Relatively minor adjustments would broaden the Conservative leader's appeal

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Pierre Poilievre is surely looking forward to what 2026 will bring. But while the new year may still be in its infancy, there are two pressing matters he needs to deal with right off the bat.

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First, he faces a mandatory leadership review at the Conservative Party’s national convention in Calgary from Jan. 29-31. A few left-leaning political commentators have attempted to turn this into a big deal. They point to a Dec. 11, 2025 Angus Reid Institute survey that showed only 58 per cent of “recent Conservative voters” want him to stay on as leader in the next election. That survey doesn’t tell the whole story, however. There’s a big difference between the views of loyal Conservative party members, who are strongly behind Poilievre, and the unreliable, ever-shifting allegiances of Canadian voters. The former group, and not the latter, will ultimately decide Poilievre’s fate.

Poilievre will likely end up with around 80 per cent support at the convention, if not more. He will then face a second and more daunting task: how to regain his lost political momentum.

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