3 April: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre defended his party’s candidate vetting process on Thursday after four candidates were removed in just two days, saying the Conservatives enforce a “zero tolerance” policy on unacceptable behaviour.
Speaking to reporters in Kingston, Ontario, Poilievre stated, “Our vetting process is stronger than that of any other party. That’s why we don’t hesitate to act when a candidate’s behaviour falls short of our expectations.”
The party dropped candidates from Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, Westminster-Burnaby-Maillardville, and Etobicoke North this week. One of the candidates was removed after a 2022 podcast resurfaced, in which he made a controversial joke about former prime minister Justin Trudeau. In other cases, previous social media activity was cited, while one candidate’s removal came without a clear explanation.
Poilievre also addressed the controversy surrounding Bryan Paterson, the party’s candidate in Kingston and former mayor, who has been criticized for past ties to a church linked to conversion therapy practices. He clarified that Paterson had long ago renounced those views, and defended his candidacy.
In contrast, Poilievre criticized Liberal Leader Mark Carney for not immediately removing a candidate in Markham-Unionville, who had made remarks suggesting his Conservative opponent should be handed over to the Chinese consulate under Hong Kong’s national security law. While that Liberal candidate eventually stepped down, Poilievre argued that Carney’s hesitation showed a lack of leadership. “Mark Carney called it a teachable moment. It taught us that he won’t put Canada first,” Poilievre remarked.
In addition to addressing candidate controversies, Poilievre unveiled a new policy proposal in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recently announced 25 per cent tariffs on imported vehicles. The Conservative leader promised to eliminate the federal sales tax on Canadian-made cars, saying the measure would save buyers up to $2,500 per vehicle.
He urged provincial premiers to follow suit by scrapping the provincial sales tax on Canadian-made vehicles to maximize savings and support domestic workers. Poilievre contrasted his approach with that of Carney, saying that while Carney described his recent talks with Trump as “very constructive,” the tariffs still hit Canada.
Poilievre pledged that, if elected Prime Minister, he would immediately push for a fast-tracked renegotiation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). “On day one, I will call President Trump and demand a swift renegotiation of CUSMA to provide economic certainty to Canadians,” he said.
Overall, Poilievre used the day’s announcements to reinforce his stance on economic resilience, Canadian industry protection, and political accountability, while continuing to attack the Liberal leader’s responses to both domestic and international issues.
