Pierre Poilievre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Pierre Poilievre PC
Poilievre in 2023
Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
Incumbent
Assumed office September 10, 2022
Deputy	Melissa Lantsman Tim Uppal
Preceded by	Candice Bergen (interim)
Leader of the Opposition
In office September 10, 2022 – April 28, 2025
Monarch	Charles III
Prime Minister	Justin Trudeau
Deputy	Melissa Lantsman Tim Uppal
Preceded by	Candice Bergen
Succeeded by	TBC
Minister of Employment and Social Development
In office February 9, 2015 – November 4, 2015
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Jason Kenney
Succeeded by	Jean-Yves Duclos (Families, Children and Social Development)
Minister of State (Democratic Reform)
In office July 15, 2013 – November 4, 2015
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Tim Uppal
Succeeded by	Maryam Monsef (Democratic Institutions)
Member of Parliament for Carleton Nepean—Carleton (2004–2015)
In office June 28, 2004 – April 28, 2025
Preceded by	David Pratt
Succeeded by	Bruce Fanjoy
Personal details
Born	Pierre Marcel Poilievre (1979-06-03) June 3, 1979 (age 46) Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Political party	Conservative (since 2003)
Other political affiliations	Reform (until 2000) Alliance (2000–2003)
Spouse	Anaida Galindo ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	2
Residences	Greely, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater	University of Calgary (BA)
Signature

Pierre Marcel Poilievre (born June 3, 1979) is a Canadian politician. He is currently the Leader of the Conservative Party since 2022. This also makes him the Leader of the Official Opposition.

Poilievre was born in Calgary, Alberta. He studied at the University of Calgary. He earned a degree in international relations in 2008. Before becoming a politician, he worked for Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day. Poilievre was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004. He represented the Ottawa area riding of Nepean—Carleton. Later, he represented the riding of Carleton.

From 2006 to 2013, he held various roles as a parliamentary secretary. He worked under Prime Minister Stephen Harper. From 2013 to 2015, Poilievre was Harper's minister for democratic reform. In 2015, he also served as the minister of employment and social development. From 2017 to 2022, he was the shadow minister for finance. He also briefly served as the shadow minister for jobs and industry.

In 2022, Poilievre ran for leader of the Conservative Party. He won the election on the first try. He is often described as a populist leader. Poilievre mainly focuses on issues like the cost of living in Canada. Since mid-2023, the Conservative Party has been very popular in opinion polls for the next federal election.

Early Life and Education

Childhood and Early Interests

Pierre Marcel Poilievre was born on June 3, 1979, in Calgary, Alberta. He was adopted by two schoolteachers, Marlene and Donald Poilievre. He grew up in a regular home in Calgary. He played ice hockey and went camping with his younger brother, Patrick.

As a child, Poilievre delivered newspapers for the Calgary Sun. He went to Henry Wise Wood High School. He was on the wrestling team until an injury stopped him at age 14. After his injury, he started attending political meetings. This made him interested in politics. He began reading political books, which shaped his ideas.

Poilievre became active in the Reform Party. He also joined the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta. At 16, he sold party memberships and made phone calls for campaigns. He also volunteered for political campaigns. When he was 17, he was a delegate at a Reform Party meeting in Vancouver. He finished high school in 1997.

University and First Jobs

As a teenager, Poilievre worked at Telus. He called businesses to collect payments. He also worked briefly as a journalist for Alberta Report, a conservative magazine. At the University of Calgary, he studied international relations.

In 1999, as a student, Poilievre wrote an essay for a contest. His essay was about individual freedom. It suggested that members of Parliament should only serve two terms. He won $10,000 and an internship.

Poilievre was also the president of a student political club at the University of Calgary. He worked to support Stockwell Day as leader of the Canadian Alliance party. In 2002, Poilievre left university temporarily to work as an advisor for Stockwell Day. He later returned to finish his degree in 2008.

In 2003, Poilievre started a company called 3D Contact Inc. with a partner. They offered political communication and research services. After starting this company, Poilievre ran to become a Member of Parliament (MP). He ran for the new Conservative Party of Canada.

Early Political Career (2004–2022)

First Years as MP (2004–2006)

In the 2004 Canadian federal election, 24-year-old Poilievre won the Conservative nomination. He ran in the riding of Nepean—Carleton. He won against the Liberal candidate, David Pratt. The Conservatives became the Official Opposition.

Poilievre became an MP at age 25. He was one of the youngest members of the Conservative team. He was sometimes called "Skippy" early in his career.

He worked to help the Queensway Carleton Hospital. He wanted to stop the government from charging the hospital rent. He introduced a bill in 2005 to prevent this. The bill did not pass, but later the hospital only had to pay $1 per year in rent.

Poilievre also proposed bills to allow people to recall MPs. He also suggested that parents should be more responsible for their children's actions.

Parliamentary Secretary (2006–2013)

Poilievre won re-election in 2006. The Conservative Party formed a minority government. Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Poilievre as Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board. He helped with the Federal Accountability Act.

In 2008, Poilievre was re-elected again. He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister. He attended a conference against racism in Geneva. He also went to Poland for the March of the Living.

Poilievre was sometimes called the Conservative Party's "attack dog." In 2010, he drove through a Parliament Hill gate without waiting for security. He apologized for this incident.

He won re-election in 2011. The Conservative Party formed a majority government. Prime Minister Harper appointed him as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport.

Cabinet Minister (2013–2015)

Poilievre in 2014

In 2013, Harper changed his cabinet. Poilievre became Minister of State for Democratic Reform. This was a challenging role. He introduced Bill C-23, called the Fair Elections Act. This bill changed how people could vote. It was passed into law.

In 2015, Poilievre was promoted to Minister of Employment and Social Development. He also became responsible for the National Capital Commission. He announced an expansion of a child care benefit program. During this announcement, he wore a Conservative Party shirt. He said the payments were from "our Conservative government." Later, it was found that this event was like a party campaign event. He was ordered to post a link to the ruling on his social media.

Opposition MP and Shadow Minister (2015–2022)

Poilievre on Parliament Hill with then Conservative leader Andrew Scheer in 2018

In 2015, Poilievre won his seat in the Carleton riding. However, the Conservatives became the Official Opposition. The Liberals formed a majority government. Poilievre became the Conservative Party critic for the Treasury Board. Later, he became the critic for Employment, Labour and Work Opportunity.

In 2017, he became the critic for the Minister of Finance. He introduced a bill to help people with disabilities. The bill did not pass.

Poilievre was re-elected in 2019. He was considered a possible leader for the party. However, he decided not to run in 2020. He wanted to spend more time with his family.

During the WE Charity scandal, Poilievre questioned the Liberal government. He asked about payments made to the Prime Minister's family. He also pressured the Finance Minister to resign.

He opposed Bill C-10, the Online Streaming Act. He called it "censorship" and started an online petition against it. Poilievre was re-elected in 2021.

2022 Leadership Campaign

After the Conservative leader was removed in 2022, Poilievre decided to run. On February 5, 2022, he announced his intention to run for Prime Minister. Many people saw him as the favourite to win. His campaign focused on freedom and reducing the cost of living. He wanted to make Canada the "freest country in the world."

Poilievre was critical of other candidates. He accused one of being a Liberal. He also said another's support for a carbon tax was wrong. His campaign sold many party memberships. He also received support from 62 Conservative MPs. Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper also endorsed him.

On September 10, Poilievre won the leadership election. He won on the first try with 68.15% of the points. He won in almost all electoral districts.

Opposition Leader (2022–Present)

Leadership Appointments and Parliamentary Work

On September 12, 2022, Poilievre gave his first speech as leader to his team. The next day, he announced his leadership team. This included new deputy leaders Melissa Lantsman and Tim Uppal. In October, he announced his 71-member shadow cabinet.

In October 2022, the Conservatives voted for a bill to double the goods and services tax rebate. But they voted against a bill for a public dental care program. They worried it would increase inflation. In November 2022, Poilievre's motion to audit federal COVID-19 spending passed. The audit found that billions of dollars were overpaid or needed more investigation.

In January 2023, Poilievre called for an investigation into the government's contracts with a company called McKinsey & Company. In September 2023, he proposed a bill to increase homebuilding. In November 2023, the Conservatives voted against an updated free trade agreement with Ukraine. Poilievre said it would "impose [Justin Trudeau's] carbon tax ideology." However, Ukraine already has a carbon price.

Other Events and Public Opinion

Poilievre speaks with US president Joe Biden during his state visit to Canada, March 2023

In October 2022, it was reported that Poilievre's YouTube channel had hidden tags related to a misogynistic online group. Poilievre said he did not know about the tags. He condemned the group and had the tags removed right away.

In September 2023, a video showed Poilievre agreeing with a woman that Justin Trudeau's father, Pierre Trudeau, "put [Canada] down." Poilievre then added that both Justin and Pierre Trudeau are "Marxists."

Under Poilievre's leadership, the Conservatives have won 6 by-elections. They kept 4 seats and gained 2 new ones. In June 2024, they won the Toronto—St. Paul's riding. This seat had been Liberal since 1993. This was a big win for the Conservatives. They also won another former Liberal seat in December 2024.

Poilievre's first year as leader saw the Conservatives slightly ahead of the Liberals in opinion polls. In the summer of 2023, their support grew even more. Poilievre has repeatedly called for a general election.

Political Positions

Poilievre describes himself as a libertarian and a "true conservative." Some journalists also call him a populist.

Economy and Money

Poilievre believes that large government deficits cause inflation. He wants to make a "pay-as-you-go law." This would mean the government has to cut spending somewhere else if it wants to spend new money.

He owns and uses cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. He believes they can protect against inflation. He wants Canada to be a world leader in "blockchain." He thinks the government is making the Canadian dollar worth less.

Poilievre has criticized the Bank of Canada. He said they were wrong about inflation.

He supports stopping funding for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He believes this could save a lot of money. He thinks the CBC is biased towards the Liberal Party. He wants to turn the CBC's main building into affordable housing.

Housing and Infrastructure

Poilievre blames government rules for a lack of new housing. He wants big cities with expensive housing to build 15% more homes each year. If they don't, they would lose some federal money. If they meet the goal, they would get extra money. He also wants to sell off government buildings that are not used much. These could be turned into affordable housing.

Poilievre has criticized "wealthy investors" who buy many homes. He says they drive up prices. However, he and his wife own rental properties. He says they are "helping solve the problem" by providing affordable rentals.

Environment and Energy

Poilievre supports fighting climate change with green technology. He wants to set goals to reduce carbon emissions. He plans to encourage technologies like carbon capture and storage. He also wants to increase the production of electric cars. This means more mining for materials like lithium and cobalt. He also wants to build more hydro-electric dams.

Poilievre believes Canadian energy is cleaner than energy from other countries. He wants to ban importing foreign oil. He also wants to review pipeline projects that were stopped.

He promises to get rid of the Liberal government's carbon tax. He says the carbon tax causes "inflation." He also wants to repeal two bills he calls "anti-energy."

Social Issues

Poilievre supports freedom of speech. He wants to repeal the Online Streaming Act. He says it is like censorship in Canada. He wants to create a "Free Speech Act." He also wants to ensure universities protect freedom of expression. If they don't, he would cut federal funding to them.

Poilievre supported those in the Canada convoy protest who were protesting peacefully. He condemned any extreme actions. He believes the government used too much power during the protests. He wants to limit the government's power in the future.

Immigration

Poilievre says he is pro-immigration. He wants to speed up how long it takes to process immigration applications. This would help families reunite and fill jobs in Canada. He wants to make it easier for immigrants to get their professional licenses quickly.

He also wants stricter rules against illegal immigration. He has criticized the government for allowing illegal border crossings. He wants to close irregular border crossing points.

Healthcare

Poilievre supports Canada's public healthcare. He says everyone should be able to get public health care. He wants to address healthcare shortages. He plans to make it easier for doctors and nurses to work in different provinces. He also wants to speed up the approval of licenses for qualified immigrants.

Firearms

Poilievre is against bringing back the long-gun registry. He also opposes the ban on over 1,500 models of firearms from 2020. He believes the best way to control firearms is to improve policing of gun smuggling. He does not want more restrictions on licensed gun owners.

Personal Life

Poilievre and his wife Anaida at a campaign rally in April 2022

After moving to Ottawa, Poilievre dated a political advisor until 2011. In December 2017, Poilievre married Anaida Poilievre, who worked for the Senate. They got married in Portugal. Their daughter was born in October 2018. In September 2021, they welcomed their son.

Poilievre and his wife own rental properties. He co-owns a real estate investment company that owns a condo in Calgary. His wife also owns a rental property in Ottawa. Poilievre says they are helping by providing affordable rental homes.

Poilievre is bilingual. He speaks both English and French fluently. His father, Donald, taught him to keep up his French speaking skills from a young age.

Electoral History

See also

In Spanish: Pierre Poilievre para niños