20 years of controversy surrounding Pierre Poilievre

Photo: Justin Tang archives The Canadian Press Since his arrival in the House of Commons in 2004, Pierre Polievre has earned a reputation as a fighter.

Sandrine Vieira and Boris Proulx in Ottawa

February 17, 2024

• Canada

A misogynistic hashtag under his videos

In 2022, Pierre Poilievre claims to be unaware of the fact that around fifty of his videos contained a hidden hashtag, #mgtow, an acronym for “Men Going Their Own Way” (“Men go their own way”). These highly criticized tags are used to appear in anti-feminist networks.

Pierre Poilievre communicates a lot using videos, sometimes very elaborate, broadcast on the Web. He wanted to know everything about how the Prime Minister produces his own videos, through a question on the Hill Paper in 2016.

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He likes bitcoin

Pierre Poilievre promised his troops to “give people back control of their money” by banning the central bank from creating its own digital currency. He therefore calls for the dismissal of the governor of the Bank of Canada.

The conservative leader is regularly mocked in Parliament for having supported bitcoin in a video where he is seen smoking shisha, in the spring of 2022. He says in particular that the owner of a shawarma restaurant manages to “protect himself from inflation » thanks to a bitcoin wallet, “a brilliant financial decision”.

It evokes a global conspiracy

During the COVID-19 pandemic, before he became leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre was mocked in the House for his fight against “the great reset”, which he summarized in a online petition as a project “of global elites […] with the aim of imposing their takeover”.

He promises that once he becomes leader, he will ban his potential cabinet from going to the World Economic Forum “of the globalist Davos elites.” Many Canadian politicians have visited there over time, such as its former leader Stephen Harper, or more recently Chrystia Freeland, in 2024.

Too much for the former native residents

A few hours before Prime Minister Stephen Harper's official apology to survivors of residential schools in 2008, Pierre Poilievre told a local radio station that he was not sure Canadians “had any for their money” — alleging that the state was too generous to former residents.

The next day, Pierre Poilievre publicly apologized in the House: “Yesterday, while the House and all Canadians were celebrating a new beginning, I made hurtful and mean comments. I accept responsibility for this and apologize for it. »

He defends Jordan Peterson

Pierre Poilievre said during the debate on his party's leadership race in 2022 that he was inspired by Jordan Peterson's book 12 rules for life. An antidote to chaos. “Great book, lots of good advice. »

He defends the controversial psychologist on his social networks when the latter is in the crosshairs of his professional order for comments made on social media. According to the Conservative leader, the psychologist is “silenced by authoritarian bureaucrats”.

He drops “tar baby” in the Chamber

In 2009, Pierre Poilievre compared the carbon tax to a “tar baby” (“tar baby”). The expression disconcerts the interpreter, who translates it as “bastard child.”

The liberals are offended, seeing it as a racist attack. “I used the expression “tar baby” in its common sense, which means a matter that sticks to someone,” defends Mr. Poilievre . The Oxford English Dictionary confirms the racist connotation, but a Walt Disney character also bears this name.

An arm of honor

In June 2006, Conservative MPs, including Pierre Poilievre, were seen giving the arm of honor to elected officials during question period in the House of Commons. Media reports of the time described the MPs as having “arms bent and fists in the air”.

Liberal MPs protested, finding the gesture “vulgar, crude and disgraceful” and Mr. Poilievre’s conduct “immature and unacceptable”. The next day, Pierre Poilievre and Conservative MP Jacques Gourde, then parliamentary secretaries to ministers, apologized.

A tense relationship with the media

“We will continue to improve the excellent relations that we have always had with representatives of the media,” said Pierre Poilievre in 2010, smiling.

Since his election as leader, Pierre Poilievre has made himself very rarely available to journalists and regularly attacks media like the CBC and The Canadian Press. A video of him answering a reporter's questions while biting into an apple went viral on social media last fall. In February, he confirmed that he would abolish federal tax credits for the media “mainstream“.

An unconditional supporter of Israel

“The Jewish State has no better friend than our Prime Minister, who has completely changed the policies of his predecessors,” said Pierre Poilievre in 2009 during the Conservative government of Stephen Harper.

He declared, after the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas last fall, that “Israel has the right to defend itself in accordance with international law, and to retaliate.” He made very few statements about the conflict in the weeks that followed, focusing on the cost of living and the “carbon tax”.

Bills

Then Minister of Democratic Reform, Pierre Poilievre proposed in 2014 requiring an ID with address to vote and allowing more partisan spending during electoral campaigns. Faced with criticism from Elections Canada and experts, he backed down on the most controversial aspects of his bill.

This is the only bill that Pierre Poilievre passed out of the seven he tabled in Parliament. In particular, in 2004, he suggested holding negligent parents responsible for the crimes of their children, or even allowing voters to dismiss their MP by means of a petition.