Noteworthy: Is Poilievre losing his grip on the Conservative Party of Canada?

By Bruce Penton on November 12, 2025.

Can Pierre Poilievre gather enough support at January’s leadership review to remain the Conservative Party of Canada boss?

Normally, such reviews require a leader to get about 67 per cent support from delegates, but Poilievre could have trouble reaching that threshold after recent events.

Late last winter, Poilievre had the CPC in perfect position to form government – a 20-point lead over the Liberals. But a Justin Trudeau resignation and Mark Carney arrival on the scene completely turned the tables. That big lead collapsed and the Liberals won a near majority in the April 28 election, leading to questions about the future of Poilievre, who lost his own Ontario seat.

The leader got back into the House of Commons after winning a byelection in Alberta, but events in Ottawa last week created a black cloud hanging over the CPC leader. One of his MPs, Chris d’Entremont from Nova Scotia, crossed the floor and joined the Liberals following Carney’s first budget. The rebel MP said he disagreed with Poilievre’s leadership style. The next day, another CPC MP, Matt Jeneroux of Edmonton, announced his resignation. “This long standing decision reflects my desire to spend more time with my family,” said Jeneroux, who said nothing about dissatisfaction with his leader.

Still, people drew their own conclusions and it will probably serve to make it more difficult for Poilievre to carry on as leader following the January review.

Recent polling (October of this year) basically said Canadians really aren’t enamoured with Poilievre. Only 30 per cent of those polled had a favourable view of the CPC leader, an all-time low, said pollster Ekos, while Carney had a 59 per-cent approval rating.

It seems if the Conservatives are to form government in the near future, a fresh face at the helm of the party is a must. I don’t pretend to know what goes on in Ottawa, but my best guess is Conservative operatives are frantically searching for that fresh face.

â€¢ We’re in the midst of the season that has two acceptable names: Fall and autumn. None of the other seasons, winter, spring and summer, have a secondary name option.

The Oxford Dictionary says the correct term is autumn, with ‘fall’ simply being an Americanism. It’s short for ‘fall of the leaves’, according to the Oxford folks.

â€¢ Random thoughts while out for a walk on a breezy but pleasant morning in the Hat.

– A dead bird was lying just off the sidewalk and on closer inspection, it was a blue jay. Wonder when it died, I thought to myself. Said my other voice: Probably a week ago Saturday night, around 9:30.

– A car was approaching and my first thought was, man, that fellow’s got a homely wife. As the vehicle got closer, I realized it was a shaggy haired Collie sitting in the front seat.

– Listening on my headphones to my Spotify playlist, the Moody Blues’ Tuesday Afternoon was playing. I’ll bet every day of the week is represented somehow in pop song titles, I said to myself, and sure enough – Monday Monday by the Mamas and the Papas, Ruby Tuesday by the Stones joins the aforementioned Moody Blues’ song; Wednesday Morning 3 a.m. by Simon and Garfunkel; Thursday by the Weeknd; Friday I’m in Love by the Cure; S-a-t-u-r-d-a-y by the Bay City Rollers and Saturday in the Park by Chicago; and Pleasant Valley Sunday by the Monkees; and Sunday Morning by Maroon Five.

What else is there to do while out for a walk than enjoy nature and think of silly, obscure things?

â€¢ If I were a member of the Canadian classic rock band, Chilliwack, my tour organizer would be … gone, gone, gone, she’d be gone so long.

After 55 years on the Canadian music scene, Chilliwack is in the midst of its career-ending Farewell to Friends tour. But instead of a nice, steady tour across the country from east to west, or vice-versa, they’re playing the concert version of hop-scotch. Maybe arena dates weren’t available so the band could play logical geographically friendly venues such as Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, Kamloops, Kelowna, etc. Or maybe they fly to their concerts and they’re trying to get rid of a vast number of air miles.

Whatever the reason, does this itinerary make sense? Aug 17, Winnipeg; Aug. 28, Ottawa; Aug. 30, Rama, Ont.; Sept. 13, Kamloops; Sept. 19, London, Ont.; Sept. 23, Victoria.

Chilliwack also went from Regina on Nov. 8 to Ottawa on Nov. 11; Atlantic Canada for two dates Nov. 13 and 15; and then Mission, B.C. Nov. 21.

No Medicine Hat date, as far as I can see, but their online schedule advises fans to watch for further dates and venues. Medicine Hat-Halifax-Tofino on back-to-back nights might make sense to Chilliwack.