Kory Teneycke from Rubicon Strategy shares why he called the Conservative Party’s recent campaign efforts “malpractice” during his appearance on the Curse of Politics podcast. CTV
A top Conservative strategist, Kory Teneycke, has sharply criticized Pierre Poilievre and his team. He says they’ve messed up badly during this election campaign. According to him, the Conservatives had a huge lead in the polls. Now, they’re falling behind the Liberals by several points.
Teneycke didn’t hold back in his comments during interviews this week. He said ignoring polling numbers is foolish for any campaign. “The numbers are the numbers,” he said. “Saying you don’t believe in polls if you’re running a campaign is delusional.”
At a Poilievre rally on Wednesday, some supporters held up signs and wore shirts asking, “Do you believe the polls?” But the campaign claims those weren’t official party items.
On a podcast Thursday, Teneycke made an even stronger statement. He said, “Blowing a 25-point lead and being like 10 points down is campaign malpractice at the highest level.”
Teneycke has a long history in Conservative politics. He helped Doug Ford win three majority governments in Ontario. He also worked as a communications chief for former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
For almost two years, Poilievre and the Conservatives held a double-digit lead in the polls. But things changed quickly. Liberal support jumped after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he would step down. Around the same time, Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. political scene affected Canadian voter opinions too.
Now, halfway through the campaign, some polls show the Liberals leading by a few points. This shift has Teneycke very concerned. He says brushing off bad numbers instead of fixing the message is a mistake.
He also pointed to a recent exchange between Poilievre and a reporter as an example of poor judgment. On Tuesday, a journalist asked Poilievre if he planned to widen his message to reach more voters. He replied that his message was already broad and mentioned his large rally crowd in Edmonton.
When the reporter said “thousands” attended, Poilievre pressed her to be more exact. Teneycke says moments like these are hurting the campaign—especially among women, who are already leaning away from the party.
Teneycke also criticized Poilievre’s overall tone. He said the Conservative leader sounds too much like Donald Trump. “He’s looking and sounding a lot like Trump,” he said. He pointed to Poilievre’s rally talk, his slogan “Canada First,” and his style of arguing with the press.
Teneycke says Poilievre missed a chance to focus on Trump as a growing concern for Canadian voters. He believes the leader’s current style is turning people off.
When asked why he’s speaking out during the campaign, Teneycke said he’s still voting Conservative. But as a political analyst, he says it’s his job to be honest.
