While arguing for more civility in politics, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also called on elected officials on Friday to find out why Canadians feel so angry in today’s political climate. now.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Poilievre referred to a recent article by Erin O’Toole posted on the publishing website Substack in which the former Conservative Party leader called the flags “F** * Trudeau” is “the very clear antithesis of what it means to be conservative.”
Poilievre responded to the blog post saying he doesn’t like the flags.
“But I think we have to ask ourselves, why are people so angry? Like, why are people so angry? And the answer is they’re hurting,” he said.
“You know, it’s easy for the political establishment to say, ‘Stop all your complaints.’ But when you’re one of the 1.5 million people who went to a food bank in March, it’s not so easy.”
Poilievre goes on to mention a case at the Mississauga Food Bank in Ontario, where a customer asked about medical assistance in dying of poverty they were experiencing.
He also pointed to the cost of home ownership and drug addiction as other examples of how Canadians are struggling, adding that in his nearly two decades of political involvement, he has “never been now see so much hurt and suffering among our people.”
“So let’s tell people to behave more civilly,” Poilievre said. “But as political leaders, let’s really try to solve the problems that make people upset, angry, angry. and grievously hurt.” “Our mission is to turn that pain into hope, turn it into something better.”
In the piece he posted Thursday, O’Toole called the “popularity” of political displays like the “F*** Trudeau” flag “a sign that we’re slowly becoming more insensitive to political stunts and aggressive rhetoric if it happens.” from the left or the right.”
“In fact, the extremes seem to be playing against each other as they shape the debate around the motives of political leaders. The extreme left claims (former prime minister) Stephen Harper is destroying Canada and the extreme left claims (former prime minister) Stephen Harper is destroying Canada and the extreme left) declared (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau a traitor,” O’Toole said.
“These radical views may seem foreign to most Canadians, but unfortunately, extreme views are more amplified and often overwhelm more moderate views.”
O’Toole, a congressman for Durham, Ont., resigned as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada in February after a majority in his caucus voted to remove him.
Under O’Toole, the Conservatives won the most votes in the 2021 federal election but failed to win a majority of seats, with two net losses. The Liberals will go on to form a minority government.
O’Toole’s removal from the leadership position comes amid a convoy of trucks protesting in Ottawa, which has seen weeks of protests against vaccine regulations and restrictions on the COVID-19 pandemic. 19.
CTV News reported days after O’Toole resigned that Interim Conservative Party Leader Candice Bergen had previously pushed him to support the protests. O’Toole met a number of truckers who arrived in Ottawa on end of january.
Poilievre won the leadership of the Conservative Party in September.
Featuring files from CTVNews.ca Senior Digital Congress Correspondent Rachel Aiello, former CTVNews.ca Producer Sarah Turnbull and CTV National News Senior Political Correspondent Glen McGregor
