With rising interest rates and an overwhelming majority of Canadians worried about a recession, Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre is tapping into growing unease about the economy — and his recent attack on the Bank of Canada is all part of his strategy, according to pollster Nik Nanos.
A Nanos Research survey for the Globe and Mail found that four out of five Canadians (81per cent) were either concerned or somewhat concerned about Canada heading into a recession. Only seven per cent of those surveyed expressed no concern.
It’s in this environment that Poilievre, the perceived frontrunner for the Conservative leadership, went after the Bank of Canada, calling it a “financially illiterate” institution.
“This puts into clarity what the Poilievre strategy is. He is the anti-establishment candidate,” said Nanos on the latest episode of CTV’s Trend Line. “That’s his positioning.”
Nanos added it’s likely “good positioning” for him against leadership opponent Jean Charest, who was a former Progressive Conservative member of the Brian Mulroney cabinet and premier of Quebec.
Nanos said Poilievre is effectively targeting the portion of the electorate that perceives the system as broken and needs to be recast.
“And I think that’s why we’re seeing Pierre Poilievre do a full frontal assault on the Bank of Canada. And you know what? Expect more, because this is his core positioning, him as the anti-establishment outsider, there as an agent of change and then the other candidates as the establishment.”
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