Latest news with #electiondefeat
National Post
4 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Michael Taube: Why Pierre Poilievre should not fire Jenni Byrne
Election night can be a glorious occasion for some political parties and governments, and a dismal outcome for others. It's not unusual for the long knives to come out after a poor result. That's what some people are suggesting is happening right now within the Conservative Party's inner sanctum — and the main target is Jenni Byrne. Article content Article content 'Pressure is mounting on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to fire Jenni Byrne, his national campaign manager,' according to a May 22 CBC News piece, 'whom critics hold responsible for the party's election defeat last month.' Twelve Conservative sources reportedly spoke with Radio-Canada reporter Christian Noel and were 'granted confidentiality to discuss internal party matters.' Article content Many quotes were rather harsh. Article content Article content 'After a loss, heads have to roll,' one Conservative source suggested. 'If Jenni Byrne stays, we won't be able to support Pierre,' said another. 'There's only one head that needs to roll, and that's Jenni's. You don't realize how she treats everyone like garbage,' a third person remarked. Article content Byrne also reportedly exhibits 'toxic and angry' behaviour. She supposedly feels that 'everything is a war' in politics. She was called 'a bully who operates on threats' and 'many MPs are either afraid of her or hate her.' One source even warned, 'Pierre needs to change his negative personality and kick Jenni out. Otherwise, it's the caucus that's going to kick the leader out.' Article content People often talk tough when they can hide behind a cloak of anonymity. They wouldn't dare say these types of things in public. Or to Byrne's face, for that matter. Article content Let's put this rumour to bed. As someone who's been connected to the Conservative party, movement, and circles of interest for decades, I can confidently say there's no 'pressure' on Poilievre to fire Byrne. Are some Conservatives frustrated with the election result and view it as a missed opportunity? Yes, but that's par for the course. There's no inner party revolt brewing, and confidence in Poilievre and Byrne remains strong. Article content Why did the CBC suggest otherwise? While I'm sure that real people were interviewed for Noel's piece, my guess is these Conservative sources were largely left-leaning Red Tories, old Progressive Conservative supporters — or both. These individuals have always had it in for Byrne and others who were born, bred and worked in Reform Party and Canadian Alliance circles. It's a long-standing issue that stems back to the 2003 merger of the Alliance and PCs. In spite of the fact the Reform/Alliance side was the much larger and more dominant group, the Red Tories and PCs grasp at straws and look for opportunities to regain power. That's highly unlikely: their numbers are decreasing, and they're even more irrelevant now than they were before. Article content Not that this would deter the CBC one little bit. Poilievre has long supported defunding the CBC. He told Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilley last December that it would happen 'very quick.' Any story that could knock down the Conservative leader a few extra pegs would likely be of some interest. If disgruntled Conservatives also wanted to throw a few stones at him, a slingshot could be provided.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
How do the Liberals rebuild?
As the Liberal and Nationals look to get the Coalition band back together, the Liberal party is remains deeply divided on the factors that led to their crushing election defeat. PK brings us inside the tent, for a sneak peek into her Four Corners report on where it all went wrong — and where to next for the Liberal brand. And while the Liberal and Nationals spat continues to play out in public, the Prime Minister has been focused on the flooding disaster plaguing the NSW mid-north coast — announcing ADF personnel will be deployed to assist with the clean-up efforts and a new support package. Patricia Karvelas and Jacob Greber break it all down on Politics Now. Read PK's piece here: Read Jacob's piece here: Got a burning question? Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at thepartyroom@
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Sussan Ley: Liberal Party names first female leader after historic Australia election loss
Australia's Liberal Party has for the first time chosen a woman as its leader, with Sussan Ley to take over from Peter Dutton after he led the party to a bruising election from the moderate faction of the party, beat Angus Taylor - who ran on a promise to restore conservative values to the party - by four the election on 3 May, the Liberal-National coalition, currently Australia's main opposition party, suffered what many are calling the worst defeat in its and MPs have blamed the result on polarising leaders, a messy campaign and "Trumpian" policies. Ley's appointment comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his new cabinet was sworn in at Parliament House, after his Labor Party won the election in a to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Labor has won at least 93 seats - increasing their majority by 16 - while the Coalition has 41 seats, down from has held the massive regional New South Wales seat of Farrer since 2001 and has served as a senior minister in a variety of portfolios - making her one of the Liberal Party's most experienced hands. She was also the party deputy under O'Brien, a Queensland MP who was the energy spokesman in charge of selling the coalition's controversial nuclear power proposal, was elected Ley's are expected to address the media later on Tuesday, but Ley has previously said she wanted to help the party rebuild its relationship with Australians."Many Australians, including women and younger Australians, feel neglected by the Liberal Party," she said when announcing her desire to lead the party."We need to listen and we need to change. The Liberal Party must respect modern Australia, reflect modern Australia and represent modern Australia."Speaking after the party room vote, former minister Linda Reynolds said: "Australia spoke very clearly to the Liberal Party and we've listened and we've acted."The junior coalition partner, the Nationals, re-elected leader David Littleproud on Monday, after he too was challenged by a conservative colleague.
Telegraph
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Biden dare not admit he put Trump in the White House
Joe Biden still does not accept any blame for his party's catastrophic election defeat in November. Some 183 days on from the seismic shift back towards Donald Trump, the 82-year-old says that Kamala Harris had plenty of time and money to campaign to beat the current US president. To this day, his refusal to acknowledge any role in Mr Trump's landslide victory has not subsided. He cannot accept that he handed back the keys to the White House to Mr Trump. In his first interview since the US presidential election, Mr Biden continued to skirt around criticisms of his leadership, including concerns over his cognitive abilities. '[I don't see] how that would've made much of a difference,' he said, in response to suggestions that he left Ms Harris with too little time to campaign. 'We left at a time when we had a good candidate, she was fully-funded.' He also claimed: 'What we had set out to do, no one thought we could do. 'And we had become so successful in our agenda, it was hard to say: 'No, I'm going to stop now.' ... It was a hard decision.' It was strange that the former US president's first interview since stepping down was with the BBC. The broadcaster's Nick Robinson was dispatched to Delaware, the state where Mr Biden studied and later served as a senator. Perhaps the decision to speak to a British outlet was a deliberate snub to the American publications and television stations that sought to blame him for the Democratic defeat. The dust had barely settled on the Democrat's presidential election defeat before the finger pointing started between Ms Harris and Mr Biden. Aides to Mr Harris quickly mobilised to blame the outgoing president, claiming he clung to the hope he could beat Mr Trump for too long before eventually standing down from the race. Mr Biden had billed himself as a man who could beat Mr Trump, and believes that he was denied that opportunity for a second time by his own party. Democrat donors went further to accuse Mr Biden of 'stupidity and selfishness' for deciding to run again. His delayed decision to step down from the race left Ms Harris only 107 days between becoming the new Democratic nominee and election day. Mr Biden's acolytes soon blamed Barack Obama, the former US president, for forcing him out, as well as Ms Harris for running a poor campaign. To this day, his refusal to acknowledge any role in Mr Trump's landslide victory has not subsided. Stubborn self-belief In his first public address from the White House's Rose Garden, he accepted the sanctity of Mr Trump's victory – a nod to the current US president's refusal to concede his own defeat to Mr Biden in 2020. But the outgoing commander-in-chief did not concede any blame for the Democratic defeat. The former US president would compromise his shtick – as the only man to defeat Mr Trump in an election – should he choose to admit the full extent of his role. Mr Biden believes that he left the United States, Europe and Ukraine in a better place after his four years in office. Since taking power, Mr Trump has sought to dismantle, in record time, anything that was achieved at home or abroad by his predecessor. This has represented a bitter pill for Mr Biden, who argued in that Rose Garden speech that many of his policy decisions won't be felt by the American electorate for decades to come. But ultimately it was that stubborn self-belief, which still lingers, that denies him from admitting his role in the Democratic defeat. He believed that his political career had been governed by the Biden family motto 'when you get knocked down, get back up again'. Overcoming tragedies, such as the death of his son Beau, were a hallmark of that journey to the White House. And on leaving it, Mr Biden still believes that his defeat to Mr Trump is simply another setback that can be overcome like those that came before.
