OTTAWA - Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he will stay on as leader even if the party loses an upcoming byelection in the Ontario riding of Brantford-Brant South. “We’re going to fight for the people. I’m going to continue to fight for the people of Canada to save them money,” Poilievre said Friday at a press conference in Brampton, Ont. when asked directly by CTV News about the byelection race. After the conference, Poilievre’s director of communications, Micah Green, emphasized in a statement to CTV News that Poilievre “will be staying on and continuing to fight for Canadians.” The Conservatives have held the riding of Brantford-Brant South – previously known as Brantford-Brant – since 2008. The seat became vacant in September after Conservative MP Larry Brock resigned, and political watchers will be closely observing the byelection results as Poilievre faces ongoing questions about his leadership. Public support for the Conservatives continues to lag behind the Liberals according to the most recent Nanos Research. The poll found support for the Liberals at 45.4 per cent while Conservatives trail behind at 28.9 per cent. It also found that Prime Minister Mark Carney remains the preferred prime minister over Poilievre, 56.4 per cent support compared to 21.5 per cent for the Conservative leader. Ahead of the byelection, multiple Conservative sources have told CTV News that if the party loses Brantford-Brant South, Poilievre’s hold on the leadership could further be in jeopardy. Since last year’s federal election, Poilievre has lost eight MPs – four from floor crossing, three from resignations and one MP left for a Senate appointment. The Conservative leader also lost his third senior aide in less than a year this week, with deputy chief of staff Aaron Wudrick leaving for the private sector at the end of November. Over the summer, meanwhile, 17 Conservative MPs from across the country spoke to CTV News about their concerns about Poilievre and the party’s prospects. After announcing his resignation in October, outgoing Conservative MP Scott Aitchison would not say whether Poilievre should remain as leader. “It’s been an honour to work with Pierre. He’s been a tremendous support to me,” Aitchison said to CTV’s Power Play with Vassy Kapelos at the time. “He hasn’t just given me the opportunity, but the freedom as well to lead on a file that I care about. We’ve worked really well together. He’s shown me nothing but respect.” When asked about the pending byelection results on Friday, Poilievre did not answer directly and focused on his affordability messaging. “The byelections are going to be a chance for Canadians to vote on whether or not they can continue to afford the grocery prices, housing costs and price at the pump that the Liberals have imposed on them, or whether they want a strong voice to fight for to save the money on Parliament Hill,” he said. Brantford-Brant South is one of six byelections coming on up Dec. 7. The Liberals currently hold a slim majority with 173 seats. With files from CTV News’ Marieke Walsh, Vassy Kapelos and Graham Richardson
