Canadian Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre’s chief of staff, Ian Todd, has announced his retirement, furthering the party’s leadership uncertainty in the lead-up to the next general election. The loss of two senior staff members highlights the party’s retooling as they face the likelihood of staying as the opposition party in a majority government era. Politicians and their supporters are adjusting to the new reality, while the next election will ultimately turn on whether the government delivers on its promises.
is losing another member of his inner circle, with his chief of staff announcing Tuesday that he will retire at the end of the parliamentary sitting.
Chief of staff Ian Todd’s departure comes on the heels of Katy Merrifield, Mr. Poilievre’s director of communications, announcing last month she was leaving Ottawa to return home to B.C. The loss of two senior staff members in a matter of weeks highlights how the Conservatives are retooling as they grapple with what it looks like to be the opposition party in a majority government era.
Mr. Todd became chief of staff shortly after Mr. Poilievre took over the party leadership in 2022, and his departure was expected eventually. In a letter circulated to the media, he said that after five decades on the front lines of politics, it was time to move on.
Shannon Proudfoot: Pierre Poilievre encounters nothing but jerks, all day long Both Ms. Merrifield and Mr. Todd expressed their support for Mr. Poilievre, signalling their departures are not a vote of non-confidence in his leadership. Still, the question remains of how Mr. Poilievre will keep his team motivated and aligned in the months to come. The federal Conservatives have not won an election since 2011, and headed into the 2025 campaign, many have believed Mr. Poilievre represented their best shot.
At one point in 2024, public support for the Tories was so high the party was projected to win more than 200 seats. Then Justin Trudeau resigned as Liberal leader, Mark Carney replaced him, the general election ended up turning on the question of governance amid geopolitical upheaval, and the Liberals emerged with another minority government. The Tories did pick up seats, including in ridings they’ve never held before and won more of the popular vote than in the past.
But Mr. Poilievre ended up losing his own seat and had to run in a by-election to get back in the House of Commons. The MP who stepped aside to create the opening, Damien Kurek, will run in that seat again, the party’s national council has declared, so where Mr. Poilievre will run in the next election“I‘ll run in a riding that I think that I can well represent in the House of Commons,” Mr. Poilievre told The Globe and Mail’s editorial board on Friday.
As the Official Opposition in a minority government, Mr. Poilievre’s party had influence over whether the Carney Liberals could implement their agenda, as the government needed support of opposing parties to get anything done. But after four Conservative MPs and one New Democrat crossed the floor to join the Liberal caucus, and the party won three April by-elections, the Liberals now have the majority of seats and can press ahead largely unencumbered.
The fact that this threat has now receded is demonstrated by who is replacing Mr. Todd as chief of staff: Steve Outhouse, who had been appointed in November as the Tories’ campaign manager for the next election. More than half of Conservative voters want Poilievre to lead the party into next election Many MPs who ran under Mr. Poilievre’s banner had done so in the belief their party would be in government.
That they are chafing at still being in opposition is showcased by those who crossed the floor saying they’d rather be on the governing side. The defections, and slumping poll numbers, have lowered morale in caucus; Conservative MPs have taken to checking their local polling numbers weekly and gaming out amongst themselves how many of them will lose their seats next time.
The questions of who might replace Mr. Poilievre and when are quietly being raised within the ranks, though no challenger has declared themself. At The Globe’s editorial board, the question of caucus morale was put to Mr. Poilievre and he was asked how he’ll keep his team under those uncertain conditions. He said there are no bad seats in the House of Commons, and he and his MPs will keep fighting on behalf of their voters from the last election.
The next election will turn on whether Mr. Carney has delivered what he promised, Mr. Poilievre said.
“I think there’s still a lot of illusion about what he will eventually do, but that illusion can’t survive three years. It might be able to survive another year, but it can’t survive three years,” Mr. Poilievre said.
Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre Chief Of Staff Retirement Leadership Uncertainty Next General Election Blow To Party's Confidence Party's Influence Recedes Caucus Morale Justin Trudeau Political Positions
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