4 things to know about Pierre Poilievre, Conservative Party leader running to be Canada’s next PM

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, a member of the Liberal Party, announced in an X post on Sunday that he had “just asked the Governor General to dissolve parliament and call a federal election on April 28.” This move paves the way for an election to elect a new Parliament. 

At the time of Parliament’s dissolution, the Liberal Party had 152 seats while the Conservative Party of Canada held 120 seats. The remaining seats were held by minor political parties, with 33 constituencies represented by members of the Bloc Quebecois Party, 24 seats held by the New Democratic Party and two constituencies represented by members of the Green Party. Three seats were held by independent members of the Parliament. 

Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Party’s leader, could become Canada’s next prime minister depending on how the election turns out. He represents Carleton, Ontario, in the House of Commons. 

Carney took office earlier this month, replacing former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau, who led the country for the last 10 years, announced his intention to step down in January. A victory by the Conservative Party in this year’s election would mark the first time since 2015 that the party has held power in Canada. 

The most recent opinion polls show a close race. A survey of 1,500 Canadian voters conducted by Liaison Strategies from March 21-23 found that 40% of respondents plan to support the Liberal Party, followed by 36% who intend to vote for the Conservative Party, 9% plan to back the New Democratic Party, 6% who favor the Bloc Quebecois Party, 4% expressed support for the Green Party and 3% plan to back the People’s Party of Canada. The poll had a margin of error of +/-2.53 percentage points. 

Meanwhile, a poll of 1,500 conducted by Abacus Data from March 17-20 painted a slightly different picture. This survey found Conservatives at 39% support, followed by Liberals at 36% and the New Democratic Party at 12%. The Bloc Quebecois came in fourth place, while the Green Party was in fifth. The margin of error was +/-2.5 percentage points. 

Both surveys suggest that Poilievre and the Conservatives have a reasonable chance of winning the election. Here are four things to know about the man who might become the next prime minister of Canada.