Right-leaning Pierre Poilievre deemed unacceptable by individual who ousted him from leadership position in Ottawa.
Flip the Script: Poilievre's Freedom Convoy Gamble
The backing of Pierre Poilievre for the Freedom Convoy has left his voters scratching their heads, according to the Liberal winner who took down Poilievre in the Conservative stronghold he had represented for over 20 years.
"Listen, I reckon Pierre Poilievre's gone and pushed his luck to the limit," reveals Bruce Fanjoy, a spry 61, sporting salt-and-pepper locks and a wide grin, who scooped the MP seat for Carleton following the recent election. He chatted with us on the sun-soaked patio of a low-key Manotick coffee shop, two days post-win, when the media seemed to be chasing him around the block. "Folks love the underdog story, eh?"
Bruce Fanjoy donned plenty of corporate ties before trading it all in for daddy-daycare duties and community involvement. His past sparsely touches on politics—no red tape here! Taking a sip of his black coffee, he recalls having heard plenty about the Freedom Convoy when he began knocking on doors in his riding more than two years ago.
"Yeah, I think it played a significant role, I mean, Liberals and other progressive voters weren't pleased with the stomp-down," he says, pointing out that even moderates within the Conservative ranks seemed to have lost interest.
Fresh off the social media scene, Poilievre, at that time still an MP, openly embraced the Freedom Convoy protesters, causing quite the media uproar. This motley crew took Ottawa by storm for nearly three weeks, blocking city streets and causing quite the ruckus. "It's been a right nasty bump for our locals and their day-to-day grind," recalls Bruce Fanjoy.
Booting Out a Legend
Fast-forward to the final round of Canada's 45th general election, and Poilievre's dream of snatching the prime minister post was all but smashed. Sad trombone for Pierre, as Monday night found his party at a gut-wrenching loss. In typical fashion, Poilievre plans to keep his lead position, but this Carleton defeat complicates matters.
Our team caught Poilievre in the heat of his campaign's final rally in Carleton, a riding he had proudly represented since 2004. Many in attendance showed their support for the "freedom" movement, clutching Freedom Convoy memorabilia or "Fuck Trudeau" hats.
By Wednesday, Poilievre's sign out front of his Manotick office was already history, and his campaign site was all but empty—nothing but folding tables and a few lingering posters in the silence. The five volunteers left behind didn't seem too keen on sharing their thoughts, though a phone continued to ring, ominously forgotten.
On the flip side, Bruce Fanjoy's campaign was a flurry of activity, drawing hundreds of eager volunteers from all over the region and beyond. Some 500 stood tall in week one alone, reports the newly minted representative. "That's the tale of this race!" The Liberal HQ also pitched in, sending around fifteen supporters to lend a helping hand.
And voilà! Voters in Carleton emerged as the most dedicated countrywide, according to Elections Canada, despite a cumbersome 91-candidate ballot. The turnout of 81.5% surpassed the national average by miles. So, with that we find Pierre Poilievre, defeated champion with a whopping tally of votes.
A Message for the Conservatives
According to Fanjoy, this electoral faceoff should serve as a red flag for the Conservatives. "When you break the 50% vote barrier in Carleton—a riding supposedly a safe bet for the Conservatives—I'd say it sends a pretty clear message that voters want to shake things up."
Fanjoy winks at the obvious plays on words. He freely admits that factors beyond just the Freedom Convoy played a part in his victory, like Ottawa's rapid growth, which added loads of public servants and suburbanites to Carleton, a predominantly rural riding. Just 3% of its population is Francophone[5].
Since election day, Poilievre has lost his title as leader of the opposition, along with the luxuries that come with it. In his concession speech, he addressed his defeat but remained tight-lipped on his Carleton loss. Shortly after, Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly congratulated Fanjoy on his victory[4].
A Montreal-accented Fanjoy, who, by the way, vows to dust off his French language skills, oft-neglected since his Quebec immersion stint in his twenties, promised Le Devoir his next interview would be conducted entirely in French[5].
So, what more can we learn from this electoral dance? Stay tuned for more insights!
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[1]https://ipolitics.ca/files/2021/10/13/7434_32_Poilievre-vs-Extremism.pdf[2]https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pierre-poilievre-convoy-freedom-convoy-1.6177794[3]https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/pierre-poilievre-s-populist-surge-is-making-ridiculous-claims-about-vaccine-mandates-1.5922922[4]https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/election-2021-carleton-1.6176205[5]https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/election-2021-carleton-french-1.6177090
- Pierre Poilievre's unwavering support for the Freedom Convoy has puzzled voters in his conservative stronghold, Carleton.
- Bruce Fanjoy attributes the significant role of the Freedom Convoy in swaying the election in his favor.
- Poilievre's embracing of the Freedom Convoy protesters created quite a media uproar and was not well received by all constituents.
- The Freedom Convoy caused quite a ruckus in Ottawa for almost three weeks, causing difficulties for locals in their day-to-day activities.
- Bruce Fanjoy, the newly elected MP for Carleton, stepped away from corporate life to focus on daddy-daycare duties and community involvement.
- Fanjoy's political career was extremely limited before his recent foray into politics.
- Elections Canada reported Carleton voters as the most dedicated countrywide during the recent general election.
- The Carleton riding is predominantly rural, with only 3% of its population being Francophone.
- Poilievre's heavy defeat in the election marks a significant setback for his dream of becoming prime minister.
- In his concession speech, Poilievre acknowledged his defeat, but remained tight-lipped about his Carleton loss.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly congratulated Bruce Fanjoy on his victory following the 2021 general election.
- Fanjoy plans to challenge his political opponents by learning to speak French again, a language he studied in his twenties.
- The case of Pierre Poilievre's defeat in Carleton serves as a wake-up call for the conservative party, according to Bruce Fanjoy.
- Rapid growth and increased migration to Ottawa, adding public servants and suburbanites to the predominantly rural riding, played a role in Fanjoy's victory.
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