Pierre Poilievre’s big pitch this week is to cancel the Alto high-speed rail project — a $90 billion line connecting Toronto to Quebec City — and use the savings to fund a gas tax holiday for the rest of 2026. That’s the whole plan. Scrap generational infrastructure that would move millions of people between two of the country’s biggest corridors so drivers can save twelve hundred bucks before Christmas. He’s literally proposing to burn the future to subsidize the present, and he’s framing it like he’s some kind of populist hero for doing it.
This is the Conservative playbook every single time. Don’t build anything. Don’t invest in anything. Just cut a cheque, call it relief, and hope nobody notices that you’ve kneecapped the country for a generation. High-speed rail between Toronto and Quebec City would cut emissions, connect labour markets, and give people an alternative to flying or driving five hours on the 401. But Poilievre looked at all of that and said nah, cheaper gas for eight months is the move. The man went on Joe Rogan to pitch himself as a serious leader and then came home with the policy vision of a gas station loyalty card.