GAIL LETHBRIDGE: No one should underestimate appeal of Poilievre populism – SaltWire Halifax powered by The Chronicle Herald

Hold onto your hats, and strap yourselves in, Canadians, because were about to take a wild ride on the rollercoaster that is 21st-century political populism.

If youre a political adrenaline junkie, youre in for a heady, loopy ride. If youre prone to populist nausea, take your Pepto Bismol.

Last weekend, Conservatives gave Pierre Poilievre an overwhelming endorsement with nearly 70 per cent support on the first ballot.

Like a start-up entrepreneur pitching to investors on Dragons Den, he won over members of the party and sold thousands of memberships in a winner-takes-all assault.

Poilievre did more than just woo the Conservative party. He reached out, grabbed them by the lapels and shook them right out of their shoes.

This marks a tectonic shift in the political landscape of the Conservative party and Canada.

So how did he do this?

Well, he ditched those old battles and pitched out something less rigidly ideological, deploying the language of grievance which was amplified by social media.

He borrowed heavily from the playbook of political populism, targeting elites, gatekeepers and woke culture. These are familiar villains evoked by populists of the right. They need something to blame so they can build communities, foment discontent and rally their base.

He threw out some pretty audacious, headline-grabbing ideas like using bitcoin to manage inflation. Ask El Salvador how that worked for them after the crypto crash. He promised to fire Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem, another one of his elites.

He pummelled the Liberal governments money-printing to help Canadians and businesses through pandemic lockdowns and restrictions. Sure, its a bit of a sucker punch, but hes boxing in a different ring and there are no Queensbury Rules.

He supported the convoy movement and seized its rally cry of freedom, another piece of potent language in the populist playbook. He railed against freedom thieves, personified by Prime Minister Trudeau and the Liberals.

He supports immigration to welcome new Canadians into his tent and fulminates about the public debt to garner support of fiscal hawks. He says he will abandon the unpopular carbon tax and cut other taxes.

He has fashioned himself as one of the people, a kid from humble origins, born to a teenage mother, adopted out and brought up by school teachers.

As a career politician elected at the age of 25, he doesnt necessarily align with the one-of-the-people crowd, but a multi-millionaire property developer and reality TV star wasnt an obvious choice as one of the people, either. And we know what happened there.

But this is populism. It doesnt have to be 100 per cent rational to work.

Like any clever populist, he can smell alienation, the fear and anger over a changing world. He gives voice to those who feel left out and under-served by governments and larger economic orders of elites who attend things like the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Populists take their oxygen from the times they are in. Fear and economic anxiety are low-hanging fruit as Canadians grapple with inflation, rising gas prices and astronomical housing prices. If Canada plunges into recession, there will be more fruit weighing down that tree.

And if you want a monster piece of low-hanging fruit, take health care.

All of this has obviously been intoxicating to the Conservative party, which has been infused with a new sense of purpose. But will it be sticky with the urban set, cultural progressives and people worried about climate change?

I honestly dont know, but can you say political polarization?

Canadians and the Trudeau government would be unwise to dismiss Poilievre populism as kooky or UnCanadian.

With an election unlikely for the next few years, Poilievre will now have time to widen his populist offensive. He will have to walk a fine line between growing his appeal and containing his movement from toxic forces that exist within.

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GAIL LETHBRIDGE: No one should underestimate appeal of Poilievre populism - SaltWire Halifax powered by The Chronicle Herald