There are several ways conservative-minded Canadians would say Pierre Poilievre has changed the Conservative Party of Canada for the better. One of them is his embrace of “true blue” leadership.
While the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “true blue” as a term for “genuine,” a precise definition of true-blue conservatism can be hard to come by.
The conservative coalition comprises people who elevate different principles and priorities and of course it has evolved a bit over time. But in basic terms, there’s broad agreement: a true-blue conservative is someone who believes in smaller, more limited government, supports free enterprise, and has a patriotic view of Canadian history and a clear sense of the country’s national interests.
Poilievre embodies this conception of Canadian conservatism. He has grown up in the movement and now personifies its aspirations. His true-blue leadership has helped close the ideological gap between parts of the small “c” world and the big “C” Conservative Party. The success of his political approach is manifested in strong poll numbers and declining support for Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada. It has also meant “small-c” movement conservatives stepping up to run as Conservative Party candidates.
Many of these “movement conservatives” are well-known figures within Canada’s conservative movement even if they’re not household names. They may not be Bay Street lawyers or former provincial cabinet ministers. But they’re seen as star candidates by grassroots conservatives. They’re broadcasters, social media commentators, columnists, and civil liberties advocates. They’ve often been called outspoken, independent-minded, unapologetic, and even edgy. They boast online followings larger than some cabinet ministers. They’re also all under 50. For most, it’s their first foray into politics.
Here are some of the movement conservatives running with Poilievre.
Jamil Jivani
Jivani, a Yale-educated lawyer and author of the book Why Young Men: Rage, Race and the Crisis of Identity, has been a key figure in movement conservatism in recent years through, among other things, his regular columns in the National Post, his provocative iHeartRadio show, and as president of the Canada Strong and Free Network.
He’s also known for his close friendship with Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance.
Last year he sought the Conservative nomination in Durham, Ont., replacing former party leader Erin O’Toole. This March, he was elected to Parliament in a byelection, winning the riding with the largest margin in 20 years.
Jivani has over 42,000 followers on X.
Aaron Gunn
Gunn, a longtime activist, is running for the Conservatives in B.C.’s North Island-Powell River. He’s known for founding the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s “Generation Screwed” initiative, for his online commentaries for BC Proud, and for his Politics Explained video series, including the impactful documentary Vancouver is Dying, which laid bare the violent crime and drug abuse residents of that city are enduring.
Gunn has over 117,000 followers on Facebook, over 42,000 followers on X, and over 19,000 followers on Instagram.
Dr. Matt Strauss
Strauss, a critical care physician, is running for the Conservatives in Ontario’s Kitchener South—Hespeler. He made a name for himself as acting medical officer of health for Haldimand-Norfolk when he fought back against strong prevailing narratives in the public health community around COVID-19 lockdowns, school closures, and mask and vaccine mandates, offering an evidence-based and pro-civil liberties rebuke.
Strauss has over 39,000 followers on X.
Candidate Roman Baber makes a point at the Conservative Party of Canada English leadership debate in Edmonton, Alta., Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press.
Roman Baber
While a former Ontario MPP, Baber truly made a name for himself when he pushed back against Premier Doug Ford’s COVID-19 lockdowns, resulting in his expulsion from the Progressive Conservative Caucus. He went on to lead a campaign against lockdowns, mandates, and restrictions and ran as a pro-freedom candidate in the 2022 federal Conservative leadership race. Baber is now seeking to represent York Centre in Toronto, his former provincial riding, at the federal level.
Baber has over 139,000 followers on X, 82,600 followers on Instagram, and 56,000 followers on Facebook.
Andrew Lawton
Broadcaster and author Andrew Lawton is seeking the Conservative nomination in Elgin—St. Thomas—London South.
Andrew Lawton, a broadcaster and author, is hoping to join the growing slate of movement conservatives running with Poilevre. Before that, he was the host of The Andrew Lawton Show and managing editor of True North, where he also happened to have been my boss. He also wrote the bestselling books The Freedom Convoy: The Inside Story of Three Weeks that Shook the World and Pierre Poilievre: A Political Life.
Lawton has over 170,000 followers on X and over 13,800 followers on Facebook.
The alignment of small “c” and big “C” conservatism under Poilievre
Stephen Harper’s conception of the Conservative Party envisioned it as a broad-based party held together by some clear ideological commitments. This was key to his political durability and success. Yet the party under Erin O’Toole seemed to forget this lesson. Notwithstanding his claims about being a “true-blue conservative,” his clear shift to the centre alienated a lot of small “c” conservatives.
In 2021, small “c” conservatives were calling for reduced government spending, a defunded CBC, less immigration, an end to the carbon tax, and a pushback against “wokeism.”
Instead, under O’Toole’s leadership, the Conservative Party accepted the premise that it needed to compromise on conservative ideas to win. He promised a national vaccine passport, billions in new spending, a reconfigured carbon tax, and to only “review” CBC’s model. He also adopted progressive positions on social and cultural issues, including making a number of social media posts about queer pride and transgender equity.
Then the tide shifted. O’Toole’s departure and Poilievre’s accession have restored the Conservative Party as a decidedly small “c” conservative political movement. Poilievre has called for reduced government spending, defunding the CBC, and permanently banning vaccine passports. The party now opposes a carbon tax, gun bans and large-scale immigration. He has also spoken out against gender ideology, including against gender transitions for minors, as well as “diversity, equity, and inclusion” and “environmental social governance” ideologies.
O’Toole’s mushy centrism has been largely subordinated—though it remains strong in Doug Ford’s PC Party of Ontario.
In an interview with The Hub, Lawton cited the ideological alignment between small “c” and big “C” conservatism under Poilievre as a reason for his seeking a nomination.
“For my whole career, I’ve wanted to be an advocate for the things that I care about, like freedom and free speech and responsible government,” said Lawton. “This is a time when I’m really feeling like a lot of these things are front and centre on the national agenda and front and centre for the Conservatives,” he said.
Lawton believes the issues he’s been championing for years on his show are now the issues that the party is championing.
A new type of star candidate?
Star candidates are high-profile individuals entering or re-entering elected politics. Typically, the label applies to household names like legacy media personalities, businesspeople, or leaders prominent in a particular community.
However, the internet and alternative media have made it possible for a new type of star candidate to emerge: small “c” conservatives who are effective communicators and popular with the base.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, right, speaks during a fireside chat with True North journalist Andrew Lawton during the Canada Strong and Free Network event in Ottawa, on Friday, April 12, 2024. Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press.
Georganne Burke, a veteran conservative strategist and senior vice-president of the Pathway Group, told The Hub that this new class of star candidates is highly valuable in today’s media and political environment.
“They’re articulate and intelligent, and they can go out and speak to anybody on a level that people can understand,” she said.
“They talk about the things that people genuinely care about.” “They talk about [issues] with an underlying principle and value structure of being a small c-conservative. They can popularize and build the conservative movement and bring people into the conservative movement that never would have considered it before.”
What role could these movement conservatives have in a Poilievre government?
This prompts the question, what role could these small “c” turned big “C” Conservative stars have in a Poilievre government if he were to win the next election? Would they end up in the cabinet?
Burke believes that some of these candidates could end up in cabinet, but also pointed out that there are lots of positions in government outside of cabinet where movement conservatives can also play an important role.
“You have parliamentary secretaries. There are also committee chairs who are crucial to the success of a government,” she explained.
“There are lots of places to put these really good, smart people, where they can carry out the government’s agenda, where they can lead it, where they can massage it, where they can influence it, and actually do great stuff.”
How will having these outspoken movement conservatives impact caucus management?
Conservative governments, both federally and provincially, have a reputation for having tight control over their caucuses. Harper was known for his tight grip on caucus when he was prime minister, keeping some of his more outspoken caucus members in line. In Ontario, Premier Ford also has a strong grip on his caucus, kicking out MPPs if they don’t toe the PC Party line.
But Burke, who worked in the Harper government, believes Poilievre should and will likely operate differently.
It will be important for Poilievre’s PMO to treat caucus members, including movement conservatives, with respect and actually take their input on important matters, she said.
“They’re going to [need to] make sure that they know it’s a two-way communication street, that they’re not just delivering orders from PMO, [but] that the PMO is asking for [the caucus’] opinion, asking for their input, asking how they think we should approach something,” she said.
“I’m hoping and I believe that Pierre does want to operate like that because he wants to see real change,” she added.
As for Lawton, he said he would not be running “if it meant compromising who I was,” adding “I don’t actually see there even being a conflict where I would have to make that trade-off.”
He added that while researching for his biography on Poilievre, he found that the Conservative leader “values input from a wide array of sources” and does not “just want to rely on what one single advisor is putting in his ear.” “He wants to get as much information as possible, then make a decision decisively and see it through,” explained Lawton.
My takeaway from all this: the old days of big “C” Conservatives apologising for being conservatives are gone.
A new era of conservatism has arrived in Canada. It is one that promises true blue leadership, delivered by a prospective government that is at last pledging to be a voice for an assertive and confident brand of conservatism.
And if we are to believe the polls which project Poilievre’s Conservatives winning a historic majority government, then clearly many Canadians are ready for this change.
Editor’s Note: Élie Cantin-Nantel previously worked with Andrew Lawton at the True North Centre for Public Policy and was a youth leader with the Canada Strong and Free Network during Jami Jivani’s tenure as president.
Élie Cantin-Nantel is The Hub’s Ottawa Correspondent. Prior to joining the team, he practiced journalism for a variety of outlets. Élie also has experience working…
