Can Pierre Poilievre grab the far-right votes without falling prey to paranoid populism?

In recent years many conservative politicians have catered to the more extreme parts of their base to get elected, only to find that once in power they are obliged to continue to serve them. In the CPC leadership race, Pierre Poilievre managed to peel support away from would-be PPC voters and others on the fringe.

He needs these votes to beat Justin Trudeau and the Liberals in the next election. But the challenge he will face is harnessing their support without falling prey to their worst tendencies. Can he do it? How?

Justin Ling, investigative journalist, author of the Bug-Eyed and Shameless newsletter joined The Big Story to unpack where Poilievre stands, and whether he’s pushing too far into the fringe to win votes.

“I think why I started using this phrase, paranoid populism, is that it describes a very particular brand of populism, one that largely talks in apocalyptic terms, one that warns of shadowy elites who are controlling and maybe even ruining your life,” said Ling.

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