Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre listens to a question during a media availability on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
OTTAWA – Pierre Poilievre says he doesn’t like the expletive-laden flags some Canadians are using to denounce Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
But the federal Conservative leader also says he understands the anger fuelling such displays, and that it is up to the government and politicians to address it.
The comments follow a blog post by Erin O’Toole, who served as Conservative leader before Poilievre.
O’Toole says he is concerned that the flags are symptomatic of the growing political polarization in Canada, which is normalizing rage and aggressive rhetoric.
The flags have become particularly linked to the “Freedom Convoy” protests, whose members Poilievre courted during his run for the Conservative leadership.
Poilievre says it’s easy for politicians to tell people to stop complaining, but that many Canadians are angry because they are hurting financially and in other ways.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 30, 2022.
