Top Poilievre adviser says Conservatives are experiencing a 'rejuvenation'

A key member of the brain trust that surrounds Pierre Poilievre says that the Conservative Party is undergoing a "rejuvenation" under the new leader, partially through outreach to several previously skeptical voting blocs.

"There's been an evolution in terms of who the Conservative supporter is, who the Conservative voter is. Right now, we're seeing an entirely new group of people ... a new demographic of people that are looking at the Conservative Party and looking at Pierre Poilievre as being the next prime minister very seriously," Jenni Byrne said in an interview with CBC's The House airing Saturday.

"I think what's exciting is that right now we are seeing a rejuvenation of the Conservative Party."

The Conservatives are on the final day of their first policy convention under Poilievre's leadership, which has also introduced a new party logo. The party says over 2,500 people registered for the Quebec City gathering, more than any convention has seen since the modern Conservative Party's founding in 2003.

Poilievre has focused on a message promising "common sense" solutions to housing affordability, the opioid crisis, crime and economic uncertainty.

The House39:01What ideas does the Conservative Party have for Canada?

That message has been combined with a ferocious attack on the Liberals and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Poilievre on Friday accused Trudeau of breaking "the promise of Canada" — the idea that each generation would have a better life than the one before it.

"Mr. Trudeau and I agree that things are broken. We just disagree on what's broken and who broke it. He thinks the people are the problem, when Canadians know he is the problem," Poilievre said during his keynote speech.

Liberals have countered that Poilievre is "importing far-right American-style politics."

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault made a surprise appearance outside the convention, saying Poilievre's agenda represented a step backwards for Canada.

"We understand that some Canadians are having a hard time right now … but the solution is not to go back on everything we've been doing," he said. "It's not to cut back support for Canadians." 

Speaking with Cullen, Byrne defended Poilievre's tone.

"I think what people like about Pierre is he tells it as it is," she said. She accused other politicians — including the current prime minister — of delivering divisive rhetoric.

The 'common sense' agenda

The Conservatives are enjoying a substantial lead in public polling, with some surveys suggesting a double-digit lead over the Liberals.

Byrne, who served as Stephen Harper's deputy chief of staff and as principal secretary to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, told Cullen that Canadians of all kinds are responding to the party's "common sense" message on affordability.

Byrne cited millennials, women, new Canadians and former NDP voters as key demographics that are considering the Conservatives in a new light.

A major part of the broader Poilievre message has been about housing, which this summer emerged as perhaps the dominant political issue in Canada.

Poilievre has proposed withholding federal funds from cities that don't make significant changes to permitting and zoning rules to allow for boosted development, and rewarding those that meet a target of increasing permits 15 per cent increase per year.

"The cities can't have it both ways. They can't say, 'Sorry, this is our decision as to whether homes are being built,' and then say, 'But please, I need a handout to build infrastructure,'" Byrne said.

Byrne skirted questions about some hot-button issues at the convention, including a proposal to endorse the idea of banning gender-affirming treatments for children. Byrne said she looks forward to what the membership decides on the issue following the debate.

She also sought to avoid questions about whether the party would entertain attempts to reinvigorate the abortion debate in Canada.

"Obviously, if there are groups that did not see policies that they were espousing or they wanted, it was evident that it was not the priority for Conservatives across the country, in every region," Byrne said.

Byrne repeated a long-standing Poilievre promise to dismantle the federal carbon tax, but said specifics of the Conservatives' plan would come closer to the next election.