The problem facing the Conservatives is as obvious as it is intractable — unless real change is made. The form of neoconservativism ushered in by Stephen Harper has morphed into angry authoritarianism under Pierre Poilievre. It will not sell in Canada and the electoral record proves it.
While I agree that that was definitely a big part of it.
I’ll have to disagree when you say that PP’s similarity to Trump didn’t factor in. It most certainly did. In fact it’s the primary reason that PP wanted DESPERATELY to get an election done before Trump’s inauguration. because even before that he had been getting comparisons between his brand of populist rhetoric and Trumps.
He badly needed an election before the idea of a Trump presidency became the reality of a Trump presidency. And he knew it. He knew Trump’s stink on him would sink him, and he was right.
I said that it was a factor. But he likely would have still won even with those comparisons based on polling in December and January. There are many in Canada thwt are accepting towards MAGA and nearly everyone else was tired of the Liberals. Ultimately, it was Trump threatening repeatedly to annex Canada that tipped the election.