PENTICTON 鈥 Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre used the term "Lost Liberal Decade" almost a dozen times, promising better days ahead when his Conservative Party becomes government in the upcoming federal election.
He spoke during a raucous rally of supporters in Penticton late Saturday afternoon.
Poilievre, who held a press conference in Osoyoos earlier Saturday morning, spent much of his one-hour speech highlighting the failures of the Liberal Party and new leader Mark Carney, while promising economic prosperity and renewal for Canadians from coast to coast if elected in the upcoming federal election on April 29.
Speaking before a packed house of supporters, estimated at close to 3,000, in a warehouse in the Innovation District, Poilievre gave a rousing address as his supporters gave him numerous standing ovations on topics such as housing, crime, drugs, the economy, the price of housing, and much more during his one-hour address.
He also said he's the only leader in Canada qualified and willing to stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump and his tariff war against Canada.
He didn't mention former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by name hardly at all, except to say that Carney, as Trudeau's economic adviser for much of his three terms as Prime Minister, is largely responsible for the economic policies that have caused the price of housing and food to skyrocket across the country since Trudeau was elected in 2015.
"After the lost Liberal decade, where they drove away half a trillion investment dollars south of the border with high taxes... we need a change," said Poilievre, who was accompanied to the rally by his wife Anna and their two small children. "We don't allow a fourth Liberal term of rising costs, crime, and a falling economy under America's thumb. We need a new Conservative government that will put Canada first for a change while bringing our jobs home."
"It's time to unleash our mighty resource sector," said Poilievre, earning arguably his loudest standing ovation of the speech.
"We have the second-slowest building permits anywhere in the developed world. This blocks us from building things," he added.
The Liberals are responsible for policies that block massive resource development and pipelines, he said.
"This means we will forever be dependent on the Americans for our economic future," he said. "Right now, we are giving Americans our oil $14 below the world price because we have no other customers, and they know it."
The Liberals' "keep it in the ground" ideology with Canada's massive oil reserves has this country missing out on billions of dollars in economic benefits, and these policies would change once he's elected, said Poilievre.
"Make no mistake, don't be fooled by the banker's haircut and the fancy corporate suit," he said. "Mark Carney is 100 per cent against our energy sector. He said that we would have to leave 80 per cent of our proven oil reserves in the ground... ladies and gentlemen, we're going to reverse the lost Liberal decade."
"We will rapidly approve pipelines, built by Canadian workers using Canadian steel with Canadian money," he declared.
At this point in his speech, Poilievre poured on the charm, picking out and speaking to a little girl named Avery for a minute or so, calling her Canada's future prime minister.
"That's the future right there, everybody," he said. "What an exciting future we have for these kids. We're going to give them an incredible future. We're going to show them this is a nation of boundless opportunity."
Poilievre promised to build dozens of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants across the country, which would generate "tens of billions of dollars" in economic benefits for all Canadians.
His government would sponsor 350,000 training spots in various trades across the country soon after being elected, he said.
"We need to get our young apprentices trained up," he said. "We need boots, not suits."
A corporate CEO can write off expenses while flying on a private jet, while talented tradespeople across Canada can only claim $4,000 in expenses annually, he pointed out.
"Some of these guys fly across the country 15 or 20 times a year," he said. "That's why I've announced we're going to bring in tax fairness for traveling trades workers and allow them to write off the full amount of travel expenses," he said. "After the Liberal decade of blocking our resources, taxing our workers, and driving our billions of dollars into the hands of Americans, do they deserve a fourth Liberal term, or is it time for a new Conservative government that will put Canada first and bring home our resource industry?"
There are more than 20,000 immigrant doctors and 32,000 nurses who the Liberals have not allowed to practice medicine, which is unacceptable when more than six million Canadians don't have a family doctor, he said.
"They cannot practice, even though they're qualified," he added.
His government would introduce a "blue seal" program that would allow qualified doctors and nurses from other countries who now live in Canada to quickly have their skills recognized without having to go through endless red tape to practice medicine in Canada, he said.
Canada's severe problems with crime are not only present in Penticton but across the country, and Liberal policies are largely responsible for the enormous increase in crime rates, he said.
"Ten long years of catch-and-release, 'hug-a-thug' Liberal laws have violent crime raging out of control," he said. "It's up 50 per cent. Gun crime is up 116 per cent, they've more than doubled. Drug overdoses are pouring onto our streets, showing up in these terrible tent cities, where many of our loved ones are losing their lives."
"The obvious cause of this is the radical Liberal agenda, which Mark Carney continues to support."
A new Conservative government would legislate much harsher penalties against repeat offenders and end "catch and release" bail programs for offenders who have proven they can't abide by society's laws and rules, he said.
"We will bring in jail, not bail. No one convicted of multiple offenses will be eligible for bail, probation, parole, or house arrest," he said. "It will be jail, not bail, and our streets will once again be safe."
Failing to come down hard on criminals who use mainly American-imported handguns, while "going after Uncle Joe's hunting rifle," shows how out of touch Liberal policies on guns are, he added.
British Columbia has become "ground zero for the most radical Liberal experiments," highlighted by the failed experiment to legalize hard drugs and allow addicts to access some of the most lethal drugs on the planet, he said.
Many of the same addicts were selling less lethal drugs to children in order to purchase fentanyl and other harder drugs, he said.
"This Liberal experiment has been absolutely lethal," he said. "The overdose rate has risen by 300 per cent in sa国际传媒 In fact, British Columbia is the fentanyl overdose capital of the world, because this is the province that most enthusiastically embraced the radical Liberal agenda on drugs."
The Conservatives would ban hard drugs across Canada and introduce life sentences in prison for dealers and gangs who bring and sell lethal drugs like fentanyl into the country, he said.
The focus must be on treatment and rehabilitation, offering counseling, physical exercise, job placement, and housing to get addicts off drugs and back on their feet, reconnecting with their families, he said.
"We will help them take responsibility for their kids and repair the damage that's been done in their lives," he said. "Our message to every single person out there is if you're struggling with addiction, hang on, help is on the way."
Housing prices have escalated faster than at any time in history and faster than in any other G7 country over the past 10 years, he said.
Vancouver is now the third-most expensive housing market in the world, he said.
"For the first time in history, an entire generation of youth can't even dream of owning a home," he said. "It takes 29 years to save up for the down payment on the average house in Vancouver for the average family."
Electing Liberals for a fourth term in power would continue the economic failures that have plagued the country since Justin Trudeau was elected 10 years ago, he said.
The Conservative Party is the only one in Canada with a detailed plan "to take back control of our economic future, build a new economic fortress that is strong enough to resist interference or tariffs from the Americans, and allow Canadians to make their own stock, trade with each other, restore our strength, stand on our own two feet, and stand up against the Americans."
In the crowd were longtime MP Dan Albas and newly-appointed Conservative Party federal candidate and city councillor Helena Konanz, along with her family.
The average Canadian is now paying more in different taxes than they spend on food, clothing, and shelter combined, which has never happened before in our country's history, he said.
Carney has already announced he would spend billions more on top of the "already morbidly obese government devouring all our money in Ottawa today. We need the exact opposite of that."
Carney has eliminated the carbon tax on working Canadians, but it's a ploy, as he will reintroduce it down the road if elected, he said.
He would "axe the carbon tax on everything for everyone for real, for good, and for change," he said.
Stopping "out-of-control spending in Ottawa" is the best way to reduce inflation, which has been hurting so many Canadians for too long, he said.
Poilievre called "the Okanagan the most beautiful place in the world," as his parents and family vacationed there for many years while he was a kid growing up in Calgary.
Poilievre said he was overwhelmed by the overflow crowd of supporters who showed up, estimating more than 3,000 took their time to listen to his "common-sense" policies.
Poilievre ended his speech by saying his government would allow Canadians to prosper with economic policies designed to promote success for everyone.
"Everyone from anywhere can achieve anything," he said. "If you are that single mom who is going to bed hungry wondering how you will feed your kids, have hope, change is on the way," he said. "If you are a 55-year-old mother who doesn't know where your 20-year-old is gone, having been addicted to drugs, hang on, help is on the way for you too."
"If you're that poor, retired veteran wondering how you're going to be able to pay your rent for the rest of your life, have hope, change is on the way. I'm here to say change is coming. We're going to restore the Canadian promise that anyone who works hard will get a great life in a beautiful house on a safe street, protected by brave troops under our proud Canadian flag. Canada First 2025."
Polieveresa国际传媒 address was streamed live on YouTube.
Polievere is the first federal leader to visit the new riding during the campaign. Itsa国际传媒 unknown if the others will be coming due to the short period of time.
Stephen Fuhr, Liberal candidate in sa国际传媒, responded to Poilievere's visit.
鈥淧ierre Poilievre offered up some last-minute political soundbites in Penticton on Saturday , but after a year of saying Canada is broken, itsa国际传媒 hard to take him seriously. Many of his claims are either wildly embellished, like the so-called 15 percent income tax cut, or complete reversals, like suddenly embracing dental care after denying it even existed," Fuhr said in an email.
"He has had years to propose real policies and chose instead to traffic in slogans, division, and anger. This is the playbook of right-wing populists like Trump, Orb谩n, and Bolsonaro, who promise everything, deliver nothing, and leave chaos behind. The country deserves better leadership focused on results, not rehearsed outrage.
"Poilievre is understandably frustrated, as he is now pitted against a leader uniquely qualified for the most serious economic situation Canada has faced in generations. This leader is Prime Minister Mark Carney.鈥
