SuppliedPierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, lost his seat in the Carleton riding to Bruce Fanjoy, meaning he no longer has a place in the House of Commons. That is, until Damian Kurek stepped down from his seat in River-Crowfoot to allow Poilievre to run for the seat in a by-election. It is a strategic move for the Conservative Party, as that riding is historically conservative. However, it is completely undemocratic and reeks of elitist political privilege. This act is out of touch and opposes everything Poilievre stands for.
Poilievre is exploiting the loyalty of safe ridings in order to keep his job. Kurek was well liked in his riding. Now the people of River-Crowfoot have lost a democratically elected member of parliament (MP) to an outsider fleeing to safety. Regardless of political affiliation, it is unfair to the people of this riding. It shows just how little politicians care for the wants and needs of the people. Treating a riding as a prop disregards the responsibilities a MP has to their community. Moreover, it disregards their duties to the country as a whole.
Poilievre is seat-shopping safe ridings rather than respecting the people who rejected his candidacy. Much of Poilievre’s platform has been based on common sense, responsibility, and attacking the lack of accountability of the Liberal Party. By running to a different, more conservative riding, Poilievre destroys so much of his platform with hypocrisy and lack of accountability. How can he justify clinging to power and promoting his platform after voters in Carleton rejected him?
This lack of accountability reinforces a deep public cynicism of politics that has consistently been on the rise. Politicians treat ridings as tools rather than real communities, and they act as if genuine public support doesn’t matter. Seat-swapping is legal, but it weakens the trust in our political system and makes people question if these elections even matter.
Typically, party leaders have stepped down after losing. Conservative leaders Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole both stepped down after losing to Trudeau. And Scheer and O’Toole had still won their seats, unlike Poilievre. Although it is not a rule that party leaders need to be removed from their position after losing an election, it is common for a reason. Losing the election simply shows that the people do not want this person to lead the country. By keeping Poilievre in power, the Conservative Party cannot move forward. It risks its chances of winning in the next election rather than finding a person that fits the needs of the people of Canada.
Alternatively, the party might see Poilievre as its only opportunity to win. It is important to mention that the Conservative Party had a substantial lead in the polls at the beginning of 2025. Poilievre appealed to disaffected voters who were unhappy with the direction Canada was heading. As stated earlier, his platform was based around responsibility, and that the Liberal Party has ruined the country. His aggressive style of attacking the opposition allowed for the Conservatives to grab such a lead against the Liberals. Ultimately, Poilievre lost the substantial lead his party had and lost to the Liberals. Some in the party might think that he is still its “best chance,” and do not want to risk changing things.
This issue is not just about one seat, it is about the entire system politicians are delegitimizing and the principles they are supposed to stand for. Poilievre has said time and time again that he stands for accountability. His act of fleeing to a different riding is not only damaging to his credibility, but the credibility of our system of government and the electoral process.
