Pierre Poilievre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pierre Poilievre
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Poilievre in 2023
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| Leader of the Conservative Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office September 10, 2022 |
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| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Candice Bergen (interim) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Opposition | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office September 10, 2022 – April 28, 2025 |
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| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Candice Bergen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Andrew Scheer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of Parliament for Carleton Nepean—Carleton (2004–2015) |
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| In office June 28, 2004 – April 28, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | David Pratt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Bruce Fanjoy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Pierre Marcel Poilievre
June 3, 1979 Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
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| Political party | Conservative (since 2003) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations |
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| Spouse |
Anaida Galindo
(m. 2017) |
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| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residences | Greely, Ontario, Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Calgary (BA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Pierre Marcel Poilievre (born June 3, 1979) is a Canadian politician. He has been the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada since 2022. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 2004 to 2025. He was also the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons of Canada from 2022 to 2025.
Poilievre was born in Calgary, Alberta. He became interested in politics at a young age. He was first elected to Parliament in the 2004 federal election. Under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, he served as a minister for democratic reform and for employment and social development. From 2017 to 2022, he was the Conservative Party's shadow minister for finance.
In 2022, Poilievre won the Conservative Party leadership election. As a politician, he has focused on economic issues, such as the cost of living in Canada. He is known for his populist ideas, which means he tries to appeal to ordinary people who feel that powerful groups ignore their concerns.
In the 2025 Canadian federal election, the Conservatives under his leadership won more seats than before, but the Liberal Party won enough seats to form a minority government. Poilievre lost his own seat in Carleton, but he is running in a by-election in Battle River—Crowfoot, Alberta, to return to the House of Commons.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Childhood and First Steps in Politics
Poilievre was born on June 3, 1979, in Calgary, Alberta. Soon after he was born, he was adopted by Marlene and Donald Poilievre, who were both schoolteachers. He and his younger brother, Patrick, who was also adopted, grew up in a suburb of Calgary.
As a teenager, Poilievre became very interested in politics. He started reading books about government and economics, like Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman. This book greatly shaped his political views. He joined the Reform Party and began helping with political campaigns. At age 16, he was already selling party memberships for future politician Jason Kenney.
University and Early Career
Poilievre studied international relations at the University of Calgary. While he was a student, he entered an essay contest called "As prime minister, I would...". His essay was about individual freedom and suggested that Members of Parliament should only be allowed to serve for two terms. He won $10,000 and an internship.
In 2000, he helped Stockwell Day run for leader of the Canadian Alliance party, a new party that later merged with the Progressive Conservatives to form the modern Conservative Party of Canada. Poilievre moved to Ottawa to work as an advisor for Day. He finished his university degree online and graduated in 2008.
Political Career (2004–2022)
First Years in Parliament
In the 2004 Canadian federal election, at age 24, Poilievre ran for the Conservative Party in the riding of Nepean—Carleton. He won the election, becoming one of the youngest MPs in the House of Commons. In his early years, he worked on local issues, such as helping the Queensway Carleton Hospital reduce the rent it had to pay to the government.
When the Conservatives formed a minority government in 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Poilievre as a parliamentary secretary. This role involves helping a cabinet minister with their work. Poilievre helped with the Federal Accountability Act, a law designed to make the government more open and responsible.
During a discussion about the government's apology for the Indian residential school system, Poilievre made comments that were seen as hurtful. He apologized in Parliament the next day for his remarks.
Cabinet Minister
In 2013, Harper made Poilievre the Minister of State for Democratic Reform. In this role, he introduced the Fair Elections Act. This law changed some of Canada's voting rules.
In 2015, Poilievre was promoted to Minister of Employment and Social Development. During an announcement about a child care benefit program, he wore a Conservative Party shirt. The elections commissioner later ruled that this was like a campaign event and broke a rule about government announcements.
In Opposition
After the 2015 election, the Conservatives became the Official Opposition. Poilievre became a "shadow minister," which is like a critic for a specific government department. For several years, he was the shadow minister for finance. His job was to question the government's economic plans and spending.
He became known for his tough questioning of the government during the WE Charity scandal. He repeatedly asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau about their involvement.
Poilievre was re-elected in the 2019 and 2021 elections. He continued to serve as a key member of the opposition.
Leader of the Conservative Party (2022–present)
2022 Leadership Election
After Conservative leader Erin O'Toole stepped down in 2022, Poilievre announced he would run for leader. His campaign focused on themes of "freedom" and lowering the cost of living. He promised to make Canada the "freest country in the world."
Many members of the Conservative Party supported him, including 62 of his fellow MPs and former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. On September 10, 2022, he won the leadership election with over 68% of the vote on the first ballot.
Leader of the Opposition
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As Leader of the Opposition, Poilievre continued to focus on the economy. He argued that large government spending was causing inflation. He and the Conservatives called for an audit of the government's COVID-19 spending, which later found that billions of dollars in payments needed to be investigated.
In April 2024, Poilievre was removed from the House of Commons for a day. The Speaker said he used "unparliamentary language" when he called the Prime Minister a "wacko" and refused to take back the word.
Under his leadership, the Conservatives won several by-elections, including a major victory in the Toronto riding of Toronto—St. Paul's in 2024, which had been held by the Liberals for over 30 years.
2025 Federal Election
The 2025 Canadian federal election was held on April 28, 2025. During the campaign, Poilievre promised to lower income taxes and be tough on crime. The Conservative Party won 144 seats, an increase from the previous election, and won the most votes overall. However, the Liberal Party won more seats and formed another minority government.
In a rare event for a major party leader, Poilievre lost his own riding of Carleton. He congratulated Prime Minister Mark Carney on his victory. Shortly after, a Conservative MP in the safe Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot announced he would resign so that Poilievre could run in a by-election to win a seat and return to Parliament.
Key Political Positions
Poilievre is often described as a "populist" and a "libertarian," meaning he supports individual freedom and less government control.
Economy and Housing
Poilievre argues that government overspending is the main cause of inflation. He has proposed a "pay-as-you-go" rule, which would require the government to cut spending in one area to pay for any new spending. He has also been a strong critic of the Bank of Canada.
He has promised to repeal the federal carbon tax, arguing that it makes life more expensive for Canadians. To address the housing crisis, he wants to require big cities to build 15% more homes each year to receive their full federal funding. He also plans to sell 15% of federal government buildings to be turned into affordable housing.
Environment and Energy
Poilievre believes Canada should use technology, not taxes, to fight climate change. He supports technologies like carbon capture and storage. He also wants to increase the production of Canadian energy, including oil and gas, and supports building more pipelines like the Energy East pipeline. He has said he would ban the import of foreign oil.
Foreign Policy
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Poilievre has said he would take a strong stance against governments he sees as unfriendly to Canada. He supports Ukraine in its war with Russia and has called for Canada to send more weapons and energy to help Ukraine and its European allies.
Regarding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, he has stated that Israel has a right to defend itself and has expressed support for a peaceful two-state solution. He has also said that his government would not participate in the World Economic Forum.
After Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. election and announced tariffs on Canada, Poilievre called for Canada to stand up for its own interests. He has used the phrase "Canada First" to describe his approach to protecting the Canadian economy.
Immigration
Poilievre has said that immigration levels should be linked to the number of homes being built, as well as the ability of the healthcare system to support new arrivals. He has called for an end to illegal border crossings at places like Roxham Road by changing the Safe Third Country Agreement. He also wants to make it faster for new immigrants with professional skills, like doctors and nurses, to get their credentials recognized so they can work in Canada.
Personal Life
In 2017, Poilievre married Anaida Galindo, who worked as a political aide. They have two children, a daughter named Valentina and a son named Cruz. The family lives in Greely, Ontario, a community near Ottawa.
Poilievre is bilingual, speaking both English and French fluently. His father, who is a Fransaskois (a French-speaker from Saskatchewan), taught him French from a young age.
Electoral History
See also
In Spanish: Pierre Poilievre para niños
