Liberals publish attack ads after Poilievre wins record leadership review
The federal Liberals posted a series of attack ads on X after Pierre Poilievre secured 87.4 per cent support in a party leadership review, the highest in Conservative history.
Copy link
By Torontoer Staff
The federal Liberals released a string of attack ads on X after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre received 87.4 per cent support in his party’s leadership review, a record for the modern Conservative Party. The ads labelled Poilievre “the wrong choice” and “divisive,” and stitched together critical MP reactions with clips from his political career.
Poilievre’s support at the Conservative Convention in Calgary was the highest recorded in a leadership review, topping Stephen Harper’s 84 per cent from 2005. The Liberals posted multiple clips over about 16 hours following the result.
What the Liberals posted
The ads combine short excerpts of Poilievre speeches, critical comments from Liberal MPs, and a side-by-side comparison meant to emphasise contrast between Poilievre’s rhetorical style and what the Liberals present as serious governance. Posts described his messaging as “all spin and slogans” and urged voters to consider that record.
The Liberal Party distributed the material from its official X account in multiple successive posts. The clips prompted immediate responses online, ranging from mockery to accusations of hypocrisy.
For hope. For the affordable future every Canadian deserves. Thank you, Conservatives. Let's get to work.
Pierre Poilievre
How the leadership review works and why the result matters
Leadership reviews in the Conservative Party are a yes-or-no vote by delegates at conventions, and they follow an election loss. This year’s vote was held on the second day of the party convention in Calgary, and roughly 3,000 delegates took part. Under party practice, a score below 50 per cent would have forced a resignation.
Poilievre’s 87.4 per cent is not a national approval rating but does mark unusually strong backing among active party members. The figure eclipses previous review results and gives Poilievre a renewed internal mandate ahead of the next federal campaign.
Reaction inside and outside the party
Responses to the Liberal ads were mixed. Some critics noted the irony of the governing party calling another leader divisive, while others argued the ads were a conventional opposition tactic. Several comments on X described the posts as unnecessarily confrontational.
Divisive politics?? This is an attack ad. Talk about divisive.
X user
Within Conservative ranks, the result was presented as a clear endorsement. Poilievre has drawn vocal support from many MPs and grassroots members, who framed the review as confirmation of his leadership after a turbulent period for the party.
Poilievre’s recent political trajectory
The leader’s position came under question after the Conservatives lost the federal election and Poilievre lost his long-time Ottawa-area seat in 2025. He returned to the House after winning a by-election in Alberta’s Battle River–Crowfoot later that year, after a Conservative MP vacated the seat to allow him to run.
Since returning to Parliament, Poilievre has continued to focus on affordability and opposition to some federal policies, while raising concerns about separatist sentiment in provinces such as Alberta and Quebec. His convention keynote, which preceded the review, reiterated those themes.
Where public opinion sits
Recent polling from Abacus Data, which surveyed about 2,500 Canadian voters, shows the Liberals leading nationally with 43 per cent and the Conservatives at 39 per cent if an election were held today. The poll found the Conservatives outperform the Liberals in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, while the Liberals hold a narrow lead in Ontario.
The survey also indicates a modest rebound in Poilievre’s image among voters, with support concentrated among middle-aged demographics, while the Liberals perform better with younger and older voters.
- Poilievre received 87.4 per cent support in the Conservative review, a party record.
- The Liberal Party posted multiple attack ads on X within 16 hours of the vote.
- Leadership reviews are decided by convention delegates, not by a nationwide vote.
- Recent polls show the Liberals leading nationally, with the Conservatives ahead in several prairie provinces.
The post-review exchange shows the two main parties preparing narratives for voters ahead of the next election. The Liberals are framing Poilievre as an unsuitable national leader, while Conservatives point to continued internal unity and grassroots support.
How that dynamic will play out at the ballot box remains uncertain, but the leadership review and ensuing attack ads have clarified each party’s immediate political messaging and priorities.
Pierre PoilievreLiberal PartyConservative Partyleadership reviewpolitics
