Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre painted a grim picture of Canada’s future under continued Liberal governance during his ‘Whistle Stop’ rally at the Sudbury Airport on Saturday, telling supporters “we cannot afford a fourth Liberal term.”
Hundreds of cheering supporters packed the Air Bravo hangar to hear Poilievre deliver his campaign speech from the back of a pickup truck. The event marked his second visit to the Nickel City in recent months.
Northern candidates rally the crowd
The Conservative leader was preceded by local candidates who set the tone for his remarks.
Nipissing—Timiskaming candidate Garry Keller promised “a new Conservative government that will cut taxes, build homes, stop crime, and fix the budget to end inflation.” He added, “That will end the Liberal experiment with free drugs and instead provide treatment to end the cycle of addiction and despair.”
Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt candidate Jim Belanger, a local businessman, drew loud cheers when he asked: “After the lost Liberal decade where cost and crime are up and our economy is down and under America’s thumb, do the Liberals deserve a fourth term? Or is it time for change?”
Sudbury candidate Ian Symington, an area doctor, tied local issues directly to federal policies, saying: “We can’t afford four more years of Canadians struggling to afford the basics of life: buying food, home costs, fueling a car. There’s no escaping the effects from three terms of Liberal government.”
Poilievre’s stark warning
The Conservative leader focused much of his speech on a Policy Horizons Canada report titled Future Lives: Social Mobility in Question, which he claimed shows Canada heading toward disaster under current policies.
“This report says that upward social mobility will be unheard of in Canada,” Poilievre said. “Hardly anyone believes that they can get a better life through hard work, and many believe they will fall behind.”
“The report warns that people will no longer be able to visit the grocery store. They will have to forage, hunt and fish illegally on public lands in order to scrounge up a living,” he added.
However, Policy Horizons Canada – a federal foresight agency – has clarified that the document explores plausible scenarios rather than making predictions. Earlier this morning, an agency spokesperson, Mila Roy, told the media that the report is not a forecast nor a commentary on current or future policies.
A plan for the first 100 days
Poilievre promised aggressive action if elected, saying he would cancel Parliament’s summer break to pass key legislation:
“Doctor (Symington,) Gary, Jim, I have bad news for you: Your summer vacation is cancelled,” he said.
“I have announced, as prime minister, I will put forward 100 days of urgent change.”
His proposed measures include:
- Affordability Act: “We will cut $55 billion by cutting consultants, streamlining bureaucracy, getting rid of handouts to special interests... We will cut income taxes by 15% so that hard work pays off for a change.”
- Housing Plan: “We will axe the GST on new homes... We will sell off 6,000 federal buildings and thousands of acres of federal land to build over 300,000 new homes.”
- Crime Crackdown: “We will repeal catch-and-release bail... We will repeal house arrest... Anyone found guilty of three separate serious violent offenses will be ineligible for bail, parole, probation, or house arrest.”
Pledging resource development
Poilievre made several promises aimed at the region’s mining sector:
“We will repeal the anti-resource, anti-development Liberal law C-69 ... I pledge to approve (the Ring of Fire) within 6 months for a change. It’s been 14 years they’ve been talking about the Ring of Fire. Not a single permit for a mine or even for the road to get there has been granted.”
He added: “You (Sudbury) are the infrastructure backbone of the mining sector. This is the economic hub that will feed the necessary inputs and equipment that will power the future Ring of Fire.”
No media access
As with previous campaign stops, Poilievre did not take questions from journalists. During his last Sudbury visit before the election was officially called, he did answer four questions from the media but did not allow follow-ups.
A call for change
The Conservative leader concluded his remarks with a rallying cry:
“Change is only a few days away. Are you going to get out and vote for change? ... We will rebuild our military ... We will honor our legends and our heroes ... We will make this the freest country on earth.”
Polls open Monday
Polls open April 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. across Canada.
