Pierre Poilievre walked into the Conservative Party’s national convention in Calgary with a target on his back and walked out with a mandate. Delegates backed him with 87.4% support in his leadership review. That is not a squeaker. That is a decisive internal verdict.In a party built to fight elections, not hold group therapy sessions, the number matters. It signals unity, and it buys time. It also sets a standard. After the Conservatives lost to Paul Martin’s Liberals in 2004, Stephen Harper faced his own review and received 84% support from delegates. Poilievre has now posted a higher score than his former boss did at a comparable moment of doubt.But politics is not a convention hall. It is a country.Poilievre’s challenge is simple to state and hard to execute. He has solid support from Conservative members, and now he has to convince everyone else that he is the best option for prime minister over Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney. A recent poll showed Poilievre’s strong standing among Conservatives but also pointed to a warning light as 58% of Canadians viewed him unfavourably, while Carney’s approval sat around 60%. That gap is where the next election will be decided.So what does Poilievre sell to Canadians who do not show up to Conservative conventions?Start with the kitchen table issues. Poilievre has been at his best when he keeps his pitch focused on groceries, rent or mortgage payments, and whether a paycheque still stretches to the end of the month. He has framed his politics in plain terms, “the food on your table, the roof over your head, the money in your bank account.” Those are not abstract talking points. They are the questions families ask on a Wednesday night when the bills are due..This is also where the Liberals are vulnerable. Ottawa’s interest bill is eating fiscal room that could go to healthcare, tax relief, or debt reduction. A 2025 analysis projected federal debt servicing costs of $53.8 billion in 2024-25, more than the Canada Health Transfer at $52.1 billion. You do not need to be an economist to understand that paying lenders first leaves less for patients, workers, and families.Poilievre’s job is to link that reality to choices — spending, deficits, and priorities — and then offer a believable fix that does not sound like slogans. That means clear commitments, not just anger. It means explaining what gets cut, what gets kept, and what gets built.Which brings us to the second file he cannot dodge: trade.Canada’s economy is staring at a rougher world. The United States remains our dominant customer, especially for energy, and senior officials have openly warned that over-reliance is a strategic mistake. About 96% of Canada’s energy exports go to the US. In a time of tariff threats and economic muscle-flexing, that concentration is a risk, not a comfort.Carney has been working trade aggressively, including a trade push toward India, China, and other partners. Poilievre cannot answer that with a shrug or by pretending Canadians do not care about headlines from Washington. .Poilievre’s convention speech leaned heavily on unity and sovereignty. The good news for Poilievre is that he has already started sketching a trade-and-building argument. His “Canadian Sovereignty Act” pitch is designed as an answer to foreign tariffs and internal barriers that keep Canadian projects stuck in place. He has also talked about a “Canada First” national energy corridor to fast-track major infrastructure — the kind that moves products to tidewater and beyond.That is the right direction, politically and economically. Canadians want to know we can sell what we produce, buy what we need, and stand on our own feet when a partner turns difficult. But to win beyond the base, Poilievre needs to broaden the tone. Voters who do not attend Conservative events still want affordability and growth. They also want steadiness.Friday’s 87.4% gives Poilievre a firm grip on his party. It does not guarantee him the country. The path to government runs through people who are not already cheering. If Poilievre keeps the focus on kitchen-table pressures and makes a serious, detailed trade plan part of his story, he can compete where it counts. Which is in living rooms across the country, not just the convention hall.
