Pierre Poilievre has been elected leader of Canada’s federal Conservative Party.
Poilievre, a party veteran, won the leadership on the first ballot. He was first elected a Member of Parliament back in 2004.
Known for many hardline views on social and economic issues, Poilievre campaigned for the Conservative leadership on the simple slogan “freedom.”
Poilievre, age 43, supports people who oppose vaccinations, has criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's spending during the pandemic, and has threatened to abolish the Bank of Canada.
He currently represents the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton and is popular among many of the Conservative Party's grassroots members.
Poilievre was raised in Calgary, Alberta and his first job on Parliament Hill was in 2002 when he worked as political staffer for former conservative leader Stockwell Day.
Most recently, Poilievre served as the Conservative Party’s finance critic, where he criticized government spending and deficits, a message that grew louder once the COVID-19 pandemic hit and inflation surged across Canada.
Some political observers were quick to criticize the choice of Poilievre as Conservative Party leader, saying his extreme views are unlikely to appeal to a majority of Canadians in a general election.
