New Delhi: Canada’s Leader of the Opposition, Pierre Poilievre, 45, has blamed the Justin Trudeau-led Liberal government for rising antisemitism or the “staggering increase in hate crimes” against Jews in the North American country. During question period Monday in the House of Commons, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada also accused Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly of “pandering” to Hamas supporters.
Poilievre criticised the Canadian government’s handling of protests and hate crimes targeting Jewish institutions. He said Israel has fought many wars in the past, yet, “those wars did not spill onto Canadian streets,” highlighting an unprecedented rise in hate crimes.
According to police data, with 203 confirmed incidents, Canada’s most populous city, Toronto, saw a 93 percent rise in hate crimes since October 2023, compared to the previous year. Of the 84 hate crimes reported this year, 56 percent were antisemitic.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) noted that in 2023, there were at least 900 cases where Jews were targets of hate crimes in Canada.
In a fiery speech at an event, marking one year since the Hamas attack on Israel last October, where both Trudeau and Poilievre spoke, the latter targeted Trudeau’s policies and handling of recent hate crimes. While Trudeau expressed sympathy for the Jewish community and the resilience and hope within the community as they rebuild, and support for Canada’s Jewish population, Poilievre seized the moment to lambast the government’s policies, appointments, and handling of subsequent attacks on Jewish institutions.
The Conservative leader further criticised Trudeau’s appointments, pointing to controversial figures like Birju Dattani and Laith Marouf, questioning why hatred now appears to have “found a home” in Canada. Poilievre also used this opportunity to pitch himself and the Conservatives as an alternative to Trudeau’s ruling government. “I will vote against anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations. I will back Israel’s right to defend itself,” he said.
“This is not the first war that Israel has had to fight. There have countless wars where Israel has had to defend its very existence. Those wars did not spill onto Canadian streets,” Poilievre said. “We did not have hate crimes taking over Jewish communities, protests, Jewish homes, Jewish hospitals and Jewish businesses.”
Poilievre’s comments came weeks after Trudeau’s party lost a crucial by-election in the former Liberal stronghold in Montreal to the Conservatives. It was a setback, especially after the loss in Toronto earlier this year, and the withdrawal of support from ‘kingmaker’ Jagdeep Singh and his New Democratic Party (NDP).
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Poilievre uses alliteration and is apparently always on the attack.
In April, he was ejected from the House of Commons after refusing to retract his description of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a “wacko”, a term used 79 times in the House throughout the year, according to Radio Canada.
Poilievre frequently attacks Trudeau’s economic and social policies. “For the Conservative leader, there seems to be no such thing as overstatement. And he seems to feel it’s almost always worth going on the attack,” a report by CBC News quoted him as saying.
In a September speech, Poilievre asserted, “After nine years, this prime minister is not worth the cost. Taxes are up, costs are up, crime’s up. Time’s up.”
Poilievre has not hesitated to go after individual ministers either, labelling Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland “incompetent and discredited”, Housing Minister Sean Fraser the “worst immigration minister,” and Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault “crazy”.
Poilievre’s popularity
After a Conservative Party convention in Quebec City last September, which gathered an audience of over 2,500, Poilievre was called the “undisputed star” by Politico, whereas Vox called his right-wing politics “Canada’s polite Trumpism”.
Poilievre has called Trudeau “elite” and attacked his government’s decision to
continue funding public broadcaster CBC.
His campaign has focused on reducing the cost of living, repealing the carbon tax, and promising “better times ahead” for Canadians.
With his growing popularity, Poilievre is now seen as the man who could beat Trudeau.
According to a September poll by Paris-based multinational market research and consulting firm Ipsos, 67 percent of Canadians are dissatisfied with the government. While Trudeau’s approval ratings remain low, Poilievre has become the top choice for prime minister.
An August poll by Ottawa-based market research firm Abacus Data shows that if an election were held today, 42 percent of committed voters would choose the Conservatives, compared to 25 percent for the Liberals. While elections in Canada are scheduled for 2025, the Conservatives are pushing for early polls, ramping up pressure on Trudeau to resign, while trying to persuade the NDP to support a no-confidence vote against the government.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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