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National Observer
4 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
Pierre Poilievre might be cooked
The clock is officially ticking on Pierre Poilievre. The Conservative Party of Canada is reportedly set to hold a leadership review next January in Calgary, one that will give members an opportunity to weigh in on his performance. Even making it to next January's vote will set him apart from his two predecessors, Andrew Scheer and Erin O'Toole, who both resigned before they had to face their party's membership after losing their own elections. Winning it by a sufficiently convincing margin will be another matter entirely. First, of course, he has to win back a seat in the House of Commons. Mark Carney has said he will call a byelection for the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, one officially resigned by Conservative MP Damien Kurek earlier this week. And while it's one of the safest Conservative seats in the country, it also presents a special kind of danger for Poilievre given the increase in separatist activity — if not support — in the province. Alberta separatists are heavily overrepresented in the Conservative membership of Kurek's largely rural riding, and Poilievre will have to find a way to put them in their place without risking a backlash. This is the kind of tightrope he'll have to walk for the next six months. In order to secure the support of his base, and especially the members enthusiastic enough to turn out for a leadership review, he'll have to continue catering to them with Costco-sized quantities of red meat. But it's precisely that sort of pandering that helped cost him the last election, and could just as easily cost him the next one. The more he tries to hold onto his current job, the further the job he really wants slips from his reach. So far, at least, he's shown no signs of being able to thread this particular political needle. Take his recent comments about immigration, ones that seem designed to appeal to a very specific slice of his party's base — and alienate the rest of the country in the process. 'We want severe limits on population growth to reverse the damage the Liberals did to our system,' he told reporters before turning on his heel and walking away from their follow-up questions. If this sounds more like something PPC leader Maxime Bernier would say, that's probably by design. Never mind, for the moment, that the federal government has already made massive changes to its immigration policy — ones that could actually produce negative population growth over the next few years. As Waterloo economics professor Mikal Skuterud said on social media, 'Poilievre's call for 'severe limits on population growth' suggests he hasn't understood how far Liberals' 2025-2027 Immigration Targets go. We may see *declining* population levels (not just growth rates) in coming quarters.' His comment about immigration also suggests he doesn't understand the real challenge he faces right now. He can spend the next six months pushing his party further to the right in an attempt to motivate its base and retain the leadership. But he may simply be securing the most Pyrrhic of victories, given the impact that would have on his standing with the broader Canadian public. According to multiple pollsters, that standing has already eroded since the election. According to Nanos Research, Mark Carney now enjoys a 26 point advantage over Poilievre when it comes to who Canadians prefer as prime minister. 'The proportion of Canadians who prefer Conservative Leader Poilievre as PM has hit the lowest level since he assumed the leadership of the party in 2022,' Nik Nanos said. EKOS Research has the spread even wider, with Carney's job approval rating at +36 and Poilievre's at -34. Maybe the most damning data points come from Spark Advocacy's latest poll, which shows that two-thirds of Canadians have positive feelings about their new prime minister. Worse, for Poilievre and his team, Carney is more popular among young people (by 10 points) and men (by 15 points) than the Conservative leader. These were supposed to be key building blocks in the new Conservative coalition Poilievre is building. Pierre Poilievre probably thought that losing the election and his own seat was as bad as it could get for him. But if his own personal popularity continues to collapse, he might be in for an even bigger surprise than the one he experienced in April. It's not as though Poilievre and the Conservatives are doomed to lose a fifth federal election in a row, whenever that election happens. Canadians will eventually tire of Carney, and that could happen far sooner than the prime minister and his advisors would like to imagine. But relying on Carney to fail is not a recipe for Poilievre's success. If he wants to win the next election, he needs to actually take stock of why he lost the last one — and make the necessary adjustments. Mark Bourrie, who wrote a biography of Poilievre in advance of what looked like an inevitable victory, doesn't think that's going to happen. In a recent piece for The Walrus, he noted that 'Poilievre seems to lack self-awareness and reflection. Loyalty, a virtue in others, becomes a liability when a politician clings to those who aren't up to the job. Or who alienate potential friends. Since he was a kid, Poilievre's rigidity has walled out new ideas and contrary, sometimes better, ways of looking at things.' The leader, in other words, is not for turning. He may be incapable, both by virtue of temperament and training, of the sort of introspection and humility required to acknowledge mistakes and make changes. Even if he did, it's not clear his party's radicalized membership, which has been trained by Poilievre and his team over the last few years to see moderation as weakness, would accept it. Poilievre's leadership is safe for now, at least. But as Global News's Mackenzie Gray noted in a recent story, 'one source warned that if the Conservative leader isn't careful, a push to remove him could snowball quickly.' He might want to ask Scheer and O'Toole what that looks like — and whether there's any way to stop it.
Buzz Feed
05-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Buzz Feed
32 Things That Are Both Practical *And* Fun Because You Deserve The Best Of Both Worlds
A cool checkered cutting board you'll want to buy for aesthetics alone — but this piece isn't just a looker. It has deep grooves to catch juices, hidden handles on the bottom, and rubber anti-skid pads. A pack of food-themed bandages to make injuries feel a little more bearable. After all, who could stay upset while wearing a pickle or pizza slice on their arm? Not me. A pair of silicone frond leaf bookmarks you have to admit are a lot cuter than a crumpled pharmacy receipt. You can even shove one in the middle of the page if you wanna be super specific about where you left off. A sardine tin cosmetic bag because why should fish corner the market on cute packaging? Now your makeup, credit cards, or random baubles can enjoy the Fishwife treatment with an adorable-looking home. A set of 10 peel-off jelly masks so you can feel like a frosted dessert during your next self-care session. The electrolyte-infused hydro masks come in styles like lavender, hyaluronic acid, tea tree, and chamomile and work to hydrate, soothe, and balance your pH level. A set of vinyl coasters offering a retro (and super cute) way to protect your furniture from condensation. Guests that actually want to use a coaster? How the turntables. A fuzzy pet blanket in a sweet heart design so your snuggle-obsessed pal can get warm and cuddly without coating your favorite throw in fur. The fleece blanket is easy to wash and cute enough to cover your furniture (in case you're looking to protect some investments). A soap dispenser that can save you money and cut down on waste (when you invest in a Costco-sized bottle of hand soap to refill it), sure. But more importantly: It's shaped like a leopard. A solid lotion bar shaped like Totoro or Rilakkuma that's so cute, you may never actually use it. But you should because the almond butter-based lotion will make your skin feel softer than the Catbus. (I just assume a furry bus would be super soft?) An ornate curtain set for people who still sagely follow the old Portlandia adage: put a bird on it! There are sheer and peek-a-boo styles you can layer together for a bird decor extravaganza. Curtains don't have to be boring and birdless. A pair of aromatherapy gemstone soaps sure to make your guests' bathroom experience seriously rock. Dad jokes aside, these soaps come in amazing fragrances (think: lavender, lemongrass, sandalwood, etc.) and have real crystals inside, like amethyst and tiger eye. A pretty tea cup set that looks like your mug is floating on a cloud. How delicate! How dreamy! Untethered and unbothered! Am I envious of a teacup right now? Time to whip up a cuppa and watch the leaves falling outside. A bear-y nice under-eye stick formulated with skincare darling niacinamide, along with soothing Icelandic mineral water and seaweed extract, to soothe puffiness and dark circles. If a beauty item isn't shaped like an animal, is it even worth getting? A cutie pie planner to help you be a busy bee, or more likely a take-it-slow sloth. There's room for appointments, errands, and people to in due time. A birria bomb — a delicious spin on the bath bomb. Dunk one of these spice balls into a pressure cooker with meat and water for a comforting consomme ready for dipping. In a way, these really are bath bombs, but for tacos and quesadillas. A Godzilla microwave cleaner that shoots out cleansing steam instead of lasers. Not as cool, but definitely more helpful. Just fill the silicone tool up with water and vinegar, microwave it, and then marvel at how you found a cleaning supply that's actually fun. A disco ball watering globe to make your plant feel like they're at their own personal dance party. It'll keep your plant hydrated between watering sessions and, when the sun hits just right, create a fun light show in your home. That's a lot of benefits from what seemed like an impractical purchase at first. 🤔 Soot sprite dryer balls that'll look sooo cute bouncing around in your dryer. Besides being adorable, they could reduce drying time, prevent wrinkles, and soften clothes, all without coating your stuff in a waxy residue like dryer sheets do. A set of travel "books" inspired by the Assouline travel series that open up to reveal secret compartments for all your most precious belongings. Whether you're hiding a diary or just trying to declutter your coffee table, you'll love having some extra storage space. A Grim Steeper silicone tea infuser that doubles as a useful reminder to people not to bother you until you're done with your morning cuppa. Mrs. Meyer's multi-surface spray in a seasonal scent (fresh cut grass! dandelion! tomato vine!!!!!!!) to make your home not only spotless, but incredible smelling as well. I've never met a Mrs. Meyers fragrance I didn't like, and I have to say they really knocked it out of the park with these. A set of LED lightsaber chopsticks to make fights over the last dumpling extra dramatic. They can change colors (red, blue, yellow, purple, and multicolor) so you can either make them match or change to red and blue to recreate The Duel on Cloud City. A set of card-shaped sponges for anyone who's not playing when it comes to clean dishes. Each design features a face card also engaging in a light cleaning session — too cute! Iridescent pimple patches in fun shapes because zapping zits might as well feel like an art project. I wish all problems could be solved with a sticker. A clever two-sided travel cup for people who need several drinks throughout the day (one to hydrate, one to take the edge off, one to add the edge back, etc). Fill with two of your desired drinks and marvel that you can bring both coffee *and* water to your next meeting and still have a hand free for your laptop. Tissues in cylinder boxes so they can easily fit in your car's cup holder. And even if you don't have a cup holder in need of tissues, the packaging is just really stinkin' cute. A 16-piece Brink House mix-and-match cutlery set that is certainly a lot more fun than your usual Ikea fare. I suggest getting a clear utensil holder to show them off. A compact, typewriter-themed Bluetooth label maker so charming, you'll find yourself labeling everything, down to individual Diet Coke cans. The corresponding app lets you customize your designs with frames, stickers, and different fonts, so your labels will look super cute even if they're possibly a bit passive aggressive. A color-changing moisture indicator because plants can't speak and scream "WAAAATER!" These monstera-shaped stakes start off as a vivid green when the soil is wet (wait 30 minutes after watering to see the effect) and then pale to a ghostly white when the soil dries out. Guesswork is no longer the worst part of houseplant ownership! Now it's the bugs. >:( The TikTok-loved Maldon flaked salt packaged in a box so beautiful, you'll be hesitant to ever open it. Of course, you should, because everything from fish to brownies tastes better with a dash of really nice sea salt. A fanciful mushroom kitchen timer, which is so much more endearing than using your phone or screaming at Alexa. It also has a glowing 4.4-star rating on Amazon, which is kinda unheard of for novelty timers. A Lifeline aromatherapy pen filled with an essential oil that slowly diffuses as you write. Now, the smell of lavender or crisp mountain air can calm you down before you write a passive-aggressive note to stick to the office microwave.
