Conservatives, Poilievre aim to carry convention momentum into Parliament

The federal Conservatives concluded a three-day convention in Calgary where leader Pierre Poilievre won 87% support in a mandatory leadership review; recent polling shows the Conservatives trailing the Liberals by four points while Prime Minister Mark Carney leads Poilievre by 28 points as preferred prime minister.

The Conservatives wrapped up a three-day national convention in Calgary where leader Pierre Poilievre easily passed a mandatory leadership review with 87 per cent support from delegates. Party officials and observers described the gathering as unifying. Analysts say the party leaves with momentum but face a steeper challenge in Parliament against Prime Minister Mark Carney and the governing Liberals. Key points: - Pierre Poilievre received 87 per cent support in the leadership review at the convention. - Polling from the week before the convention showed the Conservatives trailing the Liberals by four points. - The same poll found Prime Minister Mark Carney leading Poilievre by 28 points as Canadians' preferred prime minister. - Pollster Nik Nanos said the leadership result should quiet questions about Poilievre's grasp of the party after two MPs crossed the floor to the Liberals late last year. - Amanda Galbraith, a former adviser to Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, said Poilievre should continue to emphasize affordability in Parliament, which she described as a weak spot for Carney and the Liberals. Summary: The convention strengthened internal unity and gave the Conservatives short-term momentum, but national polling still shows the Liberals ahead and Mark Carney with a sizable lead as preferred prime minister. Analysts cited possible parliamentary strategies such as cooperation with the federal NDP and continued focus on affordability, and the party will now return to Parliament where the wider political contest will play out.