.fitzgerald@skadden.com>, davidmylesforfredericton@gmail.com <davidmylesforfredericton@gmail.com>, David.Akin <david.akin@globalnews.ca>, dfournier <dfournier@protonmail.com>, <jasonlavigne@outlook.com>, washington field <washington.field@ic.fbi.gov>, Mark.Blakely <mark.blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, Michael.Duheme <michael.duheme@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, Mike.Comeau <mike.comeau@gnb.ca>, Susan.Holt <susan.holt@gnb.ca>, premier <premier@ontario.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nl.ca>, premier <premier@leg.gov.mb.ca>, premier <premier@gov.yk.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nt.ca>, premier <premier@gov.bc.ca>, Office of the Premier <scott.moe@gov.sk.ca>, premier <premier@gov.pe.ca>, PREMIER <premier@gov.ns.ca>, premier <premier@gov.ab.ca>, leader@ourcanadianfuture.com <Leader@ourcanadianfuture.com>, <info@blf-inc.com>, <llafleur@blf-inc.com>, <info@campobelloislandnb.ca>, <antoine.tardif@victoriaville.ca>, <Elisabeth.Briere@parl.gc.ca>, <slevitz@torstar.ca>, <newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com>, <brisson@partipopulaireducanada.ca>, <philippe.darcangeli@equipeppc.ca>, <mairie@sherbrooke.ca>
Cc: <alastair.macfarlane@teamppc.ca>, <robmoorefundyroyal@gmail.com>, Hans Johnsen <notyourprince@gmail.com>, <canadianlibertarian@protonmail.com>, <communications@libertarian.ca>, <vote4nathalievautour@gmail.com>, <erin.howellsharpe@unifor506.ca>, <info@richardbragdon.ca>, vbrundle@hotmail.com <vbrundle@hotmail.com>, <mjwinter@stthomas.edu>, julian4tm@gmail.com <julian4tm@gmail.com>, BrianThomasMacdonald <BrianThomasMacdonald@gmail.com>, <jp.tasker@cbc.ca>, jp.lewis <jp.lewis@unb.ca>
Monday, 31 March 2025
Poilievre says the federal election can't just be about Donald Trump
https://www.cbc.ca/news/Poilievre takes aim at Carney's ability to handle Trump and his tariffs
Conservative leader says Carney is using U.S. president and his economic threats as a campaign 'distraction'
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took aim at his Liberal opponent Thursday over his handling of the Canada-U.S. relationship, saying Mark Carney has so far "failed" to secure any tariff relief for Canada, even as other countries get something of a break.
Carney, meanwhile, said U.S. President Donald Trump's much-maligned "reciprocal" tariffs never applied to Canada in the first place, and he has agreed to sit down with the Americans right after this election — if he wins — to negotiate a comprehensive new economic and security agreement.
As part of his three-pronged tariff plan, Trump last week announced huge "reciprocal" tariffs on virtually every country in the world except Canada and Mexico. The fact that Canada dodged these particular tariffs was seen as a victory, and Carney called it progress and "the best of a series of bad deals."
On Wednesday, Trump relented and temporarily dialled back the more onerous tariff rates for 90 days after the stock market tanked amid the trade chaos.
"Other countries got a pause in tariffs while he failed to secure one here in Canada," Poilievre said of Carney during a housing announcement in Milton, Ont.
But Trump is still pushing ahead with a "reciprocal" 10 per cent tariff on goods coming from nearly every country — again, except Canada and Mexico, which were never hit by these particular tariffs — and a new, higher 125 per cent rate for all Chinese goods after that country retaliated.
"This, of course, happened after Prime Minister Carney boasted he had had a productive call with President Trump and that he had made 'progress.' What progress? There are more American tariffs on Canada today than there were when Prime Minister Carney took office, while dozens of other countries have secured pauses," Poilievre said.
Poilievre condemns Trump for keeping tariffs on CanadaIt's true that Trump has hit Canada harder than other countries with some of his other tariff schemes.
The president's previously announced global levies on steel, aluminum and most foreign-made autos are still in effect, and U.S. importers will have to pay tariffs when they bring those Canadian products stateside.
Trump's levies to punish Canada for supposedly being a major source of fentanyl and migrants — based on exaggerated claims that are not backed up by border data — are also in effect, but Canada has secured some exemptions to those tariffs under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
All of these U.S. tariffs, except for the ones on autos, were in place before Carney was sworn in as prime minister in mid-March.
Still, Poilievre said the Liberal leader should have gotten more out of Trump.
"Carney's biggest election promise and distraction are empty. He's telling you to forget about the lost Liberal decade of rising costs, crime, taxes and housing prices because he's somehow a magical negotiator, but we're learning that is not true. He does not control President Trump — no one does," Poilievre said.
Despite stating no Canadian leader can control Trump, Poilievre also said he will work to "end the tariffs on Day 1 after the next election" if he wins.
Poilievre has previously pitched pausing Canadian retaliatory tariffs as part of a push to hammer out a new trade deal with Trump.
Carney said he welcomed Trump's decision to hold off on some of his reciprocal tariffs, saying it's a "reprieve for the global economy."
As for the tariffs Canada is still facing, Carney said they are "threatening our families, our workers and our businesses, and while they are being imposed under different pretences, they are unjustified, unwarranted and misguided."
Carney said he will pause his campaign and return to Ottawa on Friday to convene a special meeting of his Canada-U.S. cabinet committee to discuss the government's strategy in the wake of the recent economic convulsions.
Direct tariffs still affecting Canada, Carney says when asked about dropping retaliatory measuresCarney said this upcoming vote is "the most consequential election of our lifetime," and he's working hard to represent Canada in its negotiations with the U.S. over the future of the bilateral relationship.
"The stakes have never been higher," he said.
Carney said he spoke with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, earlier Thursday and he is pressing for closer trade ties with like-minded, "reliable" allies now that the Canada-U.S. relationship is on shaky ground.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
'We look a little stupid,' says Quebec manufacturer stung by Canada's counter-tariffs
Plywood supplier who imports raw materials from U.S. has been paying 25% levy since March 4
Ask Louis Lafleur how he's feeling about American tariffs and his response comes quickly.
"Ask me how I feel about Canadian tariffs!"
Lafleur is the president of Les Boisés Lafleur, in Victoriaville, Que., 140 kilometres northeast of Montreal. The company makes wood veneers: thin sheets of a wide variety of species — maple, ash, eucalyptus — that are then applied to plywood used for countertops and furniture.
When talk of U.S. tariffs began shortly after the presidential inauguration last January, Lafleur started losing sleep. He exports three-quarters of his finished product to the U.S. and was dreading duties.
At first, his American clients, who were convinced tariffs wouldn't stay in place long, said they'd pay a little more to help absorb the hit.
The U.S. tariffs on his exports haven't materialized, but in February, before he left office, Justin Trudeau announced a counter-tariff on $30 billion worth of goods entering Canada from the U.S. — including the category of wood Lafleur uses for his veneers.
He imports all of his wood from the U.S., and he's been paying a 25 per cent duty on those imports since March 4.
"My clients are saying, 'now you're complaining because your government [adds] a tariff?' We look a little stupid," Lafleur says.
'Band-Aid on a broken bone'
Lafleur says he should be eligible for a duty drawback — a reimbursement for at least part of the money he's spending on counter-tariffs. But information isn't easy to find. He doesn't know how much he can count on or how long a request would take to process. In the meantime, he's playing it safe.
Les Boisés Lafleur would normally import six and a half truckloads of wood a month. Lafleur has only bought three since February.
"If I buy the wood and I don't get the money back, I'm going to lose a tremendous amount of money," he says.
Les Boisés Lafleur is buying less wood from the U.S. to cope with the impact of a counter-tariff applied by Canada. (Susan Campbell/CBC)
Fewer wood deliveries will mean reduced production for Lafleur's company. He has started reducing the workforce by a varying number of workers each week, typically between three and six.
Lafleur applied for help under a federal program put in place in early March to help companies to keep their staff, by allowing employees to share work and qualify for EI. But he calls that "a Band-Aid on a broken bone." He doesn't see the logic in making Canadian companies pay a price in this trade war.
"When the Trump administration said we're going to put a tariff, everyone agreed that it would be very, very bad for them. And our reaction to that? To do the same!" he hammers.
Lafleur thinks the laying of counter-tariffs is more about a political show than about what's good for business.
A manufacturing economy on the edge
The mayor of Victoriaville, Antoine Tardif, is president of the regional economic development council, Destination Entreprise.
He says the local economy has been booming since the COVID-19 pandemic. But since the beginning of the tariff war, government agencies that fund local projects, like the Development Bank of Canada and Investissement Québec, are taking a step back.
The
mayor of Victoriaville, Antoine Tardif, says the two pillars of
Centre-du-Québec's economy — manufacturing and agriculture — are
potentially in for a hit from American tariffs. He says it's already
making people nervous. (Susan Campbell/CBC)
"They have a lot of projects on hold because of the uncertainty this creates," Tardif says. "The investments aren't going on and for the city, the revenues won't be coming in."
Tariffs have been top of mind since the beginning of the current federal election campaign, and the leaders of Canada's major political parties have maintained a common front on the necessity of counter-tariffs as a response to the American administration.
- This Sunday, Cross Country Checkup is asking: Market turmoil, tariffs and a possible recession — What do you stand to lose? What questions do you have about surviving it? Leave your comment here and we may read it or call you back for our show on April 13th.
But businessmen like Lafleur are not alone in questioning the government response. Speaking to CBC Quebec, Concordia economist Moshe Lander underlined how this trade war is playing out during a federal election campaign.
"You need to be constantly going in front of a microphone and expressing your outrage, expressing your frustration and to be seen to be doing something," Lander says.
"And this idea of 'let's retaliate back on them' is unfortunately the best political thing to do, but it's not good economics."
Economic worries top of mind for voters
Conversations with voters in the Richmond—Arthabaska riding, where Boisés Lafleur operates, suggest economic matters are top of mind.
On a break from his job at a local grocery store, Maxime Gagnon says it's taxes and the cost of living that he's thinking about — and he's made a choice.
"Pierre Poilievre seems more accurate when he talks about finances," Gagnon said of the Conservative Party leader.
Maxime
Gagnon is worried about income taxes and rising prices. He's voting
Conservative, because he feels they'll respond to his concerns. (Susan Campbell/CBC)
Jean-Yves Houle says he'll vote for the federal leader who's speaking to his concerns.
"It's poverty. We need to find a way to make people's lives easier," Houle says.
The riding is currently represented by Independent MP Alain Rayes, who left the Conservative Party in 2022.
Jean-Yves Houle worries for the next generation, as he watches grocery prices rise. (Susan Campbell/CBC)
Lafleur, for his part, isn't willing to wait until election day to see how parties respond to his company's current situation. He's laying the responsibility at the feet of the sitting government.
"We have Marc Carney, who's a non-elected prime minister and he's running to be an elected prime minister," Lafleur says.
''If by April 28 there's still a 25 per cent tariff, I know damn well who I won't vote for."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Quebec MP Alain Rayes leaves Conservatives to sit as Independent after Poilievre win
Rayes had supported Jean Charest in the Conservative leadership race
Quebec MP Alain Rayes is leaving the federal Conservative Party, citing its new leader Pierre Poilievre as the reason for his departure.
Rayes will continue to represent his riding of Richmond–Arthabaska in the Eastern Townships as an Independent.
Rayes had supported Jean Charest as a candidate for the Conservative leadership, but Poilievre was elected by the party Saturday, gathering a sweeping majority with 68 per cent of votes on the first ballot.
Rayes made the announcement in a YouTube video in French posted to his Twitter account, saying he didn't want to compromise on his values and convictions.
He cited concerns about law and order, environmental issues, as well as the importance of respect between elected officials.
Poilievre didn't hold back when asked about Rayes's departure during a brief news conference in which the new Conservative leader accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of not doing enough to help Canadians struggling with record inflation rates.
"He's decided not to fight Justin Trudeau's inflation," Poilievre said of Rayes in French. "We are working to fight the inflationary deficits and taxes imposed by Justin Trudeau. The citizens in Mr. Rayes's riding agree: They voted for me in the leadership race. And I believe that all Conservatives that remain in the caucus agree."
Fifty-three per cent of the 663 leadership ballots cast by Conservative members in Richmond–Arthabaska were for Poilievre, according to the party's official results, as compared to 42 per cent for Charest.
Monday, Poilievre had made a surprise visit to the Conservative Quebec caucus and said in a speech that he was "very grateful" for the contributions of all members of the national caucus, regardless of which candidate they had supported.
Rayes was the Conservatives' lieutenant for Quebec until September 2020, after which Richard Martel, the MP for Chicoutimi–Le Fjord, took over the role until February, when he resigned in order to run as a candidate in the party's leadership race.
Hours before Rayes said he would become an Independent MP Tuesday, Poilievre announced Charlesbourg–Haute-Saint-Charles MP Pierre Paul-Hus would be the new Quebec lieutenant.
Paul-Hus was the only Quebec MP to support Poilievre as leader for the party.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from La Presse canadienne and Canadian Press
https://www.sherbrookerecord.com/alain-rayes-the-independent/
Alain Rayes, the Independent
It’s safe to say that Richmond-Arthabaska’s newly independent MP has had more media interviews in the last few days than he has in the seven years that he has been in the House of Commons
Alain Rayes was elected under the Conservative banner in 2015 and has
represented the Richmond-Arthabaska riding ever since, winning
re-election handily in 2019 and 2021. He quit the Conservative party on
Sept. 13, following the election of Pierre Poilievre as the new leader
of the party. Rayes had supported Jean Charest’s candidacy. (It’s
interesting to note that only one sitting member of the Quebec
Conservative caucus, Pierre Paul-Hus, supported Poilievre.)
From: Brière, Élisabeth - Députée <Elisabeth.Briere@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Sun, Feb 20, 2022 at 10:07 PM
Subject: Réponse automatique : RE Trudeau Invoking the Emergency Act and Freeland defending her liberal democracy byway of her bankster buddies
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Bonjour,
Nous accusons la réception de votre courriel à Élisabeth Brière, députée de Sherbrooke. Votre courriel est important pour nous et nous répondrons aux demandes de support dans un délai de 72 heures. Veuillez noter que conformément aux mesures de la santé publique, nos employés sont en télétravail et que notre bureau est présentement fermé pour les rencontres en présentiel.
Merci,
From: Rayes, Alain - Député <Alain.Rayes@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Sun, Mar 23, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Mark Carney to run for seat in Chandra Arya's riding Surprise Surprise Surprise
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
English follows
Bonjour,
Nous avons bien reçu votre courriel et nous vous remercions d'avoir écrit au député de Richmond-Arthabaska, M. Alain Rayes.
Nous vous reviendrons dans les plus brefs délais.
Cordialement,
Good day,
We have received your email and thank you for writing to the MP for Richmond-Arthabaska, Mr. Alain Rayes.
We will get back to you as soon as possible.
Best regards,
Alain Rayes
Député - MP Richmond-Arthabaska
3, rue de la Gare C.P. 6
Victoriaville (Québec)
G6P 6S4
From: Rayes, Alain - Député <Alain.Rayes@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Chandra Arya and Mark Carney's Chief of Staff Marco Mendicino should check their email
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
English follows
Bonjour,
Nous avons bien reçu votre courriel et nous vous remercions d'avoir écrit au député de Richmond-Arthabaska, M. Alain Rayes.
Nous vous reviendrons dans les plus brefs délais.
Cordialement,
Good day,
We have received your email and thank you for writing to the MP for Richmond-Arthabaska, Mr. Alain Rayes.
We will get back to you as soon as possible.
Best regards,
Alain Rayes
Député - MP Richmond-Arthabaska
3, rue de la Gare C.P. 6
Victoriaville (Québec)
G6P 6S4
From: Rayes, Alain - Député <Alain.Rayes@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Thu, Feb 17, 2022 at 12:56 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: RE Trudeau Invoking the Emergency Act
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
English follow
Bonjour,
Nous avons bien reçu votre courriel et nous vous remercions d'avoir écrit au député de Richmond-Arthabaska, M. Alain Rayes.
Soyez assuré-e que votre courriel recevra toute l'attention nécessaire et qu'un suivi sera effectué le cas échéant.
Good day,
We have received your email and thank you for writing to the MP for Richmond-Arthabaska, Mr. Alain Rayes.
Your email will receive all the attention it needs and a follow-up will be made if necessary.
Alain Rayes
Député - MP Richmond-Arthabaska
3, rue de la Gare C.P. 6
Victoriaville (Québec)
G6P 6S4
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 5:38 PM
Subject: Re: A reporter rudely clashed with Pierre Poilievre. What happened next was the important part
To: Rayes, Alain - Député <Alain.Rayes@parl.gc.ca>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, pierre.poilievre <pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca>, jagmeet.singh <jagmeet.singh@parl.gc.ca>
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, <mwilson@goodmans.ca>, rob.moore <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, Robert. Jones <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>, <David.Akin@globalnews.ca>
We met in person in Fredericton just before Thanksgiving in 2016 and I
sent you many emails since then about my litigation and we also ran in
2 more elections since So if you don't know my issues by now you never
will correct?
From: Rayes, Alain - Député <Alain.Rayes@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 2:06 PM
Subject: RE: A reporter rudely clashed with Pierre Poilievre. What happened next was the important part
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Good day Mr. Amos,
We received your email and phone calls. Unfortunately Mr. Rayes's schedule is tight this week and he can't return your call quickly. Our focus is to prioritize our riding.
Please send us your question(s) and how we can help, and we will follow up.
Regards,
Team Alain Rayes
-----Message d'origine-----
De : David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.c
Envoyé : 27 septembre 2022 10:34
À : barthur@thestar.ca; Prime Minister's Office <pm@pm.gc.ca>; Katie.Telford <Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>; Williamson, John - M.P. <John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>; Bragdon, Richard - M.P. <Richard.Bragdon@parl.gc.ca>; Stewart, Jake - M.P. <jake.stewart@parl.gc.ca>; Mendicino, Marco - M.P. <Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca>; Mark.Blakely <Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>; mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>; Mike.Comeau <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>; Bergen, Candice - M.P. <candice.bergen@parl.gc.ca>; Moore, Rob - M.P. <Rob.Moore@parl.gc.ca>; Ross.Wetmore <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>; David.Akin@globalnews.ca; Roger.L.Melanson <roger.l.melanson@gnb.ca>; rglangille@gmail.com; Scheer, Andrew - M.P. <andrew.scheer@parl.gc.ca>; andrewjdouglas <andrewjdouglas@gmail.com>; ColinRichdale@gmail.com; Jeneroux, Matt - M.P. <Matt.Jeneroux@parl.gc.ca>; votefortonymoracci@gmail.com; vsgautam@hotmail.com; nikki@nikkikaur.ca; bob@brampton.ca; chad.rogers@crestviewstrategy.
Cc : motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>; Alex.Vass <Alex.Vass@gnb.ca>; allison <allison@viafoura.com>; Rayes, Alain - Député <Alain.Rayes@parl.gc.ca>
Objet : A reporter rudely clashed with Pierre Poilievre. What happened next was the important part
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Levitz, Stephanie" <slevitz@torstar.ca>
Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:52:22 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Need I remind Arthur Hamilton and Michael Wilson that some folks have a long memory and keep good records as well?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.c
Hello,
Thanks for writing. I am away until Thursday and will reply to your message after I return.
Be well,
Steph
https://www.thestar.com/politi
Poilievre turns to Ontario PC to run federal Conservatives Mike Crase, who has run the provincial PCs since 2018, has been hired to run the party, the Star has learned.
SL
By Stephanie Levitz
Ottawa Bureau
Fri., Sept. 16, 2022
Hands on: Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre addresses the Conservative caucus for the first time as leader during a meeting in Ottawa Sept. 12.
OTTAWA — The executive director of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative party is making a leap to the federal level.
Mike Crase, who has run the PCs since 2018, has been hired to run the Conservative party, the Star has learned.
It’s the latest staffing change made by Pierre Poilievre as he nears the end of his first week as federal leader.
He’s also changing the entire board of the Conservative Fund, the organization charged with raising and spending the party’s money.
The new chair of the board will be Robert Staley, a longtime Poilievre ally.
Among its new members is Tony Clement, a former MP and cabinet minister, who also helped run Poilievre’s campaign.
When Clement made his own attempt at running for leadership of the federal party in 2017, Crase was among his campaign organizers.
Crase became the executive director of the party after Patrick Brown resigned the leadership in 2018. He stayed on as Doug Ford took over the party and then led it to victory in two elections.
Crase isn’t expected to start in the job until after the Ontario PC fall convention later in October.
He’s replacing Wayne Benson, who was hired by interim party leader Candice Bergen in her own reorganization of party headquarters earlier this year.
That Poilievre would replace him was expected. Staff in the party’s headquarters were told during a call late Friday night by the party’s president, Rob Batherson, sources told the Star.
Although Poilievre is slowly putting into place his team in the House of Commons — he announced his deputy leaders and other members of his inner circle earlier this week — getting the party apparatus, itself, in fighting shape is seen by many to be more important.
After two general elections and three leadership races in five years, there’s concern the party has fallen behind its rivals in areas such as voter ID.
With Poilievre’s prowess in attracting hundreds of thousands of new members to the party, keeping them engaged and motivated will be crucial to continue the momentum for the next general election.
SL
Stephanie Levitz is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @StephanieLevitz
https://www.thestar.com/opinio
A reporter rudely clashed with Pierre Poilievre. What happened next was the important part Canadian media just got a glimpse of what may be in store for them, perhaps for years, writes Bruce Arthur.
Bruce Arthur
By Bruce Arthur
Columnist
Wed., Sept. 14, 2022
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks with reporters in the foyer of the House of Commons, in Ottawa, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022.
There were to be no questions. Those were the ground rules Pierre Poilievre’s people communicated to the press on Tuesday, in the new Conservative leader’s first media appearance in weeks. He’ll give a statement, and you can watch.
Some media were grumpy. David Akin, chief political correspondent for Global News, thought this was unacceptable. According to sources in the room, Akin told Poilievre press secretary Anthony Koch, “We’re not his f------ stenographers. And you can tell him that.”
Akin is known as the kind of reporter who shouts questions whether you asked for them or not, though usually not in the middle of a statement; he did not respond to a request for comment.
He barked at Poilievre as he spoke, asking if he would take questions afterwards; Poilievre, rattled enough to revert to his instincts, called Akin a Liberal heckler, even after Akin identified himself.
Akin kept on, and Poilievre agreed to take two questions in midstream.
Nobody came off particularly well.
OK, fine. Akin was overly combative, even if it got results; he would later apologize for being “rude and disrespectful.” Poilievre seemed to have been thrown off-balance. Media dustups happen all the time:
they just aren’t always broadcast live. Far-right websites such as The Rebel and the True North Centre, or right-wing influencer Ontario Proud, rushed to push out the video; all three, self-servingly, love to say mainstream media is the enemy. That’s typical stuff.
But what happened after the brief tussle was the important part. Koch tweeted that Akin had told him to tell Poilievre to “go f--- himself.”
And Poilievre’s fundraising email later that night claimed Akin, whom the email identified by name, was hurling obscenities, and said, “The media are no longer interested in even pretending to be unbiased. They want us to lose.”
Not only was the incident used to smear the media and gin up anger, the incident itself was misrepresented, and Akin himself — who has worked for conservative outlets such as the National Post, Sun Media and the Sun News Network, and whose outlet receives no government funding, unlike newspapers — was branded an enemy. Fomenting anger at the media is a lazy but effective trick to consolidate support and blur reality: it’s used everywhere from conspiracy theorists to Donald Trump to the people who sell miracle diets. (Here’s what THEY don’t want YOU to know! Or, as the Poilievre email said, “This is what we’re up against.”)
But Poilievre doing it this way, three days into his leadership, tells you a lot. None of it is good.
Look, politicians have sparred with the media for as long as they’ve both existed, though Stephen Harper’s time as PM was a notable high-water mark. Harper fundraised off the media, too, and some emails named specific writers.
Poilievre, though, is ratcheting up the noise in a more frenetic environment. When Global News’s Rachel Gilmore recently asked him for comment on his numerous photos with far-right anti-vaccine extremists, Poilievre pushed out a statement with the introduction, “One of Global News’ so-called journalists decided to smear me and thousands of other Canadians because we criticized the federal government’s unscientific and discriminatory vaccine mandates.” Gilmore, notably, has been a high-profile target of The Rebel and the People’s Party of Canada, including PPC Leader Maxime Bernier, who has explicitly called for harassment of journalists. The harassment of female reporters in particular, including female reporters of colour, has escalated this year.
And Poilievre, of course, chased PPC and convoy votes in his leadership triumph, and that group is explicitly, angrily anti-media.
Poilievre’s choice for House leader, former party leader Andrew Scheer, spent his leadership farewell speech calling for Canadians to read right-wing content mills, and said earlier this year,
“(Poilievre) is not going to listen to our enemies on the left. Our enemies, the media.”
So this is probably how it’s going to go. Attacking the media is a strategy to go with the promise of defunding the CBC and cancelling the federal media subsidy. (There is plenty of conservative media in Canada, by the way, and some of it takes the subsidy, too.) Poilievre, meanwhile, won the leadership by reading the anger in his party better than anybody else, and he might have to keep that emotional appeal high for up to three long years. Which means we in the media aren’t ready for what is coming for us.
It will be a challenge. You can absolutely call for better media coverage. But media is in no way obligated to both-sides the truth, and the Conservative party in particular has been guilty of pushing imaginary problems to an increasingly angry base. If one politician is less truthful than another and is covered honestly, it can look like that politician is being attacked. If that politician declares media an enemy, the temperature goes up.
All journalists can really do is avoid unnecessary fights, and do the work. If you want to know why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn’t heckled mid-statement, the short answer is that while the prime minister often gives answers full of infuriatingly empty calories, he has a track record of answering questions. The general lack of transparency in his government is a real issue, but he shows up.
Meanwhile, in all their anti-media rhetoric, the Conservative party never talks about the fundamental importance of a free press to a functioning democracy. Seems like a tell.
Meanwhile, one of the questions Poilievre did eventually answer was about Quebec MP Alain Rayes, the former deputy leader who left the Conservative caucus in response to Poilievre’s ascension. The party encouraged voters to call and demand Rayes’ resignation, and the MP’s office is now being swamped with harassing calls.
Inventing enemies is a feature, as it turns out, rather than a bug.
Bruce Arthur
Bruce Arthur is a Toronto-based columnist for the Star. Follow him on
Twitter: @bruce_arthur
Eric Lefebvre carries Conservative banner in Richmond-Arthabaska
By Nick Fonda
Local Journalism Initiative
If there’s a candidate in the Richmond-Arthabaska riding who needs little introduction it’s Eric Lefebvre. Running under the Conservative banner in the April 28 federal election, he has already held public office at both the municipal and provincial level.
He was first elected in 2001 when, having just turned 30, he began the first of his two terms as a city councillor in his native Victoriaville. Then, at the end of 2016, he won a provincial byelection in the Arthabaska riding for the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ), and two years later was named party whip. About a year ago, when he knew he would be running in the next federal election, he left the CAQ and the perks of a ministerial position (a significant boost in salary as well as a car and driver) to sit as an independent.
Athletically inclined, growing up he was particularly drawn to hockey and golf. As a Phys-Ed major, he might have been expected to become a high school Phys-Ed teacher, but Eric Lefebvre’s career path has been an unusual one.
“A lot of the people I graduated with did become gym teachers,” he says. “I know that quite a number of those have now moved into administrative positions. I think it’s because people with a background in sports education have a talent for bringing people together.”
“I might have gone into teaching,” he continues, “but a different opportunity came up. Fitness gyms were becoming very popular across Quebec in the mid-1990s and I got a job with Energie Cardio which had opened up a center here.”
Four years later, he opened a pub in Victoriaville, le Caméléon, and became involved with the city’s downtown merchants’ association. Two years later, he became a city councillor.
Although he’s an urbanite, Eric Lefebvre is not unfamiliar with farm life.
“Until the age of ten,” he says, “I lived on a farm. My father kept chickens and beef cattle, and also made maple syrup in the spring. It was a small operation, and really more of a hobby farm. My father was an entrepreneur and, at a certain point, his business interests made it impossible for him to give time to his animals.”
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The Record
Intro
Richmond--Arthabaska (Quebec)
This list of confirmed candidates was issued on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
| Candidate name | Status | Party name | Office phone number | Candidate's website * | Name of official agent | Name of auditor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Réal Batrhino Martel | Confirmed | Parti Rhinocéros Party |
|
|
Stéphane Martel |
|
| Nataël Bureau | Confirmed | New Democratic Party |
|
|
Jonathan Allard |
|
| Philippe D'Arcangeli | Confirmed | People's Party of Canada |
|
Website Philippe D'Arcangeli | Marc-Arthur Jean |
|
| Henri Donascimento | Confirmed | Independent |
|
|
Marjolaine Delisle |
|
| Daniel Lebel | Confirmed | Bloc Québécois |
|
|
Pierre Morrissette | Lisette Laterreur |
| Eric Lefebvre | Confirmed | Conservative Party of Canada |
|
Website Eric Lefebvre | Francis Corriveau | Alain Lessard |
| Alain Saint-Pierre | Confirmed | Liberal Party of Canada |
|
Website Alain Saint-Pierre | Martin Provencher | Samuel Moreau |
Six candidates locked in in Sherbrooke
By Ruby Pratka
Local Journalism Initiative
With the deadline to name candidates only hours away as this edition of The Record went to press, the electoral picture is becoming clear in Sherbrooke. Liberal incumbent Élisabeth Brière, minister of national revenue and veterans’ affairs, is running for a third term. In addition to Brière, in alphabetical order, the candidates are engineer Jean-Pierre Fortier for the New Democratic Party (NDP), Alexandre Lépine for the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), former Champlain College art professor Kevin McKenna for the Green Party, Esteban Méndez-Hord for the Conservative Party and actor Pierre-Étienne Rouillard for the Bloc Québécois.
The downtown riding was reliably Liberal from its creation in 1925 – with the exception of a Conservative-Social Credit blip in the 1960s– until future Quebec premier Jean Charest won it for the Mulroney Conservatives in 1984. The Bloc Québécois held the seat from 1998-2011, when Pierre-Luc Dusseault of the NDP captured it in the “Orange Wave;” Brière narrowly won it back for the Liberals in 2019. Although polls showed the Bloc was likely to win the seat as recently as early February, 338Canada now rates it as a safe Liberal seat, with polls indicating the Liberals have 53 per cent support compared to 19 per cent for the Bloc, 17 per cent for the Conservatives and six per cent for the NDP.
Brière said she believed the key issue in this election was Canada-U.S. relations. “We’re hearing a lot about that – businesspeople are worried about the threat of the tariffs, which are creating chaos. [Liberal Leader] Mark Carney is an economist who worked on two economic crises. As governor of the Bank of England after Brexit, he was there to respond well to a complex situation. At this time, he’s the best person to lead the country.”
She said the other major issues for the region were housing and affordability, and praised the Liberals’ national housing strategy and the Carney government’s plan to build 500,000 homes across the country. “We’re taking care of so many other issues when we take care of housing – when you have a roof over your head, that means security and safety.”
Brière, who spoke with The Record in English, said she had a good working relationship with the English-speaking community, including Bishop’s University, Townshippers’ and the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network. “When Bishop’s was in difficulty, we were able to get federal funding for them, for a new library and greenhouses.”
Carney has said his government would intervene in an eventual Supreme Court challenge to Bill 96, the CAQ government’s controversial language legislation, but defended the law when the Trump administration described it as a trade barrier. “It’s a complex situation,” Brière acknowledged. “We’re the party of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and official bilingualism … We support the goals of the law but oppose the use of the notwithstanding clause.”
NDP candidate Fortier said that amid the rise of disinformation and online hate, the climate crisis and the rising cost of living, he felt that he “had to do something more, just to be able to sleep at night.”
“Grocery prices are still going up, and with a full-time job, you should be able to buy groceries, pay rent, save and still have some money left over – that isn’t happening, and people are losing hope, which is something I want to address.” He said the housing crisis, climate anxiety, improving access to public health care and standing up to the Trump administration on trade were key issues. He also said a strong NDP caucus was necessary to defend the federal dental care and pharmacare programs. “Whether we have a Conservative or Liberal government, they will cut, and the Bloc is just there to block progress – we’re the only party with a progressive vision of the future,” he argued.
Fortier, who took leave from his job as head of the water management division of the Ville de Sherbrooke to campaign, described himself as a hardworking and responsible leader who understood infrastructure and emergency response. He described his English ability as “average,” but said he built some connections with the English-speaking community working on projects in Lennoxville.
Lépine is described on the PPC website as a community-minded candidate who “stands for the core values of freedom, personal responsibility, respect, and fairness” and believes Canada “can restore its prosperity and empower the people through bold convictions.”
Green Party candidate McKenna, who did not respond to a request for comment before press time, is described on the party website as an artist, freelance translator, graphic designer, ultralight aircraft instructor, contributor to several community publications and singer-songwriter who “wants to put his experience, creativity and deep local roots to work in support of ecological transition, social justice, and democratic renewal.”
Conservative candidate Méndez-Hord did not respond to interview requests, and his page on the Conservative Party website lacks a bio. His online presence amounts to a personal Facebook page sharing content by Poilievre and other Conservative candidates.
Bloc candidate, actor and novice politician Rouillard said he “wasn’t scared” by the political arena. “It takes all kinds of people to represent society in Parliament – lawyers, journalists, workers and artists,” he said. “It’s important to be a good listener, to be available and to understand the issues.”
Cross-border trade is top of mind for Rouillard, as it is for several of his fellow candidates. “The tariffs are already touching the region. The Bloc proposes to modify certain measures to speed up the processing of unemployment insurance applications. When you lose your job, it’s very scary, and the Bloc understands that fear,” he said. He also said the Bloc plans to demand that a Quebec delegation be present on all Canadian trade missions, to defend “aluminium, fisheries, our water resources, critical minerals and all the things that make us proud to be Quebecers.”
Easing access to property for young people is another concern on Roullard’s agenda; he said the Bloc planned to push for policies to help first-time homebuyers with their down payments and abolish the GST on service fees associated with buying a house.
Rouillard said he isn’t bilingual but is eager to make connections with the English-speaking community. “I know certain anglophones can be scared of sovereignty, but we are proposing to protect the territory that we all live in,” he said. “We are the best placed to defend the interests of Quebec.”
Sherbrooke (Quebec)
This list of confirmed candidates was issued on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
| Candidate name | Status | Party name | Office phone number | Candidate's website * | Name of official agent | Name of auditor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Élisabeth Brière | Confirmed | Liberal Party of Canada | (819) 432-2749 | Website Élisabeth Brière | Mona Louis-Jean | Harry Mortimer |
| Jean-Pierre Fortier | Confirmed | New Democratic Party |
|
|
Jonathan Allard |
|
| Alexandre Lépine | Confirmed | People's Party of Canada |
|
|
Anne-Marie Auclair |
|
| Kevin McKenna | Confirmed | Green Party of Canada |
|
|
Blair Robertson |
|
| Esteban Méndez-Hord | Confirmed | Conservative Party of Canada |
|
|
Irène Frias | Alex Labrie |
| Pierre-Étienne Rouillard | Confirmed | Bloc Québécois |
|
|
Guillaume Ringuette |
|
Sherbrooke mayor urges federal candidates to get serious about city’s future
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
In a pointed and detailed press conference held on April 7 at Sherbrooke’s City Hall, Mayor Évelyne Beaudin called on federal election candidates to take concrete positions on critical issues facing the city. Flanked by local media, Beaudin outlined her top three federal priorities: restoring passenger rail service between Sherbrooke and Montréal, protecting drinking water sources, and developing the Sherbrooke airport into a hub for technology and innovation.
“The decisions made in Ottawa have a real impact on the ground here,” Beaudin stated early in her address, underscoring that federal involvement is essential for Sherbrooke’s development—even if municipal affairs fall primarily under provincial jurisdiction.
Beaudin stressed that with the third week of the federal campaign underway, it was time for local candidates to commit to specific action. “I want to hear concrete commitments,” she said, framing her press conference as both an invitation and a challenge to federal hopefuls.
Passenger rail: “a matter of economic development”
At the top of Beaudin’s list was the long-discussed return of a passenger train link between Sherbrooke and Montreal. She emphasized the city’s sustained population growth—over 10,000 new residents in less than four years—and the strategic importance of a reliable, weather-resilient transport link to the province’s metropolis.
Estimates for such a project hover around $1.3 billion, though Beaudin suggested the actual cost could be far higher. “It could be $4 or $5 billion and still be just as relevant,” she said. “The impact of efficient transport infrastructure on economic development is undeniable.”
She urged candidates to treat the file with the same urgency and visibility that has surrounded the Québec–Lévis third link. “Sherbrooke deserves just as much attention,” she insisted.
Campobello Island residents given tariff exemption for cross border shopping
Residents say tariff exemption relieves a lot of stress and anxiety crossing the border
Residents of New Brunswick's tiny Campobello Island feeling held hostage by the tariff war between Canada and the U.S. can finally return to their cross-border shopping ways.
The federal Department of Finance has announced a special exemption on U.S. consumer and household products Campobello Island residents bring in from neighbouring Maine, "in recognition of the island's unique situation."
Campobello sits in the Bay of Fundy, connected to the mainland only by a bridge to Lubec, Maine, where residents get most of the groceries, gas and supplies that aren't available on the island.
For more than a month, residents returning to Campobello have been paying the 25 per cent tariff that officers of the Canada Border Services Agency ask for.
Residents
will no longer be charged 25 percent tariffs on goods purchased in
Maine when they cross back over onto Campobello Island. (Allyson McCormack/CBC)
The tariff has been Canada's way of fighting back against U.S. tariffs and encouraging Canadians to spend their money at home. Islanders with limited options became collateral damage.
"All of a sudden it removes the whole discomfort with the CBSA officers," said Campobello Island resident Zoltan Szoges, who was buying groceries in Lubec when CBC News told him about the announcement from Ottawa on Tuesday.
"This will be the la.st tariffed groceries going to Campobello."
Szoges said he had been calling government officials at all levels trying to plead the case for island residents but still was pleasantly surprised to hear the exemption was granted for the population of fewer than 1,000 people.
Shopping relief for Campobello residents"I don't want to be in a weird, awkward standoff with government employees because I'm buying milk," he said. "I have anxiety, and dealing with unclear situations with border officers is not fun for me, right? And I'm sure it's also not fun for them to be charging their neighbours money that they didn't previously have to pay."
Szoges said the tariffs weren't just dividing Canadians and Americans, it was also polarizing for island residents.
"You have the people … who are like, 'Well, I'll just pay it, and it's my duty for the greater good.' And you have other families who are, you know, struggling dollar to dollar and 25 per cent even on some products is enough to be really detrimental. And all of a sudden those people are pitted against each other."
Harvey Matthews was also surprised to hear the news. As Campobello mayor, he didn't know the exemption was coming until he got a call from a reporter. He said he's used to that as a small-town mayor and said the important thing is that the residents know, and the people who work at customs.
Campobello
mayor Harvey Matthews is pleased that islanders will now have an
exemption on Canadian tariffs, and can come and go with ease. (Allyson McCormack/CBC)
He said the tariffs have been random, and he's glad people can now come and go "without being harassed."
"Just last week, my wife comes through and had to pay $34 in tariffs … on Canadian and Mexican goods." He said she paid it anyway "just to prove a point," about how flawed the tariffs were.
"I think it's certain officers, they charge it no matter what and then you get other ones that were using a little bit of discretion."
"I guess they all don't have to even worry about it, thankfully."
Ron Beckwith said you were never quite whether or not border agents would impose the tariffs. (Allyson McCormack/CBC)
Longtime Campobello resident Ron Beckwith said crossing the border this past month has been nerve-wracking, and you were "never quite sure where you stood from trip to trip."
"People have been very anxious about it, you know, not knowing from one trip to the next whether you were kind of going to trigger a reaction or whether you were going to be OK. Some of it depending on the temperament of the officer on duty."
It's been especially hard for seniors, he said, who aren't always able to make the hour-long drive through the state of Maine to cross back into Canada at the Calais-St. Stephen border to do their shopping there.
He said it will also mean "a lot to our friends and neighbours in Lubec as well."
"Those businesses were suffering as a result of this as well, because people were slowing down their purchases in Lubec. Certainly the hardware store, I've heard that first hand … And also with the grocery.
"So it's going to be welcome news on both sides of the border."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, member of the volunteer fire department and a board member for Fundy North Fisherman’s Association. Your first term mayor Harvey Matthews wants a place for the community to gather and has his sights set on a community centre.
GO FIGURE
Monday, 31 March 2025
On Maine's doorstep, residents of N.B.'s Campobello Island feel abandoned in time of trade crisis
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Date: Mon, Mar 31, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: RE Pierre Poilievre will hold a rally in Fredericton on Monday night
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Date: Mon, Mar 31, 2025 at 6:47 PM
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Date: Mon, Mar 31, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Subject: RE Pierre Poilievre will hold a rally in Fredericton on Monday night
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Pierre Poilievre headed to New Brunswick
Conservative leader will hold a rally in Fredericton on Monday night
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will hold a rally in Fredericton on Monday night. Ernest Doroszuk/PostmediaConservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will hold an election rally in Fredericton on Monday night, the first visit to New Brunswick by a major party leader since the campaign began just over a week ago.
The free rally will be held at the Capital Exhibit Centre, and doors will open at 6 p.m.
While Liberal Leader Mark Carney has already done campaign stops in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia, he hasn’t dropped into New Brunswick yet.
Poilievre has been attracting big crowds at his campaign stops so far, and if a visit to Fredericton he made last year is any indication, Monday night’s affair will also likely be a full house.
The election will be held on April 28.
Pipeline to Saint John would help get Canada out from under Trump's thumb, Poilievre says
Conservative leader focuses on energy during first campaign stop in N.B.
Pierre
Poilievre stand with John Williamson, running in Saint John—St. Croix,
and Melissa Young, candidate for Saint John—Kennebecasis during a
campaign stop at by the Saint John port. (Roger Cosman/CBC )At his first federal election campaign stop in New Brunswick, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he would revive interest in building a pipeline to Saint John, by reducing the regulatory uncertainty that killed Energy East.
"Today I'm announcing the Canada First National Energy Corridor," Poilievre said.
"A pre-approved corridor that will allow our incredible businesses to build pipelines, transmission lines, rail lines and countless other kinds of infrastructure that we need to break our dependence on the Americans and ship our resources to ourselves and overseas markets."
Poilievre says policies of the Liberals, now led by Mark Carney, have made Canada weak and too dependent on U.S. trade, and that's why the country is under America's thumb.
"If we had a national energy corridor today, Saint John would not be so reliant on the Americans," he said. "We'd be able to transit billions and billions of dollars through this incredible city, without worrying what the Americans think."
The
campaign event was tightly controlled and mostly attended by campaign
staff and media. Four reporters were chosen by Poilievre's handlers to
ask one question each. (Roger Cosman/CBC )
The Energy East project was first proposed in 2013 and would have carried more than a million barrels of oil a day from Alberta and Saskatchewan across the country to be refined or exported from plants in New Brunswick and Quebec.
However, the proponent, TransCanada, pulled the plug in 2017. In its regulatory filing with the National Energy Board, the company cited "existing and likely future delays resulting from the regulatory process, the associated cost implications and the increasingly challenging issues and obstacles."
Poilievre said interest in pipelines has surged since the Trump administration introduced trade instability.
He said he's now convinced a private investor would step forward if a Conservative government could pave the way by pre-authorizing a safe route and setting project conditions in advance that would be guaranteed not to change.
"In other words, the government would not have the legal right to reverse course and change its mind. This would remove the uncertainty. I understand why businesses, after the lost Liberal decade, would not want to take the risk of starting an application process that could cost them billions of dollars."
Pierre Poilievre speaks to media inside the Saint John port terminal building. (Rachel Cave/CBC)
Poilievre said First Nations would still be consulted and environmental research would take place, but the tone of his speech sent the message that environmental concerns would only be taken so far.
"Do you think we could get the St. Lawrence Seaway open today? Do you think we could build the Canadian Pacific Railway today?" Poilievre asked.
"Really, think about it. There would be some environmental extremists like [former environment and climate change minister] Stephen Guilbeault or maybe Gregor Robertson, the new Liberal candidate, former Vancouver mayor, who would be chaining themselves to a tree to prevent if from happening. And it would take a decade to go through a bureaucratic process that would never lead anywhere."
Poilievre said a Conservative government would repeal Bill C-69, which became Ottawa's Impact Assessment Act. The act allows federal regulators to consider the potential environmental and social impacts of various resource and infrastructure projects.
"Let's be clear," Poilievre said. "The Liberals' no new pipelines law, law C-69, will make it impossible for any other project to ever get approved in this country."
Monday's event at the Saint John cruise terminal was tightly controlled by Poilievre's handlers, who chose in advance which four reporters would be able to ask one question each. CBC News was not one of the chosen.
The leader was introduced by John Williamson, who represented Saint John–St. Croix in the last Parliament, and he stood for photos with Williamson and Melissa Young, the candidate for Saint John–Kennebecasis.
The crowd was small, mostly Conservative Party insiders and the news media. There was no visible representation from the business community or Irving Oil, which has a refinery in the city.
Poilievre was then expected to travel to Fredericton for a rally, followed by a stop in St. John's on Tuesday and a rally Tuesday in Charlottetown.
Related Stories
- Poilievre says he's open to idea of exporting oil from northern Manitoba
- Poilievre says the federal election can't just be about Donald Trump
- Read Pierre Poilievre's full speech responding to Trump's trade war
- Is Pierre Poilievre too 'in sync' with Donald Trump?
- Poilievre says he's a 'tough guy to deal with' who can take on Trump and his taunts
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Conservative seeking Saint John nomination says he's stepping aside for 'parachute candidate'
Conservative Party of Canada didn't respond to requests for information or confirm allegations
Jeff
Steeves, a Saint John doctor, says he is suspending his campaign for
the Conservative nomination in the federal riding of Saint
John-Kennebecasis but will 'wait to see what unfolds.' (N.B. Medical Society)A doctor hoping to run for the Conservative Party of Canada in Saint John-Kennebecasis says he's suspending his campaign because higher-ups in the party have already chosen the candidate.
In a letter to his supporters, Jeff Steeves said he had a series of interviews with party officials locally and in Ottawa "to ensure that my candidacy would be legitimate and that no favored candidates were waiting in the wings."
"I was encouraged to run," wrote Steeves, an ophthalmologist and former president of the New Brunswick Medical Society who launched his campaign more than two months ago.
But recently, he said, he was told to step aside because a nominee of "national interest" was chosen to run.
A Saint John doctor wanted to run for the Conservative Party — here’s why he’s not
Typically, according to party rules, the local Conservative riding association would be involved in choosing a candidate. People would submit their nominations, would be vetted, then registered party members in that riding would vote for their favourite.
The rules also say a national committee is able to reject any person before or after nomination, "at any time on any grounds," that it sees fit.
In his letter, Steeves said the nominee he was asked to step aside for is a "parachute candidate," referring to a practice of a party leader choosing a candidate who doesn't live in the area and ensuring that person gets the nomination, instead of letting the competition play out.
Steeves declined to provide an interview, saying his letter speaks for itself.
But Randall Goodwin, a supporter and member of Steeves's campaign, said interfering with the nomination process, while technically allowed, is bad for democracy,
Goodwin said in an interview that choosing a parachute candidate is "stripping the people's voice."
"We join the party so we can have a democracy, to go vote for the candidate we want to represent our riding," he said.
Goodwin and Steeves said the chosen candidate has roots in New Brunswick but lives in Toronto.
Conservative
Leader Pierre Poilievre is expected to appear at a fundraising event in
Saint John on Friday. The invitation says Melissa Young is the host. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
The Conservative Party of Canada did not respond to requests for an interview and did not confirm whether a parachute candidate was indeed chosen for Saint John-Kennebecasis.
At least two other people, besides Steeves, have been campaigning for the nomination: Lisa Keenan and James Robertson.
In an interview, Keenan confirmed her nomination papers are in and said she has not been told to step down.
"As far as I'm concerned, I'm still running," Keenan said.
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Liberals, Conservatives both criticized
During this election season, both the Conservative and Liberal parties have been criticized for sidestepping the nomination process.
The Conservative Party has been accused several times of handpicking candidates and bringing someone in from outside, but has previously denied the allegations.
On the Liberal side, Justin Trudeau announced that he chose Laura Palestini as the candidate for LaSalle–Émard–Verdun in Montreal without a nomination process.
According to Liberal Party rules, the leader has the authority to designate a candidate in any election, without the need for a nomination meeting.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hadeel Ibrahim is a reporter with CBC New Brunswick based in Saint John. She reports in English and Arabic. Email: hadeel.ibrahim@cbc.ca.
With files from Rachel Cave
Jos Allaire
Democracy in action
Diva Decatte
Which riding will Mark Carney parachuted into after the party gives you know who the heave ho...
Jim Lake
Reply to Diva Decatte
Based on absolutely nothing.
MR Cain
Reply to Diva Decatte
Not in the game; media speculation.
Daniel Leroux
Reply to Diva Decatte
They have a seat for him in Ottawa.
Lou Bell
Reply to Diva Decatte
He wants no part of the Trudeau Liberals . He'd really have to swallow his pride , and he's too smart to " bless this mess " .
Douglas James
Of 'national interest'? I bet nobody in Saint John has ever heard of the anointed one.
Douglas James
Poilievre
is going to be in Saint John for a fundraising reception (another cash
for access opportunity for the wealthy) which is being hosted, according
to the invitation, by Melissa Young. No coincidence if you read between
the lines.
Diva Decatte
Reply to Douglas James
Of the Skill Trades Council...that would be an awesome candidate...hope your right....
Douglas James
Reply to Diva Decatte
Even if the person isn't selected by local Conservatives and has no experience or previous connection with local citizens?
Douglas James
Seems to be that the
Pollievre and the Conservative party concave in Ottawa are hoping to
cosy up with trade unionists in a bid to break up the alliance between
the NDP and Liberals. It won't work. Claiming to represent the working
class while holding fundraisers with a choice of donating between $1000
and $1750 for access to Pollievre is the height of hypocrisy.
James Risdon
Reply to Douglas James
Well, to be fair, it's not like $1,000 is worth as much now with all the inflation we've had as it used to only a few years ago.
Douglas James
Reply to James Risdon
Sure.
And all those homeless people in Saint John will no doubt be rushing
down to the Cruise Terminal tomorrow to hand out their thousand dollar
bills to Pollievre.
James Risdon
Reply to Douglas James
There shouldn't be any homeless people in Saint John. What's the point in staying in a city where you can't have a home?
Douglas James
Reply to James Risdon
It is there city as much as it is yours. Where would you have them go and what right do you have to even suggest such a thing?
James Risdon
The only solution to all these woes is to vote for me and Make New Brunswick Great Again.
'Lack of transparency' from federal Conservatives leads riding president in N.B. to quit
Leslie Keirstead apologizes to candidates who worked over a year on campaigns for nomination
James
Robertson, right, one of three candidates hoping to win the
Conservative nomination in Saint John-Kennebecasis, shakes hands with
the party leader, Pierre Poilievre, in a photo posted in January on his
Facebook page. (James Robertson for Saint John-Kennebecasis/Facebook)With a federal election call expected within weeks and a Liberal incumbent certainly running for a fourth term in Saint John-Kennebecasis, some Conservatives in the riding are keen to get cracking on their own campaign — if only they could.
But the national party is standing in the way, refusing to set a nomination meeting date and to dispel rumours that the party brass has already identified the nominee it wants to run, according to a resignation letter submitted by riding president Leslie Keirstead.
"I have asked the National Party staff, on numerous occasions, to clarify their intentions but they have been unwilling to share that information with me," Keirstead wrote in a letter to the board directors.
Keirstead said that "lack of transparency" meant the nomination process was not the open and fair process she had hoped it would be, and she apologized to the candidates who had been campaigning for over a year.
One candidate gave up race
The three nominees who are openly campaigning for the job are Melissa Young, Lisa Keenan and James Robertson.
A fourth candidate, Dr. Jeff Steeves, quit the race last summer, after he thought he had received the party's blessing and had been signing up new members. He told his supporters he'd learned the national party preferred a candidate, who he said was living in Ontario.
"Despite my protest to the upper levels of the party, it has been made clear that my path to the nomination has ended," Steeves wrote in a letter dated July 23 and distributed widely to constituents.
Steeves did not name the chosen candidate.
A photo of federal Conservative nominee Melissa Young from her campaign website votemelissa.ca. (Votemelissa.ca)
Young, who would not provide an interview to CBC News, was appointed CEO of Skilled Trades Ontario in January 2022 and served in that position until she was replaced in November 2024. On her campaign website, Young describes herself as a lifelong resident of New Brunswick, currently living along the Kennebecasis River.
Lisa Keenan, the only candidate who agreed to an interview, said she would continue her campaign, and she defended Keirstead's role as riding leader.
"Leslie Keirstead has been a tireless worker for the federal party and the provincial party for the last 30-something years, and I think the riding association has conducted itself impeccably for the last year in connection to a possible nomination."
Keenan said she will continue to campaign for the nomination.
The party is not breaking its own rules by not having a nomination meeting nor one scheduled.
Local board director Nargis Kheraj said that only the national party can sign off on a nomination date. It can't be done locally.
Kheraj said she'd like to see a Conservative candidate in place so that person has time to campaign and establish what they stand for, especially if they're facing Liberal incumbent Wayne Long, who was first elected in 2015.
"I think our party in Saint John is a little frustrated because we want to get this going," Kheraj said.
"We have an existing MP, and we want to make sure that our candidate gets some exposure, and we can't do that unless we have a candidate, and we can't have a candidate because we don't have a nomination."
Lisa
Keenan is one of three candidates publicly campaigning to be the
Conservative candidate in the riding of Saint John-Kennebecasis (Submitted by Lisa Keenan)
CBC was unable to reach party officials in Ottawa. Messages left for Kevin Price, the New Brunswick representative on the Conservative National Council, went unanswered.
Emil Olsen, a federal Conservative stalwart and Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick riding president in Quispamsis, said he still fully expects a riding vote to take place, although he said he'd not yet heard of a date being set.
"I'm expecting a nomination meeting," said Olsen. "Everybody should have the opportunity to vote for the person they're supporting. I can't see it not happening. That's the democratic process."
Long says he does not expect to face a nomination contest because of his long incumbency. Furthermore, no other candidate has stepped forward.
Federal race tightens
Poll analyst Eric Grenier said Saint John-Kennebecasis is a riding to watch and the choice of local candidate could make a difference on election day.
He says nationally, the Conservatives had been leading in the polls for about a year and a half, but over the past two months, the gap between the Liberals and the Conservatives has shrunk by half and could be affected yet again by Mark Carney's leadership win.
CBC
polling analyst Eric Grenier says there has been a huge change in the
polling in Atlantic Canada, and he expects the Liberals may gain ground
with Mark Carney as leader. (CBC)
"Atlantic Canada has seen a huge change in the polling," Grenier said. "The Conservatives were on track to win Saint John-Kennebecasis and lots of ridings across New Brunswick," said Grenier.
"Now we've seen the Liberals have actually moved ahead in Atlantic Canada by a pretty significant margin. So a riding like Saint John-Kennebecais would now be a toss-up.
"So who the local candidate is going to end up being could end up playing a huge role in Atlantic Canada. We do see the local candidates having a bigger impact on the race than we see in the rest of Canada."
Few nominations competitive, charity finds
Researchers at the Samara Centre for Democracy say contested nominations are uncommon.
The non-partisan registered charity examined how candidates were chosen for Canada's five major federal parties across five federal elections between 2004 and 2015.
Competitive nomination races uncommon, says Samara Centre for DemocracyOf the 6,600 federal candidates captured in the study, only 17 per cent arrived there through a competitive nomination race. Parties directly appointed more than 2,700 election candidates with no nomination process at all.
"It's hard to even call them contests in many ways," said research director Beatrice Wayne.
"Many people are acclaimed, appointed by the party leader and in many so-called contests there's only one contestant running. So it's hardly accurate to call it a contest. We found in our analysis of races from 2004 to 2015 that 70 per cent of contests were just one person running and that is in addition to the people who are appointed by party leaders."
Wayne says members of parliament who gave interviews to the centre expressed frustration about the lack of information around the timing of nomination contests.
"One thing that's very interesting in terms of diversity, we know that the longer the nomination contest runs for, the more likely there will be women running in the nomination contest," Wayne said.
"But nomination contests are very short. Often, even though they are supposed to be at least two weeks, they're shorter. So this is not helpful in terms of achieving a more representative House of Commons."
In the Saint John-Kennebecasis, David MacFarquhar is running for the Green Party. The NDP does not have a candidate yet.
CBC's Journalistic Standards and PracticesFederal Conservatives hand pick Saint John-Kennebecasis candidate
In doing so, the party is scrapping a four-candidate runoff in order to acclaim Melissa Young to go against incumbent Liberal Wayne Long
The
federal Conservatives have hand picked the recent CEO of Skilled Trades
Ontario Melissa Young to be their candidate in the federal riding of
Saint John-Kennebecasis. SUBMITTED
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