COLEMAN: There's no doubt, debate was a win for Poilievre

Peter Coleman is President, National Citizens Coalition. Tonight, Saturday April 19 at 7:00pm, WATCH Coleman talk about the election with Nigel Hannaford

Thursday night’s English leaders’ debate was a defining moment in Canada’s 37-day election sprint, a campaign deliberately shortened by the Liberals to shield Mark Carney from scrutiny.

Their strategy — hide Carney’s arrogance, dodge their decade-long record of failure, and scare voters with “Trump bad” rhetoric — is unraveling. Pierre Poilievre emerged victorious, blending energy, stoicism, and stately resolve, while Carney floundered, exposing the Liberals as a tired, corrupt machine clinging to power. As polls tighten and Canadians demand hope, the Conservative vision for a brighter future is resonating.

The Liberals’ hide-and-seek campaign was designed to limit Carney’s exposure. In public, he repeatedly displays disdain for legitimate questions, dismissing concerns with an air of superiority. Last night’s debate laid bare this weakness. Carney, once hailed as the “smartest guy in the room,” struggled to defend the Liberal record he advised for years.

At one point during the French leaders’ debate, he deflected responsibility, claiming, “I just got here,” despite having served as a key economic adviser to Justin Trudeau since 2020. Poilievre pounced. During the English leaders’ debate, when he made the mistake of bringing up a tired line on Poilievre not securing his security clearance, Poilievre pounced even harder on the Liberal record of foreign interference.

Poilievre’s performance, particularly in the English leaders’ debate was high-energy yet disciplined. His delivery cut through Liberal spin, while his focus on policy — housing, affordability, public safety, and economic renewal — grounded his message. He spoke with a statesman’s clarity, distilling fears he would attack too viciously for voters on the fence, offering Canadians a vision of hope, not fear.

Carney, by contrast, refused to engage, barely glancing at Poilievre and dismissed tough questions with his trademark condescension. Jagmeet Singh faded into irrelevance, offering nothing but embarrassing interruptions, while Yves-François Blanchet scored key points against Carney but offered little in the way of a cohesive national vision.

Post-debate polling data appear to back up the evidence of our eyes and ears: the more Canadians see of Carney, the less they like him. The numbers now reflect this, with his unfavorable ratings climbing as voters reject the Liberals’ singular, embittered fear-mongering about Donald Trump.

The Liberals’ strategy hinges on distraction and low-information. By framing Trump as the enemy, they hope to obscure their own failures: skyrocketing costs, housing crises, broken immigration, unsafe streets, and eroded public trust.

But Canadians aren’t buying it. Conservative voters, and first-time Conservative voters are driven by hope — a belief that better days are possible with pragmatic leadership. Poilievre’s debate performance reinforced this, presenting a clear alternative to a Liberal Party that, despite Carney’s ‘new’ branding, remains old, corrupt, and out of touch.

At the National Citizens Coalition, we see the tide turning. Canadians crave change, not more of the same. The Liberals’ “rope-a-dope” tactic — evading accountability while sowing division — is collapsing under the weight of their own contradictions and their lack of substance. Carney’s inability to connect, coupled with Poilievre’s commanding presence, signals a shift. Voters are waking up to the reality that the Liberals offer no solutions, only excuses.

As the election day nears, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Canada faces a choice: cling to a fear-driven status quo or embrace a hopeful, forward-looking vision. Poilievre’s debate victory last night was a clarion call for the latter. His energy rallied the base, and his stately demeanor reassured the skeptical and inspired confidence in a nation weary of Liberal mismanagement.

At the NCC, we’re committed to amplifying this message, reminding Canadians that change is not just necessary—it’s within reach.

The Liberal campaign is unraveling, and for Canada’s sake, let’s ensure it continues.

Canadians deserve hope and change, and they’re ready to seize it.

Peter Coleman is the President of the National Citizens Coalition, Canada’s pioneer conservative third-party non-profit. For more on the NCC campaign to Fire the Liberals, visit their website.