Latest news with #Fanjoy
Epoch Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Longest Ballot Committee Plans to Target Alberta Riding Sought by Poilievre
The Longest Ballot Committee (LBC) has announced plans to field 200 candidates in the upcoming byelection in the Alberta riding where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre seeks to secure a seat. The LBC laid out the plan in an email sent to supporters, saying the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot 'needs 200 candidates' and the group will 'do our best to make a long ballot happen.' The group also called for those living in or near the riding to help collect nomination signatures for the candidates because each person needs 100 local voters' signatures to be nominated. The move mirrors the group's targeting of the Ottawa-area Carleton riding that Poilievre lost in the April 28 election to Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy. Fanjoy received 50.8 percent of the vote in the riding, while Poilievre received 45.8 percent, coming in second for the first time since he was first elected in 2004. Poilievre announced last week that he will run in a byelection in Battle River-Crowfoot to regain a seat in the House of Commons. Conservative MP Damien Kurek, who has held the riding since 2019 and won re-election by more than The LBC, which The longest ballot movement is linked to the satirical Rhinoceros Party of Canada, which was founded in 1963 and has The independent and Rhinocerous Party-aligned candidates received 817 votes on April 28 while Fanjoy's margin of victory over Poilievre was 4,315 votes. LBC associate Donovan Eckstrom, who was o ne of the Carleton candidates, The LBC also ran 77 candidates in the Toronto-St. Paul's byelection in June 2024, resulting in voting delays. Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault told the House of Commons in November 2024 he had concerns about the protest movement making it more difficult for Canadians with language or accessibility barriers to vote. Related Stories 5/2/2025 5/1/2025 Poilievre visited the Battle River-Crowfoot riding recently, posting on social media on May 5 that he had visited Kurek's farm. 'It will be an honour to work for their support to return to Parliament, hold the government to account and champion common sense values for Canada,' the Tory leader said in a social media Prime Minister Mark Carney said during a
Ottawa Citizen
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Losing Carleton: Poilievre's defeat in rural Ottawa was years in the making
'We have much to celebrate tonight,' he told cheering supporters, vowing to continue to fight on as party leader. Poilievre thanked volunteers, the Conservative team, members of caucus, staff and others. But there was no mention of Carleton, the Ottawa-area riding Poilievre had represented for more than 20 years. That might not be surprising. As he spoke, early votes were just being counted in Carleton, but the trend was not going Poilievre's way. The Conservative party leader continued to trail his Liberal opponent, Bruce Fanjoy, as each new vote tally was reported. It is unlikely the Conservative team was completely surprised by what they were seeing. They had sent extra resources into the riding in the final weeks of the campaign amid reports that Poilievre's seat was at risk. In Fanjoy's Manotick home, meanwhile, close supporters and family members watched election coverage with bated breath as the Carleton votes slowly trickled in. When the first poll was reported decisively in Fanjoy's favour – with 265 polls yet to come – he briefly teared up. 'It was a big moment for me. It told me that what we had done had landed,' Fanjoy later told an interviewer. It would be hours before the final outcome in Carleton was known. Fanjoy went to bed and was woken a few hours later with a congratulatory phone call from his team telling him he had done what he vowed to do — defeat Poilievre to win the riding. Fanjoy won the riding by more than 4,500 votes. He did not hear from Poilievre until a week after the election when the two had a polite conversation, according to Liberal staffers. It would also be a week before Poilievre thanked the people of Carleton 'who gave me two decades as an MP' as he headed to his first post-election meeting with his caucus. By then, Poilievre had his eyes, quite literally, on other horizons, meeting residents in the Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot where newly elected MP Damien Kurek had agreed to step aside so that a byelection could be held. Poilievre has emerged from the roller coaster federal election with the strong support of his caucus (although they retain the power to review his leadership) and 25 more seats. But Carleton was not one of them, and that is a significant loss for a party leader. Fanjoy was the right candidate at the right time, but Poilievre had been losing Carleton for a while. It did not happen overnight – or even over the course of an election campaign. The largely rural riding had a huge shift in demographics as suburban neighbourhoods grew and more people moved out of central Ottawa during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local voters were increasingly uneasy about the direction of some of the Conservative party's positions and Poilievre's often angry approach to politics. Not to mention there was a growing sense among voters that the riding was being taken for granted by Poilievre. But the one issue that gets frequently mentioned by Carleton residents was Poilievre's support of members of the convoy protest that occupied downtown Ottawa in early 2022. Mix all that with a Liberal candidate who wore through multiple pairs of shoes while knocking on tens of thousands of doors in his more than two-year quest to defeat Poilievre, and Conservatives had all the ingredients for a disaster in Carleton. Fanjoy, who is known as optimistic, good-natured and a good listener, offered a positive approach that many in the riding have said they were looking for, especially given the threats coming from the U.S. Paul Robillard, the chair of the Carleton Federal Liberal Association, calls the flip of the longtime Conservative riding an evolution. As far back as 2015, Robillard and others became convinced Poilievre could be beaten when Liberal candidate Chris Rogers came within 1,700 votes of him during a federal Liberal sweep to power. Rogers 'worked his buns off', said Robillard, and the team built a solid base and learned lessons it could use to build on those numbers. It would be a decade before the conditions were right for that to happen. When Fanjoy expressed interest in running, he began to build on what Robillard and others saw was possible, in no small part, by being who he was – a hard worker, a good listener, a naturally warm person with a gift for connecting with people. Fanjoy said he faced headwinds at first as the Liberal government's popularity plummeted and the Conservatives seemed certain to lead the next government, but that began to change after Justin Trudeau stepped down to be replaced by former governor of the Bank of Canada Mark Carney and, crucially, U.S. President Donald Trump began talking about Canada becoming the 51st state. But Poilievre's personality also gave the Liberals an edge, according to Fanjoy. The Conservative leader was a polarizing figure in the riding with a fierce base of support, but there were growing numbers of people who were uncomfortable with his style – especially women, both nationally and at the riding level. Critics complained about the 'Trumpiness' of some of his language – the use of woke, for example. Marjory LeBreton, a former adviser to Stephen Harper and former Conservative Senator, lives in the Carleton riding and gave an early warning about some of those concerns. In June of 2022, she publicly expressed worries about the direction of the Conservative party, noting the embrace by some of its members of the convoy blockade. She resigned from Carleton's Conservative board. Carleton resident Mélanie Chrétien, a high school teacher, is a longtime Liberal voter who says she would have voted Conservative if the party had a different leader. She was looking for a conservative approach to financial stability and was not happy with the approach of the Trudeau Liberals. Carney's leadership, she said, came as a relief and made it easy for her to vote Liberal. As for Poilievre, Chrétien said his performative approach to politics, along with his divisiveness and 'contempt for others', is not what she wants to see in a leader. 'They should change leadership.' Poilievre still has a strong base of support, in Carleton and across the country. The day after the election, one woman in Carleton was in tears when asked about Poilievre losing his seat. Another woman just shook her head when asked for an interview. 'I am in mourning,' she said. But that base has eroded. Mark Towhey, a broadcaster and former chief of staff to Toronto mayor Rob Ford, agreed that Poilievre's attack dog persona and likeability issues were factors in him losing his seat. Poilievre took steps to change his tone, which won him kudos during debates, but that likely came too late, said Towhey. Meanwhile, Towhey said the Conservatives' plans to reduce the size of the federal public service likely lost him votes in the riding, even if Poilievre was careful to say it would be done through attrition. Sixteen per cent of the riding is made up of government employees. 'All of whom might have heard: 'there goes my job,'' Towhey says. That message, he said, is a hard sell in a government town. 'He is one of those politicians that you love him or hate him. He is a very good pitbull… but he probably would not have been somebody I would have voted for as leader,' Towhey added. A key for Poilievre, he said, will be successfully making the transition from attack dog to leader. 'If Pierre can learn to adapt – he has adapted a lot since he became leader – if he can keep doing that, he should stay as the leader.' Towhey says Poilievre has a future as a leader, and maybe even as prime minister one day. Just not likely as the MP for Carleton. Bruce Fanjoy turned out to be the right person at the right time to run against Poilievre, says Lori Turnbull, a political scientist at Dalhousie University. 'I give Fanjoy a lot of credit.' But Poilievre also lost the riding, in part because, as leader, he was no longer making micro-decisions about the campaign in Carleton, she says. Significantly, Poilievre's decision to show public support for the convoy cost him votes in Carleton. 'The convoy definitely cost him a lot. He should have stayed the hell away from it,' Turnbull says. She noted that Poilievre was torn between building alliances with political movements that would likely be inclined to vote Conservative across the country and defending the interests of his constituents, many of whom were public servants.
NDTV
01-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
How A First-Time Politician Defeated Canada's PM Candidate Pierre Poilievre In His Own Riding
Quick Take Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Bruce Fanjoy, a Liberal newcomer, stunned by defeating Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in Carleton, ending his 20-year MP tenure. Fanjoy's positive campaign, door-knocking, and Poilievre's perceived absence led to this significant win. In a stunning upset, Bruce Fanjoy, a stay-at-home dad and Liberal candidate, has defeated Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party, in the Carleton electoral district, with over 4,300 votes. This remarkable victory not only marked the end of Poilievre's 20-year tenure as the MP for Carleton but also dealt a significant blow to his bid for prime minister. Fanjoy's campaign was built on a foundation of positivity and hard work. "We ran a positive campaign, in remarkable contrast to Pierre's style of politics," he told Politico Magazine. "We attracted a small army of volunteers, and as the campaign carried on, more and more people believed in what we were doing." Fanjoy's dedication to his constituents was evident in his door-knocking efforts, which began in 2023. "I wore through two pairs of sneakers and a pair of boots," he recalled. The turning point in the campaign came when Donald Trump's threats against Canada began to escalate. "There was a sea change in what I was hearing at the doors," Fanjoy said. "Canadians recognised we were facing another U.S. administration led by Donald Trump and some of his hostile rhetoric toward Canada, our economy, and our political sovereignty." This shift in public opinion, combined with Poilievre's perceived absence from the riding, ultimately sealed his fate. Fanjoy attributed his success to his team's tireless efforts and Poilievre's complacency. "We outworked him," he said. "We were present, we were all over the riding, and we were connecting with voters. People appreciated the fact that we were present and that we offered a positive alternative to Pierre." Fanjoy also noted that Poilievre's absence from the riding was a significant factor in his defeat. "If there was one surprise that I had in this campaign in Carleton, it's that Pierre barely showed up," he said. "After all his time as MP, he took the riding for granted, and nobody likes to be taken for granted." As a first-time politician, Fanjoy remains committed to his values and principles. "I know who I am, and I'm going to be true to my values," he said. "I grew up playing competitive sports, I had a career in the private sector, so I understand what it's like to compete." Fanjoy's victory is seen as a referendum on Poilievre's leadership style and a rejection of his conservative ideology. "The result is very clear that Canadians want responsible leadership," Fanjoy said. "They want serious leadership, and this is no time to be flirting with the kind of politics that we're seeing down to the south." With the Liberal Party now forming a minority government, Fanjoy expects the party to govern with principle and in the best interests of Canadians. "We'll govern with principle, we'll govern in the best interests of Canadians," he said. "This Liberal government is filled with people who are committed to their communities and committed to this country."
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
This Rookie Politician Just Ousted Canada's Conservative Leader From Parliament
OTTAWA — Bruce Fanjoy has the ultimate underdog story in Canadian politics. He's a stay-at-home dad who decided to run as a Liberal in the conservative stronghold of Carleton, an electoral district just outside of Ottawa made up of farmers and suburbanites. Oh, and his opponent was the leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, who had held the seat for over 20 years, and was running to become prime minister of Canada. Then Fanjoy began door knocking, starting in 2023, and wearing through two pairs of his sneakers and a pair of boots. People told him he was never going to win, and it was a lost cause. But Fanjoy knew better — especially after Donald Trump started ramping up his threats against Canada. 'There was a sea change in what I was hearing at the doors,' Fanjoy said in an interview with POLITICO Magazine. On election night in Canada, Poilievre didn't just lose his bid for prime minister — the party's 25-point lead evaporating in the blink of an eye — he lost his seat in Parliament. It was a stunning upset, with Fanjoy winning by over 4,300 votes, which helped form the Liberal Party's minority government and left the Conservative Party of Canada scrambling over who will lead them. 'If there was one surprise that I had in this campaign in Carleton, it's that Pierre barely showed up,' Fanjoy said. 'After all his time as MP, he took the riding for granted, and nobody likes to be taken for granted.' This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. A lot of people were very skeptical you could win. Why do you think you had a chance? We ran a positive campaign, in remarkable contrast to Pierre's style of politics. We attracted a small army of volunteers. As this campaign carried on, more and more and more people believed in what we were doing and that was shown on election night. But we knew it was there for a long time, and it was still very, very gratifying to see it come together. So, how did you beat him? We outworked him. We were present. We were all over the riding. We were connecting with voters. People appreciated the fact that we were present and that we offered a positive alternative to Pierre. If there was one surprise that I had in this campaign in Carleton, it's that Pierre barely showed up. After all his time as MP, he took the riding for granted, and nobody likes to be taken for granted. The last time we talked, you compared your mission to defeat Pierre Poilievre as an opportunity for Canadians to take down their version of Donald Trump. Do you feel like you saved the country from 'Maple MAGA'? I wouldn't go that far. I know that what we did was very important to Canadians, and that's why, not only in Carleton, but the whole country was behind what we were doing. Across Canada, people see that Pierre is too far right, and that made people very uncomfortable, including people who have traditionally voted conservative in this riding. This became a referendum on Pierre Poilievre. The result is very clear that Canadians want responsible leadership. They want serious leadership. And this is no time to be flirting with the kind of politics that we're seeing down to the south. You previously said you went door-knocking five days a week. What were you hearing on those doorsteps? There was a sea change in what I was hearing at the doors when we moved into 2025. Canadians recognized we were facing another U.S. administration led by Donald Trump and some of his hostile rhetoric toward Canada, our economy and our political sovereignty. And under the change in leadership of the Liberal Party in Mark Carney, we couldn't have anyone better to meet this critical moment in our history. People in Carleton could see that. Carleton was ready to move on from Pierre Poilievre. They're very familiar with his style of politics, and quite frankly, a lot of people had enough of it. What came to mind when you learned you were about to win? I was just enormously happy for all the volunteers that have worked so hard and poured their heart and soul into this campaign. It was humbling to see hundreds upon hundreds of people arrive at a campaign office wanting to help. The volunteers are the story of this campaign. We had people who were stepping up for the first time in their lives to get active in a campaign. In some cases, people came considerable distances because they saw this as the most important election of our lifetimes. And they recognized that Carleton played a super-sized role in what direction this country was heading. Has Pierre Poilievre called to congratulate you? I haven't heard from him. I don't know that he will. That's up to him. What would you say to him if you did talk? I would say thank you for your call. To be quite honest, I don't know what I would say to him, it would probably depend a great deal on what he said to me. People run against each other in politics, this is nothing new, and this is a time where we just have to come together as Canadians, and that includes Canadian parliamentarians. The times are too important for people who are putting their party ahead of their country. This is not a time for that nonsense. Has Mark Carney personally reached out since you won? We are going to be talking very soon. He's been very busy, and I don't expect he got much rest the other night, but I'll be talking to him. How do you expect the Liberals will govern as they face down Donald Trump? They will govern with principle. They will govern in the best interests of Canadians. This Liberal government is filled with people who are committed to their communities and committed to this country. We'll come together. We'll work with other parliamentarians. But Mark Carney is a recognized economic leader, and we're going to do what's necessary to support Canadians, Canadian industry, Canadian workers and families to weather this storm. You're a first-time politician. Are you worried about what politics could do to you or change in you? No, I know who I am and I'm going to be true to my values. I always will. I grew up playing competitive sports, I had a career in the private sector, so I understand what it's like to compete. I know that there will be challenging moments, but that's because we have big issues to deal with. My focus is on getting to work.
Politico
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
This Rookie Politician Just Ousted Canada's Conservative Leader From Parliament
OTTAWA — Bruce Fanjoy has the ultimate underdog story in Canadian politics. He's a stay-at-home dad who decided to run as a Liberal in the conservative stronghold of Carleton, an electoral district just outside of Ottawa made up of farmers and suburbanites. Oh, and his opponent was the leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, who had held the seat for over 20 years, and was running to become prime minister of Canada. Then Fanjoy began door knocking, starting in 2023, and wearing through two pairs of his sneakers and a pair of boots. People told him he was never going to win, and it was a lost cause. But Fanjoy knew better — especially after Donald Trump started ramping up his threats against Canada. 'There was a sea change in what I was hearing at the doors,' Fanjoy said in an interview with POLITICO Magazine. On election night in Canada, Poilievre didn't just lose his bid for prime minister — the party's 25-point lead evaporating in the blink of an eye — he lost his seat in Parliament. It was a stunning upset, with Fanjoy winning by over 4,300 votes, which helped form the Liberal Party's minority government and left the Conservative Party of Canada scrambling over who will lead them. 'If there was one surprise that I had in this campaign in Carleton, it's that Pierre barely showed up,' Fanjoy said. 'After all his time as MP, he took the riding for granted, and nobody likes to be taken for granted.' This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. A lot of people were very skeptical you could win. Why do you think you had a chance? We ran a positive campaign, in remarkable contrast to Pierre's style of politics. We attracted a small army of volunteers. As this campaign carried on, more and more and more people believed in what we were doing and that was shown on election night. But we knew it was there for a long time, and it was still very, very gratifying to see it come together. So, how did you beat him? We outworked him. We were present. We were all over the riding. We were connecting with voters. People appreciated the fact that we were present and that we offered a positive alternative to Pierre. If there was one surprise that I had in this campaign in Carleton, it's that Pierre barely showed up. After all his time as MP, he took the riding for granted, and nobody likes to be taken for granted. The last time we talked , you compared your mission to defeat Pierre Poilievre as an opportunity for Canadians to take down their version of Donald Trump. Do you feel like you saved the country from 'Maple MAGA'? I wouldn't go that far. I know that what we did was very important to Canadians, and that's why, not only in Carleton, but the whole country was behind what we were doing. Across Canada, people see that Pierre is too far right, and that made people very uncomfortable, including people who have traditionally voted conservative in this riding. This became a referendum on Pierre Poilievre. The result is very clear that Canadians want responsible leadership. They want serious leadership. And this is no time to be flirting with the kind of politics that we're seeing down to the south. You previously said you went door-knocking five days a week. What were you hearing on those doorsteps? There was a sea change in what I was hearing at the doors when we moved into 2025. Canadians recognized we were facing another U.S. administration led by Donald Trump and some of his hostile rhetoric toward Canada, our economy and our political sovereignty. And under the change in leadership of the Liberal Party in Mark Carney, we couldn't have anyone better to meet this critical moment in our history. People in Carleton could see that. Carleton was ready to move on from Pierre Poilievre. They're very familiar with his style of politics, and quite frankly, a lot of people had enough of it. What came to mind when you learned you were about to win? I was just enormously happy for all the volunteers that have worked so hard and poured their heart and soul into this campaign. It was humbling to see hundreds upon hundreds of people arrive at a campaign office wanting to help. The volunteers are the story of this campaign. We had people who were stepping up for the first time in their lives to get active in a campaign. In some cases, people came considerable distances because they saw this as the most important election of our lifetimes. And they recognized that Carleton played a super-sized role in what direction this country was heading. Has Pierre Poilievre called to congratulate you? I haven't heard from him. I don't know that he will. That's up to him. What would you say to him if you did talk? I would say thank you for your call. To be quite honest, I don't know what I would say to him, it would probably depend a great deal on what he said to me. People run against each other in politics, this is nothing new, and this is a time where we just have to come together as Canadians, and that includes Canadian parliamentarians. The times are too important for people who are putting their party ahead of their country. This is not a time for that nonsense. Has Mark Carney personally reached out since you won? We are going to be talking very soon. He's been very busy, and I don't expect he got much rest the other night, but I'll be talking to him. How do you expect the Liberals will govern as they face down Donald Trump? They will govern with principle. They will govern in the best interests of Canadians. This Liberal government is filled with people who are committed to their communities and committed to this country. We'll come together. We'll work with other parliamentarians. But Mark Carney is a recognized economic leader, and we're going to do what's necessary to support Canadians, Canadian industry, Canadian workers and families to weather this storm. You're a first-time politician. Are you worried about what politics could do to you or change in you? No, I know who I am and I'm going to be true to my values. I always will. I grew up playing competitive sports, I had a career in the private sector, so I understand what it's like to compete. I know that there will be challenging moments, but that's because we have big issues to deal with. My focus is on getting to work.
