TORONTO – The endorsement received by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre over the weekend is significant, because it comes from the very “sector” in which his main opponent, Liberal leader (and incumbent prime minister) Mark Carney, has held highly prestigious roles such as governor of the Bank of Canada and governor of the Bank of England. 

The endorsement for Poilievre came, indeed, from a group of over thirty current and former executives of credit institutions and companies, such as the CEO of Fairfax Financial, Prem Watsa, the CEO of Canaccord Genuity, Dan Daviau, the former CEO of RBC Capital Markets, Anthony Fell, and the former CEO of Scotiabank, Brian Porter. According to them, the Conservative Party led by Pierre Poilievre represents the best solution to manage the slowdown in Canada’s economic growth.

Poilievre’s support for the upcoming federal election came in the form of an open letter (in the pic below) published in several Canadian newspapers. “Productivity has stalled. Economic growth has slowed. Our GDP per capita is shrinking” the letter reads. “Nevertheless, this decline is not inevitable, and it’s not the Canada we know and love” …to turn things around, the letter says, Canada must eliminate barriers to productivity by simplifying permit procedures and reducing outdated regulations that impede investment and job creation. The letter’s signatories also say the government must be more disciplined in spending, impose lower taxes to make Canada more competitive, and develop the country’s natural resources by building pipelines, expanding mining, and investing in the energy sector.

“That is why” the letter concludes, “we are supporting Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party of Canada. They have a clear plan to address these issues and get Canada back on track. It’s because of President Trump’s threats that Pierre’s plan makes so much sense. We hope you will join us in supporting the Conservative Party”.

The letter, also signed by former RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust founder Edward Sonshine, Mattamy Homes CEO Peter Gilgan and former Toronto Blue Jays chairman Paul Godfrey, is one of the strongest demonstrations of support Poilievre has ever received from the business community.

The signal is very strong, especially considering that Poilievre’s competitor, the Liberal Carney, spent much of the election campaign extolling his experience as the leader of central banks in Canada and England and arguing that this experience makes him the best equipped to deal with the country’s economic difficulties and the tariff threats of US President Donald Trump.

The Conservatives interpreted the letter as a signal that their program is gaining traction among business leaders. “Pierre Poilievre’s Canada First Economic Action Plan is being recognized as a strong plan to lower taxes and eliminate red tape to unleash our industries and bring home powerful paycheques for our people and a thriving economy” Conservative spokesman Sam Lilly said in a statement.

The endorsement came at the end of a week during which Poilievre had announced his plan to reduce red tape. An initiative on which Carney had followed him, in turn proposing his own anti-red tape plan. The signatories of the letter, however, evidently consider Poilievre’s plan more credible.

Carney has not commented on their endorsement — at least as of this writing — but NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has. “It’s not surprising,” he said, that some business leaders are supporting Poilievre and Carney because they’re giving tax breaks to the ultra-rich, instead of focusing on “what people really need: health care, housing and support when they lose their jobs. Canadians work hard, but they’re falling behind,” Singh said. “Wages aren’t keeping up, housing is out of reach, and public services are stretched thin. The economy isn’t working for most people…”

Meanwhile, Poilievre went even deeper today, pledging to introduce new legislation that would tighten transparency rules for elected officials (see the article below), and directly attacking Mark Carney, accusing the Liberal leader of “hiding from the public” by not answering questions for several days and refusing to provide Canadians with more information about his investments and “multimillion-dollar conflicts of interest…”. Carney, who served as Brookfield’s board chair from August 2022 until he resigned in January to run for the Liberal Party leadership, continues to face scrutiny over the firm’s tax practices. Brookfield has reportedly registered multiple business entities in the tax havens of the Cayman Islands and Bermuda, CTV reported. And it’s in targeting Carney that the Conservatives and NDP have both pledged to close “offshore tax loopholes” if they win the election.

In the pic above, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre during his message today in Ottawa, before going to Montreal (screenshot from Twitter X – @PierrePoilievre)

Conservatives announce crackdown on corruption. NDP: “A Plan for Northern Ontario”

OTTAWA – A new Conservative government would introduce the Accountability Act 2.0 to “clean the house,” end corruption and put Canada first, as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced in Ottawa today, promising – if he wins the next federal election on April 28 – a series of legislative initiatives to: “Ban shadow lobbying so politicians work for you; Increase fines for ethics violations to $10,000; Require politicians to disclose where they filed taxes for the last 7 years; Mandate new Party leaders to disclose assets within 30 days and new Prime Ministers to divest within 30 days“.

Poilievre then traveled to Montreal for an interview on the popular Quebec talk show “Tout le monde en parle” which is scheduled to host both Poilievre and Carney tonight (but not at the same time). The influential Radio-Canada program regularly reaches nearly a million viewers a week and is seen as a crucial way for federal party leaders to introduce themselves to Quebec: for Carney, it is an important test because his ability to speak French has been under scrutiny since he struggled during the French-language debate in the Liberal leadership race.

Today, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh held a press conference in Timmins, Ontario, where he outlined his plan for Northern Ontario. “For too many people in the North, life is getting harder” Singh said. “It’s harder to find a doctor, it’s harder to afford groceries, it’s harder to access basic services. And now, with Trump threatening Canadian jobs, people need leaders who will stand up for them and make sure Ottawa never forgets the North…”

The NDP’s “Plan for Northern Ontario” (you can read the whole document here) therefore includes a series of initiatives to solve the health crisis in the North: making food accessible again, rebuilding roads and ending isolation and enhancing the bilingualism that characterizes Northern Ontario. “We believe Canada works best when no one is left behind” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said. “That’s why sending more New Democrats to Ottawa matters—because we’ll fight to protect what makes Canada, Canada: public health care, strong communities, and a promise that no matter where you live, you’re never on your own”.