Ford on Poilievre: “Nice Convention. Let’s See a Voter.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford offered Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre a congratulatory pat on the head Tuesday, followed immediately by the political equivalent of a reality check and a folding chair.
Yes, Ford acknowledged, Poilievre’s 87 per cent support at the party’s Calgary convention was impressive, even more than Stephen Harper managed in 2005, but he cautioned that convention halls are famously terrible substitutes for an actual country.
“You don’t win elections at conventions,” Ford said, reminding observers that applause from delegates is not a recognized form of ballot. “You win elections across the country. So let’s see what happens if the prime minister calls one.”
The comments reopened the long-simmering cold war between the two Conservatives, which spilled into public view during the last federal election when Ford declined to support any federal Tory candidates in Ontario, an omission some mistook for strategy rather than spite.
Adding spice, Ford’s former campaign manager previously accused Poilievre’s team of “campaign malpractice” for bungling how they handled threats from Donald Trump. Asked about that critique, Ford shrugged: “The truth hurts.”
Despite recent efforts to stage a political détente Ford, winner of three straight Ontario majorities, said he hasn’t offered Poilievre any advice, proving once again that silence can be the loudest critique of all.
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