Pierre Poilievre holds Bring It Home rally at RBC Place in London
Pierre Poilievre holds Bring It Home rally at RBC Place in London: On Sunday afternoon, Pierre Poilievre held a “Bring It Home” rally at RBC Place in London, which was attended by more than 2,500 people, including many students from Western University. The rally, which began at 2 p.m., took place just hours before the Liberal Party leadership election. Poilievre used the opportunity to directly criticize Mark Carney, who was later announced as the new Liberal leader and will become Canada’s 24th prime minister. In his 40-minute speech, Poilievre addressed key issues such as a carbon tax, crime, drug use, housing costs and gun laws, and devoted a significant portion of his remarks to Carney and his relationship with Justin Trudeau.
Poilèvre accused the Liberal Party of misleading Canadians on economic policies, particularly the carbon tax. “They are going to play a dirty trick by replacing Justin Trudeau with his economic advisor, Mark Carney,” he said. Carney has previously suggested moving away from consumer carbon taxes in favor of green alternatives, but Poilèvre suggested that the inconsistencies in Carney’s promises would not lead to real change.
Mark Carney, who previously served as governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, won the leadership election with 85.9% of the vote. His financial experience has been a focal point for Poilèvre’s criticism. The Conservative leader accused Carney of exploiting fiscal “loopholes” and said that this had played a role in driving up taxes, housing costs and food prices. As Poilivre supporters filled the stage, they chanted “Bring him home,” indicating their support for his campaign message.
One of Poilievre’s strongest attacks on Carney has centered on allegations that he personally benefited from the move of billions of dollars and thousands of jobs from Canada. Poilievre has claimed that Carney was involved in moving the headquarters of major investment firm Brookfield Asset Management from Toronto to New York, although Carney’s campaign has made it clear that the decision was made after he left the company’s board. Poilievre has also pledged to amend the conflict of interest law that would require party leadership candidates to disclose their financial positions in an effort to increase transparency.
During the rally, Poilievre also took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic stance toward Canada. Along with Andrew Lawton, the Conservative candidate for Elgin-St. Thomas-London South criticized how Trump has threatened Canada with tariffs and suggested that the country could be treated as the 51st U.S. state under weak leadership. “Donald Trump will have a big smile on his face as he uses all of Carney’s many conflicts to attack Canadian workers and Canadian jobs,” Poilievre warned.
Poilievre’s key promises include his plan to roll back the Liberal capital gains tax, a policy he previously promised to eliminate in an effort to ease the financial burden on businesses and investors. He argued that cutting taxes on energy and investment would encourage companies to keep their operations and capital in Canada. “We need boots, not suits in this country,” he declared, drawing a rousing response from the crowd.
Pierre Poilievre holds Bring It Home rally at RBC Place in London
The rally attracted several Western University students, including Matt Lasker, a second-year Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies student and member of the Western University Conservatives Club. Lasker stressed the importance of political engagement: “It’s important to know who’s going to run the country and you have to invest in your future.” He said: “I want the cost of living to come down. “I want things to be more accessible for people my age and I think Pierre fits my interests.” Lasker estimated that about 30 Western Conservative members attended the rally, describing the atmosphere as “electric.”
Not everyone who attended was there to support Poilievre. As conservative rally-goers left RBC Place London, they were met by counter-protesters holding signs with messages like “Proud to be Progressive” and “Poilievre.” Among them was Noah Reid, a former Western student who said he was there to challenge Poilievre’s message. “I’m trying to show the rest of London that [Poilievre] doesn’t have the credentials he thinks he has.” Tensions rose outside the venue as opposing political views clashed, with some protesters accusing the rallygoers of being “white supremacists” and “Trump lovers.” About 20 officers from the London Police Service were present to maintain order.
One of the counter-protesters, Will Ippoltio, a graduate student in social work at King’s University College, originally planned to crash the demonstration but instead joined the demonstration outside. “I can’t go against my people. I agree with these people a lot more than what they’re saying,” he explained. He criticized the Conservative government’s approach to governance, stating: “It’s common sense to make sure homeless people have a home to live in. “That’s real leadership.”
With the federal election coming up in September, the political climate in Canada has heated up. Poilivre’s rally represents a determined effort to boost Conservative support, but Carney’s victory as Liberal leader presents a new challenge. As the campaigns heat up, the two parties will compete for voter confidence in what is shaping up to be a crucial election season.