Conservative candidate says misinformation about Poilievre led to party loss in federal election

Abby Cole · CBC News

· Posted: May 05, 2025 9:53 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

St. John's East Conservative candidate David Brazil says helium heard a lot of misinformation astir his party's leader while knocking connected doors during his national predetermination campaign, and that mightiness person led to the nonaccomplishment connected predetermination night.

The national Conservatives mislaid by 26 seats to a Liberal Party that volition signifier authorities for a 4th consecutive term. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also lost his ain riding, but is expected to tally successful a byelection for a vacated spot successful Alberta aft Conservative MP Damien Kurek agreed to step down.

Brazil says voters successful his territory were supportive of him arsenic a possible MP, but didn't understand Poilievre or the party's goals. 

"A fig of times I would inquire radical to information cheque what they thought was the existent Pierre Poilievre, and they'd travel backmost and apologize and recognize [he] is simply a committed individual," Brazil said.

Some of that "misinformation" Brazil says helium heard astatine doors was that Poilievre was against women's rights, against 2SLGBTQ+, against affordable daycare and against pharmacare.

But, Brazil says, those are misconceptions. 

During his campaign, Poilievre took backlash from comments helium made astir women's biologic clocks. He besides said he's lone alert of 2 genders and spoke against the $10-a-day daycare program. But, helium besides said helium would support existing dental care, pharmacare and child-care programs.

Communication was an contented for the Conservative campaign, Brazil said. He says the rationale for Poilievre's positions were ne'er afloat explained to voters, and going forward it's thing the enactment should review. 

"Unfortunately, successful a five-week election, it takes a batch of clip to clarify each contented and each policy," helium said.

Brazil says his conversations with Poilievre were always supportive of policies applicable to Newfoundland and Labrador, and portion the Conservative leader may person disagreed with immoderate legislation, Brazil says he would explicate bully alternatives. 

"Maybe they should person clarified that better," helium said astir the party's run decision-makers. "They should person astir apt had much unfastened discussions with the stakeholders."

Meanwhile, the Conservative Party constricted their interactions with the media during its campaign. 

During Poilievre's sojourn successful Petty Harbour, Conservative staffers controlled the lawsuit tightly, and jostled with reporters. They besides constricted questions from reporters during each media events. 

However, Brazil took portion successful debates and interviews during his ain campaign. 

"I don't deliberation … whoever made the decisions utilized everything astatine their disposal to get that accusation retired to the mean person," helium said. "Particularly females who had either misinformation oregon misconceptions of what we stood for."

Despite this, Brazil says he thinks Poilievre brought the enactment wherever it needed to go, and that this predetermination taught the enactment that it needs to person a amended determination making process. 

"One of the biggest issues … is we didn't pivot speedy capable erstwhile we recovered retired that the electorate wanted to determination distant from the modular stuff," said Brazil. 

Download our free CBC News app to motion up for propulsion alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to sojourn our landing page.