Pierre Poilievre draws cheers and criticism at Alberta byelection debate

National Post

30-07-2025

Pierre Poilievre was greeted with cheers and applause by the hundreds of Albertans who showed up to watch a two-and-a-half-hour political debate on a sunny Tuesday evening in July.
Article content
The Camrose and District Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidates' forum featuring 10 of the people who are vying to represent Battle River—Crowfoot in the Aug. 18 byelection.
Article content
Damien Kurek won more than 82 per cent of the vote in the April election. He resigned to allow Poilievre, who lost his own seat in the Ottawa riding of Carleton, the chance to return to the House of Commons in the fall.
Article content
Article content
A crowd of Poilievre's supporters was outside the venue before things got underway, many carrying signs with his name. Inside, the signs had to be put away.
Article content
The moderator kept a tight schedule, cutting off the microphones of anyone who ran over their allotted time as the candidates answered a range of questions submitted by the public about the economy, health care privatization, electoral reform and immigration.
Article content
The candidates seated at a long table on a stage occasionally took aim at Poilievre, particularly for the fact that he does not live in the riding and is running to progress his political career.
Article content
Liberal candidate Darcy Spady introduced himself by saying, 'I'm from Three Hills, and I don't want to be prime minister' — a line that elicited chuckles from the crowd and from Poilievre when he repeated it.
Article content
Article content
Spady said he wanted to bring local issues to the government caucus and give an electorate that has historically voted Conservative the option of voting in a centrist.
Article content
'I'd like to grow the culture so the next generation can say, 'Oh, we can choose a Liberal, a Conservative, a moderate, a NDP,' he said in an interview after the debate.
Article content
'The stigma of only voting to the right here, in my home, all my life… I don't like that.'
Article content
Poilievre argued that electing the leader of a political party is a trade-off — leaders are on the road much of the time, he said. 'The other side, though, is that leader can bring a very powerful megaphone to the local issues of the community,' he added.