Neural Newscast | Transcript: Poilievre wins 87.4% review as Alberta separatism grows

Poilievre wins 87.4% review as Alberta separatism grows

February 1, 2026 / 02:21/E811

Pierre Poilievre secures a commanding 87.4% endorsement in a Conservative Party leadership review in Calgary, solidifying his position despite losing to Mark Carney’s Liberals last spring and briefly losing his own seat. The vote, cast by in-person delegates rather than the wider party membership, signals that party insiders want Poilievre to stay the course on affordability, crime, and small-government messaging. The takeaway now is what this means for Canadian unity and the next election cycle. Poilievre used his speech to address separatist sentiment rising in Alberta, where organizers are collecting signatures to trigger an independence referendum, and in Quebec, where the Parti Québécois is polling strongly and promising a referendum if it wins later this year. He also tried to frame domestic policy as a national resilience strategy as Canada navigates a strained U.S. relationship and tariff pressure. Even with internal strains—two MPs recently joining the Liberals—and polls showing Conservatives trailing, the party’s delegates delivered a clear mandate for Poilievre’s leadership approach.

[00:00] Elise Moreau: From Neural Newscast, I'm Elise Moreau.
[00:03] Elise Moreau: And I'm Evelyn Hartwell.
[00:05] Elise Moreau: Today, Canada's conservatives deliver a blunt message.
[00:09] Elise Moreau: Pierre Polyevra stays in charge, and by a wide margin.
[00:14] Elise Moreau: Delegates in Calgary backed Polyevra with 87.4% in a leadership review.
[00:21] Elise Moreau: That comes despite the party's election loss to Mark Carney's liberals last spring.
[00:26] Elise Moreau: This vote matters because it is a pressure test after defeat.
[00:31] Elise Moreau: Party rules trigger a review after an election loss, and Polyevra also lost his own seat.
[00:38] Elise Moreau: Delegates say they still trust him to lead into the next election.
[00:43] Elise Moreau: Paulieva argues his focus on affordability and crime should not change.
[00:49] Elise Moreau: Turning now to some deeper fault lines,
[00:51] Elise Moreau: Paulieva used his speech to confront separatist momentum in two places at once,
[00:58] Elise Moreau: Alberta and Quebec.
[01:01] Elise Moreau: In Alberta, a grassroots push is collecting signatures to trigger an independence referendum.
[01:08] Elise Moreau: In Quebec, the Parti Québécois is pulling ahead, and it is promising a referendum if it wins later this year.
[01:15] Elise Moreau: Poilev frames unity as design and structure, not just sentiment.
[01:20] Elise Moreau: He told delegates a divided country cannot stand, and he blames liberals for people losing hope in confederation.
[01:29] Elise Moreau: Still, the political math remains difficult.
[01:33] Elise Moreau: Two conservative MPs have recently moved to the Liberals,
[01:37] Elise Moreau: and a new Leger poll shows conservatives nine points behind.
[01:41] Elise Moreau: He also tried to connect domestic policy to external strain,
[01:46] Elise Moreau: including a tense relationship with the United States.
[01:49] Elise Moreau: The pitch is that affordability and self-reliance
[01:51] Elise Moreau: strengthen Canada's footing abroad.
[01:54] Evelyn Hartwell: Next, the open question is whether Poilever can broaden his appeal beyond the base.
[02:01] Evelyn Hartwell: Surveys show many Canadians view him negatively, often citing a combative tone.
[02:08] Elise Moreau: I'm Elise Morell.
[02:09] Evelyn Hartwell: And I'm Evelyn Hartwell.
[02:11] Evelyn Hartwell: For more, head to NeuralNewscast.com.
[02:14] Evelyn Hartwell: Neural Newscast is AI-assisted, human-reviewed.
[02:18] Evelyn Hartwell: View our AI transparency policy at

Poilievre wins 87.4% review as Alberta separatism grows

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