Pierre Poilievre has lost five MPs to the Liberals since the election. Five. Four of them were his own Conservatives. The latest, Marilyn Gladu, said her constituents want “serious leadership and a real plan” — which is Canadian politician for “my boss is a clown and everyone knows it.” Poilievre’s response was to whine about “backroom deals,” because when your own caucus can’t stand you, it’s obviously someone else’s fault. This is what happens when your entire political identity is being angry on YouTube. Eventually the people who have to work with you figure out the act isn’t an act — you’re just like that.
Carney’s Liberals are at 171 seats now. They need 172 for a majority. Three by-elections land on April 13 and two of them are safe Liberal seats, so do the math. A U of T political science professor called this rate of defection “without precedent in the modern era.” No kidding. The man modeled himself after Trump and got the one part right nobody wanted — the part where your own people start heading for the exits.