Poilievre says he is not reflecting on his leadership style after MP departures

conservativist Leader capital of south dakota Poilievre said midweek he is non reflecting on his leaders style after two MPs announced they were leaving his caucus — including one who cited the leader's "negative" approach to politics as the reason why he's calling it quits on the party.

Speaking to reporters in Calgary at his first press conference since the defections last week, Poilievre four times quoted back a past anti-Liberal statement from Nova Scotia MP Chris d'Entremont, who crossed the floor to the Liberals, when asked about trouble in the Conservative caucus.

One reporter asked Poilievre if those two departures say anything about his leadership or if they have prompted him to reflect on his leadership style. Poilievre's answer was "no."

"My plan is to continue to lead and be the only leader that's fighting for an affordable Canada where our people who work hard can afford a home and food. That is my agenda," he said.

Poilievre says ‘no’ when asked whether he’s reflected on his leadership style

Asked to respond to accusations from d'Entremont that the party is run like "a frat house" rather than "a serious political party," Poilievre referred to that MP's statement in the House of Commons about Liberal food inflation.

The MPs in question, Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer and the party's whip, Chris Warkentin, have conceded d'Entremont was called "a snake" at one point during their conversation but said they entered his office "calmly" and spoke in a "measured voice." A spokesperson for Poilievre said d'Entremont is a "liar" who will fit in well with what they called other lying Liberals.

Poilievre said that as recently as September, d'Entremont was lamenting in the House of Commons that "the cost of living has skyrocketed" over the last six years of Liberal rule.

In a Sept. 25 statement, d'Entremont said food price inflation has been "inhumane" and called for the repeal of the government's industrial carbon tax. "It is not just policy, it is survival. We need affordable food," he said, while calling for the tax to be lifted on fertilizer and farm equipment in particular.

While Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed to keep that tax after repealing the consumer carbon levy, d'Entremont joined the party anyway.

In one testy exchange with a reporter, Poilievre said the media should give more coverage to Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith's critical comments about some aspects of the government's recent budget.

"Expectations were set at a level we failed to meet," Erskine-Smith said in a social media video while lamenting that there wasn't enough money dedicated to climate action and housing in last week's document. "It falls well short of the wartime effort that many of us thought we'd deliver."

"I know there will be wall-to-wall coverage of this turmoil," Poilievre said, sarcastically.

Senior reporter

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