Tory MP defends Conservative campaign plan amid pressure to pivot

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As Conservatives face pressure to pivot their campaign strategy in the face of a polling deficit against the Liberals, one of the party’s long-serving MPs says she’s fully behind leader Pierre Poilievre’s plan.

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Four-term Calgary-area MP Michelle Rempel Garner told National Post in an interview Saturday that she is confident Poilievre’s deliberate approach of incrementally rolling out detailed policies is the path to victory on for the April 28 vote.

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“A campaign is a long period of time, and one of the things you have to do is … put forward a hopeful plan and show stability, calmness and discipline,” she said. “People respond to that, when it’s authentic.”

Some critics within the party and without have suggested Poilievre’s campaign needs to focus more on tariff threats by U.S. President Donald Trump. But Rempel Garner says the campaign is already doing that, while also rolling out a series of policies to boost the economy and breaks for Canadians struggling with the cost of living.

“What I’ve seen our campaign do in the past week is exactly that, she said. “And it’s nice to see.”

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Poilievre opened the campaign’s first week by posting a slickly produced short video, introducing a new policy proposal to social media each morning.

On Saturday, Poilievre announced via short video that a Conservative government would allow travelling trades workers to deduct from their taxes all their related expenses, while eliminating the current tax write-off for private jet travel.

It follows earlier announcements on “shovel ready” development zones, income tax rates, the retirement age, life sentences for human and gun traffickers, and the Tax-Free Savings Account contribution limit.

Rempel Garner said the specificity and practicality of Poilievre’s proposals have helped her immensely on the campaign so far.

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“It’s a total game-changer when you can knock on someone’s door and tell them that a policy will make their life more affordable by X amount of dollars.”

She’s confident that the Conservative platform’s substance will win out over the novelty effect currently boosting Liberal Leader Mark Carney.

“Carney becoming prime minister didn’t magically make rent or groceries any cheaper, or end the opioid crisis,” said Rempel Garner.

“When it comes down to it, (Carney) hasn’t made any announcements yet that will make life more affordable for regular Canadians, unless you count stealing our policies.”

One chief adviser to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who just won a majority in a provincial election, has been vocal about Poilievre’s campaign. Kory Teneycke has said in multiple public appearances that Poilievre will lose if he doesn’t shift his focus to the question of who can best manage cross-border relations with the Trump administration.

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Rempel Garner says she’s skeptical about the sincerity from Teneycke and other conservative talking heads.

“(Kory) has my cell phone number, and I will hook him up with any of the Conservative campaigns in the Greater Toronto Area, him and his friends, and they are welcome to knock on doors for us.”

“They have my open invitation.”

National Post
rmohamed@postmedia.com

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