‘Great to be back in action,’ says Poilievre after byelection win

The Conservatives will hold Prime Minister Mark Carney “accountable” when Parliament returns in the fall, Leader Pierre Poilievre said at his first press conference since securing a return to the House of Commons.

“It’s great to be back in action,” Poilievre told reporters in B.C., days after he won the byelection in the federal Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot on Monday.

Poilievre was ousted from his previously held Ottawa-area riding of Carleton in April’s federal election by Liberal MP Bruce Fanjoy.

1:45 Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre details crime prevention plan in Surrey

Damien Kurek, who had represented the solidly Conservative riding since 2019, resigned his seat in June so Poilievre could run in a second chance race.

“Mark Carney is one walking, talking broken promise. And our job in the fall session will be to hold him accountable for the failures that are costing you more, endangering your family and weakening our country,” Poilievre told reporters.

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“We’re not just going to oppose out of control Liberal crime, inflation, immigration, housing costs. We are going to propose real solutions that will mean stronger take-home pay, safer streets, secure borders and a self-reliant Canada,” he added.

1:46 What’s Poilievre’s next challenge after his byelection victory?

Poilievre criticized Carney for failing to secure a trade deal with the United States.

“Where are Mark Carney’s elbows these days? He seems to have misplaced them. You know, he’s made concession after concession to President Trump and got nothing in return,” he said.

His comments appeared to be a reference to the hockey phrase ‘elbows up’, which became a popular refrain among Canadians frustrated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war against Canada, and was used by Carney on the campaign trail.