Chapter 79: Political Suicide

309     “their views on the COVID-19 pandemic . . .”  Andrew Parkin and Justin Savoie, “Who Voted for the People’s Party of Canada? Anti-Vaxxers and Those Opposed to Vaccine Mandates,” The Conversation, November 16, 2021, theconversation.com/who-voted-for-the-peoples-party-of-canada-anti-vaxxers-and-those-opposed-to-vaccine-mandates-171575.
 
309     PPC supporters, “the No. 1 issue . . .”  Parkin and Savoie, “Who Voted for the People’s Party of Canada? Anti-Vaxxers and Those Opposed to Vaccine Mandates,” theconversation.com/who-voted-for-the-peoples-party-of-canada-anti-vaxxers-and-those-opposed-to-vaccine-mandates-171575.
 
309     tap into their “opposition to vaccines” without alienating . . .  Parkin and Savoie, “Who Voted for the People’s Party of Canada? Anti-Vaxxers and Those Opposed to Vaccine Mandates,” theconversation.com/who-voted-for-the-peoples-party-of-canada-anti-vaxxers-and-those-opposed-to-vaccine-mandates-171575.
 
309     aligned on immigration  Parkin and Savoie, “Who Voted for the People’s Party of Canada? Anti-Vaxxers and Those Opposed to Vaccine Mandates,” theconversation.com/who-voted-for-the-peoples-party-of-canada-anti-vaxxers-and-those-opposed-to-vaccine-mandates-171575.
 
309     one of the highest immigration rates . . . three or four times higher . . .Julia Hornstein, “Immigrating to Canada vs. the United States,” CIC News, June 9, 2023, www.cicnews.com/2023/06/immigrating-to-canada-vs-the-united-states-0634715.html; and Stuart Anderson, “U.S. Immigration Critics Ignore Canada’s Welcome Mat For Immigrants,” Forbes, November 7, 2022, www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2022/11/07/us-immigration-critics-ignore-canadas-welcome-mat-for-immigrants.
 
309     not to feel threatened . . . increasingly come from Asia and Africa  “Immigrants Make Up the Largest Share of the Population in over 150 Years and Continue to Shape Who We Are as Canadians,” The Daily, Statistics Canada/Statistique Canada, October 26, 2022, www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/221026/dq221026a-eng.htm; and Megan DeLaire, “Growing Number of Canadians Believe Immigration Levels Too High: Survey,” CTV News, October 30, 2023, www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/growing-number-of-canadians-believe-immigration-levels-too-high-survey.
 
309     recognized . . . answer to . . . future population and economic growth . . . “Immigrants Make Up the Largest Share of the Population in over 150 Years and Continue to Shape Who We Are as Canadians,” www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/221026/dq221026a-eng.htm; and Nojoud Al Mallees, "Majority of Canadians Say Higher Immigration Is Fuelling Housing Crisis: Poll,” Global News, November 29, 2023, globalnews.ca/news/10126729/immigration-housing-canada-leger-poll.
 
309     four-fifths of labor force growth Anna Mehler Paperny, “A Nation of Immigrants: Newcomer’' Share of Canadian Population Hits Record,” Reuters, October 26, 2022, www.reuters.com/world/americas/nation-immigrants-newcomers-share-canadian-population-hits-record-2022-10-26.
 
309     about a quarter of Canada’s population  Peter Zimonjic, “Population Share of Immigrants, Permanent Residents Hits 23% Record: Census,” CBC News, October 26, 2022, www.cbc.ca/news/politics/statistics-canada-immigration-census-1.6629861.
 
309–310 courted their vote . . .  Stephanie Taylor, “Pierre Poilievre Has a Plan to Win Over New Canadians,” Canada’s National Observer, December 19, 2022, www.nationalobserver.com/2022/12/18/news/pierre-poilievre-plan-win-over-new-canadians; and Jay Heisler, “Canadian Parties Agree: Immigrants Are Welcome Here,” Voice of America, September 6, 2022, www.voanews.com/a/canadian-parties-agree-immigrants-are-welcome-here/6733936.html.
 
310      could represent one-third of the population  Mehler Paperny, “A Nation of Immigrants: Newcomer’' Share of Canadian Population Hits Record,” www.reuters.com/world/americas/nation-immigrants-newcomers-share-canadian-population-hits-record-2022-10-26.
 
310      opposition to vaccine mandates, not immigration . . .Parkin and Savoie, “Who Voted for the People’s Party of Canada? Anti-Vaxxers and Those Opposed to Vaccine Mandates,” theconversation.com/who-voted-for-the-peoples-party-of-canada-anti-vaxxers-and-those-opposed-to-vaccine-mandates-171575.
 
310      married to an immigrant from Venezuela  Stephanie Taylor, “Pierre Poilievre Thinks He Can Win Over New Canadians: Here’s How He Plans to Do It,” CBC News, December 18, 2022, www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservative-immigration-outreach-efforts-1.6690244.
 
310      hailed from Calgary  Joel Dryden, “Pierre Poilievre Returns to His Old University Club, Where 22 Years Ago He Feuded with Patrick Brown,” CBC News, July 11, 2022, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/pierre-poilievre-patrick-brown-conservative-party-reform-1.6513247.
 
310        long consumed political data  After graduating college, Poilievre “co-founded a small business called 3D Contact Inc., a political communications, polling, and research services firm.” Dorothy Dobbie, “A New Pierre Poilievre Steps Back into the Spotlight,” opinion, Winnipeg Sun, August 31, 2025, www.winnipegsun.com/opinion/dobbie-a-new-pierre-poilievre-steps-back-into-the-spotlight/article_1fc740f9-a59c-5cd3-991e-d15ef62a12e7.html.
 
310      studied international relations. . . as Canada’s prime minister  Dryden, “Pierre Poilievre Returns to His Old University Club, Where 22 Years Ago He Feuded with Patrick Brown,” www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/pierre-poilievre-patrick-brown-conservative-party-reform-1.6513247.
 
310      “Building Canada Through Freedom”  Pierre Poilievre, “Building Canada Through Freedom,” 1999, available at archive.org/details/building-canada-through-freedom-essay-pierre-poilievre/mode/2up. 
 
310      When Stockwell Day ran . . . volunteered for Day’s campaign  Maura Forrest, “43 Things to Know about Justin Trudeau’s New Rival,” Politico, September 9, 2022, updated September 10, 2022, www.politico.com/news/2022/09/09/conservative-pierre-poilievre-in-his-own-words-00055343; and Rachel Aiello, “He’s ‘Ottawa’s New John Baird,’ Poilievre Moves into Harper Cabinet’s Big Leagues,” Hill Times, February 16, 2015, www.hilltimes.com/story/2015/02/16/hes-ottawas-new-john-baird-poilievre-moves-into-harper-cabinets-big-leagues/250300/.
 
310      offered him a job as a legislative assistant  Forrest, “43 things to know about Justin Trudeau’s new rival,” www.politico.com/news/2022/09/09/conservative-pierre-poilievre-in-his-own-words-00055343; and Aiello, “He’s ‘Ottawa’s New John Baird,’ Poilievre Moves into Harper Cabinet’s Big Leagues,” www.hilltimes.com/story/2015/02/16/hes-ottawas-new-john-baird-poilievre-moves-into-harper-cabinets-big-leagues/250300/. 
 
310      merged to form the Conservative Party of Canada  Aaron Wherry, “Two New Solitudes—Rural and Urban—Now Define the Canadian Political Landscape,” CBC News, October 3, 2021, www.cbc.ca/news/politics/2021-election-rural-urban-conservative-liberal-1.6197095.
 
310      ran in the 2004 elections . . . won  “Pierre Poilievre Re-Elected in Carleton,” CBC News, September 20, 2021, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/carleton-riding-election-night-2021-1.6177831.
 
310      at twenty-five years old Nadine Yousif, “Who Is Pierre Poilievre, the Canadian Conservative Aiming to End Liberal Era?” BBC News, March 23, 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dpde9dxp0o.
 
310      became known as “Skippy” Yousif, “Who Is Pierre Poilievre, the Canadian Conservative Aiming to End Liberal Era?” www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dpde9dxp0o.
 
310      the Tories’ “attack dog” Norimitsu Onishi, “Meet the Combative Populist on a Path to Become Canada’s Next Leader,” New York Times, January 9, 2025, www.nytimes.com/2025/01/09/world/canada/pierre-poilievre-conservative-leader-canada.html; and Yousif, “Who Is Pierre Poilievre, the Canadian Conservative Aiming to End Liberal Era?” www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dpde9dxp0o.
 
310      served in several ministerial posts  Stephanie Taylor, “Pierre Poilievre Elected Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada,” Global News, September 10, 2022, globalnews.ca/news/9120431/pierre-poilievre-elected-leader-of-the-conservative-party-of-canada.
 
310      considered a run to lead the Conservative Party  Rachel Gilmore and Michel Boyer, “Pierre Poilievre and Erin O’Toole Will Run for Conservative Leadership, Sources Say,” CTV News, January 7, 2020, www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/pierre-poilievre-and-erin-otoole-will-run-for-conservative-leadership-sources-say.
 
310      decided against it Sarah Turnbull, “Pierre Poilievre Will Not Run for Conservative Leadership,” CTV News, January 23, 2020, www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/pierre-poilievre-will-not-run-for-conservative-leadership.
 
311       drive into Ottawa . . . January 29, 2022 . . . on a highway overpass  Marieke Walsh and Janice Dickson, “Thousands Convoy Protesters Descend on Parliament Hill to Demand an End to COVID-19 Measures,” Globe and Mail, January 29, 2022, www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-thousands-of-convoy-protesters-descend-on-parliament-hill-to-demand-an/.
 
311       poised to vote out . . .disappointing showing in the 2021 elections  John Paul Tasker, “Conservative Caucus Revolt Triggers Vote on Erin O’Toole’s Leadership,” CBC News, January 31, 2022, updated February 1, 2022, www.cbc.ca/news/politics/erin-otoole-leadership-review-caucus-1.6334491.
 
311       “for truckers, but it’s also a rally . . .”  Pierre Poilievre, “Freedom over Fear,” YouTube, January 29, 2022, youtu.be/GuViJnQilO4?si=gjfUL4uo30zrZMgj, 0:01–0:08.
 
311       “for the sixty-year-old small businessman . . .”  Poilievre, “Freedom over Fear,” youtu.be/GuViJnQilO4?si=gjfUL4uo30zrZMgj, 0:09–0:16.
 
311       “for the depressed fourteen-year-old . . .”  Poilievre, “Freedom over Fear,” youtu.be/GuViJnQilO4?si=gjfUL4uo30zrZMgj, 0:17–0:21.
 
311       “the families that can’t take it anymore”  Poilievre, “Freedom over Fear,” youtu.be/GuViJnQilO4?si=gjfUL4uo30zrZMgj, 0:22–024.
 
311       “the people who want to stand up . . .” Poilievre, “Freedom over Fear,” youtu.be/GuViJnQilO4?si=gjfUL4uo30zrZMgj, 0:25–0:29.
 
311       “Freedom, not fear” . . . “Truckers, not Trudeau”  Poilievre, “Freedom over Fear,” youtu.be/GuViJnQilO4?si=gjfUL4uo30zrZMgj,0:55–0:58.
 
311       “. . . WE. WANT. OUR. LIVES. BACK!”  Maxime Bernier, Twitter, January 29, 2022, 2:16 p.m., x.com/MaximeBernier/status/1487504910786650114, archived at archive.today, February 9, 2026 capture, archive.ph/wip/R00ND.
 
311       “freedom pancakes” and poses . . . for pictures  Andrew Duffy, “People’s Party Leader Maxime Bernier Hands Out ‘Freedom Pancakes’; Looks to Steer ‘Freedom Convoy’ His Way,” Ottawa Citizen, February 14, 2022, ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/peoples-party-leader-maxime-bernier-hands-out-freedom-pancakes-looks-to-steer-freedom-convoy-his-way.
 
311       “freedom-loving Canadians” . . . “where our government controls . . . everything”  Maxime   Bernier quoted in Duffy, “People’s Party Leader Maxime Bernier Hands Out ‘Freedom Pancakes’; Looks to Steer ‘Freedom Convoy’ His Way,” ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/peoples-party-leader-maxime-bernier-hands-out-freedom-pancakes-looks-to-steer-freedom-convoy-his-way.
 
311       “want a society where we do what we want to do”  Bernier quoted in Duffy, “People’s Party Leader Maxime Bernier Hands Out ‘Freedom Pancakes’; Looks to Steer ‘Freedom Convoy’ His Way,” ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/peoples-party-leader-maxime-bernier-hands-out-freedom-pancakes-looks-to-steer-freedom-convoy-his-way.