CALGARY — Former federal Conservative public safety minister Stockwell Day is the latest prominent figure to quash rumours that he is a possible candidate for the federal Conservative Party leadership, arguing the Tories should stick with Pierre Poilievre.Asked by the Western Standard if he was considering a return to politics himself, Day quickly ruled it out.“It would involve a very expensive divorce lawyer, so that would be a no,” Day joked.He added Poilievre has “all the tools” necessary to defeat Prime Minister Mark Carney and warned Conservatives against turning on their leader when polling numbers fall.“I think he’s doing a great job,” he said.“Mind you, I’m biased. He used to work for me. I’m the guy who brought him to Ottawa.”The former Canadian Alliance leader referenced Poilievre’s early involvement with the party, saying he played an important role organizing young supporters during that period before eventually launching his own political career.“He did a great job way back in 2000 in terms of organizing our college, our university campus movement,” Day said.“He was really significantly responsible for our success among the college-age group.”.Stockwell Day targets Ottawa’s wildfire climate narrative, calls for arson crackdown.However, Day argued Poilievre faces a significant obstacle that confronts virtually all Conservative leaders — a hostile mainstream media environment.“He is despised philosophically and emotively by mainstream media,” Day said.“So what comes through the filter is not positive.”A recent Nanos Research poll showed that Carney remains the top choice for prime minister at 56% support, with Poilievre at 18.4%.Overall, the Liberals were at 47.1% support, with the Conservatives at 27.9%.When asked why public concerns surrounding issues such as immigration and crime have not translated into stronger Conservative polling numbers, Day placed some of the blame on how Canadians receive their news.“Overall, most people in Canada get their information from mainstream media. I hate to say that, but that's just a fact,” Day stated.“Mainstream media is dominated by a culturally Marxist worldview and that worldview will always crank left, will always crank liberal.”He further argued that worldview made some journalists more sympathetic to Liberal and left-leaning politicians.“They are going to report, in an emotive way, more positively to anybody on the left or liberal,” he said.Day went further, alleging the prospect of Senate appointments creates an additional incentive for some journalists to avoid being overly critical of the Liberal Party..'ALL CULTURES ARE NOT EQUAL': Stockwell Day warns Canada risks ‘catastrophe’ over illegal immigration.“The Liberals have for decades beautifully hung out there as an incentive for journalists the possibility of you being promoted to the Senate,” Day said.“You usually don’t see small-C conservative journalists getting those appointments.”He went on to say the same dynamic has affected Conservative leaders in the polls, arguing that long-term negative coverage from the mainstream media contributes to declining polling numbers and can cause some party members to begin searching for a replacement.“Look at Andrew Scheer, look at the different ones that come up, it just takes a couple of years of constant whittling down by the media, and then you get Conservatives saying, ‘We need a new guy. We need a new woman,’” he said.“It happened to me. I'm not whining or complaining. I'm just saying that's the way it is.”In 2002, Day was defeated by Stephen Harper in a Canadian Alliance leadership race but remained an MP until retiring after the 2011 federal election.“To pierce the veil of mainstream media influence is not easy... Conservatives, we as voters and we as activists, are very impatient,” Day stated.“The answer is to stick with the leader. He is doing a great job. He’s very effective. He’s very smart. Stick with him and keep pushing back. We have no other option.”
