Poilievre Pledges Robust Representation for West in Stampede Address

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is promising to be a strong voice for Western Canada in the House of Commons, especially for Alberta.

Fresh off of door-to-door canvassing in the rural Albertan riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, Poilievre hosted a sold-out barbecue at Heritage Park in southeast Calgary on July 5, where he addressed a tent packed with several hundred party supporters.

The Conservative leader is working to reclaim his position in the House of Commons following his recent election loss in the Ottawa-area riding he had previously held for more than 20 years. In his remarks on July 5, Poilievre praised former Conservative MP Damien Kurek, who stepped down after securing a large majority in Battle River-Crowfoot, so the party leader could run in a byelection to regain his position in Parliament. He described Kurek as someone who upholds the values of Alberta by putting the needs of the country before his own.

Albertans “do what’s right, they help a neighbour and when it’s done they don’t expect any ‘thank you,’” said Poilievre who sported a white cowboy hat, blue jeans, and a large belt buckle. “That’s what it means to be an Albertan.”

He extolled the virtues of Conservative Albertans that came before him, including former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and promised to fight for the province he once called home.

“We’ll fight for oil and gas, for farmers, for low taxes, for decentralization, a stronger military and a smaller federal government so that we can have a bigger Alberta,” he said.

“If elected in Battle River-Crowfoot, I’ll use the platform of leader of the opposition to amplify the legitimate demands of Western Canada to end the unfair treatment,” he added. “The era of Ottawa telling Alberta to pay up and shut up must end once and for all.”

Poilievre’s speech comes at a time when dissatisfaction with the federal government is on the rise.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said many in her province are “deeply frustrated” with Ottawa due to Liberal policies she said “overtly attacked” the province’s economy for the past 10 years.” The province largely supported the Conservatives in the spring election, and some political commentators warned a Liberal victory might fuel separation sentiments in the province.

Smith has promised to allow a referendum on the province’s secession in 2026, if enough Albertans ask for it although she has said she herself does not support separation.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for national unity in the face of separatist murmurings, saying that as a former Alberta resident he loves the province and understands the concerns being raised.

Poilievre didn’t mention the separatist sentiments during his weekend speech, instead touting the need for Alberta to forge alliances with other provinces to develop and ship oil, gas, and liquefied natural gas to create more jobs and “bring home hundreds of billions of dollars in paycheques.”

Such changes may not come easy, he said, but he noted Alberta’s long history of hard work and perseverance.

“When things get hard, we dust ourselves off, we get back in the saddle, and we gallop forward to the fight,” he said.

Pancakes and Politics

Poilievre also welcomed Carney to the stampede during his speech, noting it was his rival’s first official visit to the event in his new role as the country’s leader. He took a jab at the prime minister’s cooking skills, mentioning his failed attempts to flip pancakes during a July 5 Stampede breakfast.

Carney botched several attempts to flip pancakes on the griddle, at one point splattering some members of the crowd with batter before dropping another pancake on the ground.

Poilievre also had a turn at the griddle and was more successful with his pancake flips.

“He thought he would be great at it because in his talks with Donald Trump, he’s had so much experience flip-flopping,” Poilievre told the crowd at the barbecue, referring to the ongoing discourse between the Canadian and American governments about tariffs and trade.

“A careful review of a slow-motion replay demonstrated exactly what the problem was. He couldn’t figure out whether to keep his elbows up.”

Poilievre promised the Tories would do everything the party can to help Ottawa “get a fair deal for Canada with our American friends” but would fight back “when the government is wrong.”

He argued that in spite of the Tory’s recent election loss, his party has been instrumental in influencing many of the existing policies of the current federal government, including the choice to abolish the consumer price on carbon.

He also accused Carney of “spending irresponsibly,” comparing it to that of deficits under his predecessor former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but said the new Liberal government’s deficit will be larger than it was under the prior administration.

Carney himself has been critical of some of Trudeau’s policies and has billed himself as a “catalyst” for change since the spring election campaign. 

His refusal to abolish the Assessment Act and the emissions cap for the oil and gas sector are both policies that have been unpopular in Alberta. But Carney has said his push for a “one Canadian economy” will benefit all of the provinces, including Alberta.

He has described his newly approved One Canadian Economy Act, as the best way to both remove federal barriers to interprovincial trade and fast-track major projects that are in national interest.

Carney, who has pledged to turn Canada into an “energy superpower,” has said he will work with provinces and stakeholders to develop nation-building projects—and that could include a pipeline to carry oil to the west coast if there is a “consensus” among all impacted provinces.

Poilievre pointed to the Liberal government’s track record during his speech, saying that it follows a pattern of “tax, regulate, subsidize, repeat” despite an ever-climbing deficit.

He said the Conservatives would continue to push for a “government that minds its own business” without oversight over people, business owners, and industries.

“Let workers work, let builders build,” he said to applause and cheers. “Let farmers farm, let investors invest, and let parents parent.”

While Poilievre received more than one standing ovation during his speech, Carney’s introduction during the stampede’s July 4 chuckwagon races was less positive. He was met with a mix of boos and cheers from the crowd of roughly 17,000 people as he walked on stage.

The announcer attempted to lighten the mood by saying, “They’re saying woo. I heard woo.”

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.