Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre opened his caucus meeting in Ottawa with a wide-ranging speech that touched on the economy, housing, inflation, crime, immigration, and Canada’s international position.
He highlighted the issues: job security, inflation, home building, natural resources, crime, and drug policy. Poilievre said his caucus would continue to push for a Canada “where hard work is rewarded, food and homes are affordable, streets are safe, borders are secure, and everyone is united under our proud flag.”
Poilievre criticized Carney’s performance. He argued that promises of the “fastest growing economy in the G7” had resulted instead in the “fastest shrinking economy” with high unemployment, household debt, and housing prices. He said grocery bills continue to rise despite assurances they would come down.
Poilievre noted Carney’s commitment to double home building, but said government projections now anticipate a 13 per cent decline. He accused the prime minister of adding bureaucracy rather than accelerating construction, saying Canada already has land, builders, trades, and financing in place. He said a newly established housing office had not yet delivered a single home.
Poilievre also challenged Carney’s pledge to approve “nation-building projects at unimaginable speeds.” He said no new permits have been granted in the past six months, while projects already under construction were re-announced. He added that Canadians should not accept what he called delays and distractions.
He compared deficit spending under Carney to levels “100 per cent bigger than what Justin Trudeau left behind.” Poilievre also pointed to an outflow of $62 billion in investment, which he described as the largest in Canadian history over five months.
Poilievre argued that Canadians are now facing higher unemployment, higher costs of living, reduced home construction, greater divisions, worsening crime, and growing immigration pressures.
Despite the criticism, Poilievre said Conservatives would work with other parties to make the fall session successful. He pointed to their cooperation in the spring and said the party would continue to support policies they agree with while opposing those they do not.
He laid out Conservative proposals on housing, including removing GST on homes up to $1.3 million, eliminating capital gains taxes when proceeds are reinvested into building homes, incentivizing municipalities to accelerate permits and reduce development charges, and capping immigration levels to align with housing supply.
Poilievre framed these ideas as part of a broader mission: stronger take-home pay with lower taxes, safer streets through tougher crime policies, solid borders through immigration limits, and economic self-reliance through resource development and reduced bureaucracy. He reiterated support for a “Canadian Sovereignty Act” to advance pipelines, ports, power lines, mines, and LNG plants.
He concluded by saying the Conservative goal is a Canada where people can “afford their lives and live in safe streets,” with affordable homes, secure borders, and unity under the national flag.