Pierre Poilievre should have cruised to victory. The Conservative leader had momentum, money, and a national movement against Justin Trudeau’s Liberal legacy. But instead of winning big, he lost his own seat in Carleton. And the reason might be found not in policy or polling—but in a microphone.
Tired of too many ads?
In a post-CNN, post-CBC world, where voters trust TikTok creators more than anchors, Donald Trump found a lifeline in 2024: podcasts. Long-form, low-interruption, emotionally resonant podcasts. Pierre Poilievre, for all his digital savvy, missed the wave. And that miss may have cost him Carleton.
Conservative Tsunami, Local Shipwreck
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, right, and his wife Anaida Poilievre cast their votes in the federal election in Ottawa, Canada in Ottawa. (AP/PTI Photo)
Heading into the 2025 federal election, the Conservative Party looked unbeatable. With inflation raging, housing unattainable, and Liberal fatigue setting in, Poilievre’s message resonated. The Conservatives were polling over 40% nationwide and trouncing the Liberals in swing provinces.
But in Carleton—a suburban Ottawa seat Poilievre held since 2004—the ground shifted. Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy, a local engineer with little national profile, flipped the riding by 3,837 votes. The turnout? A staggering 82%, among the highest in Canada.
Observers pointed to complacency. Poilievre spent the final weeks of the campaign hosting national rallies and viral townhalls, ignoring his own backyard. "I think he took the riding for granted," Fanjoy said post-victory. "I was knocking on doors while he was filming reels."
Tired of too many ads?
But beneath that surface-level neglect was something deeper: Poilievre’s failure to reach young, politically active voters where they actually are—on YouTube, on Spotify, and inside podcast apps.
Canada’s Lost Youth
Nationally, Poilievre won the youth vote on paper. According to Reuters, 49% of Canadians aged 18-34 backed the Conservatives. But polling data is a poor substitute for turnout. And in ridings like Carleton, young voters turned up in droves—but not for Poilievre.
This wasn’t because young voters didn’t care about housing or inflation. Many did. But while Poilievre’s economic message resonated, his cultural tone repelled. Women in particular reported discomfort with his combative persona. Socially conscious students saw him as antagonistic to climate and equity goals. Progressive youth turned out to stop him—not support him.
More crucially, the youth Poilievre did win over—economically anxious, politically fluid 20-somethings—weren’t engaged beyond the polls. They weren’t mobilised. And that’s because he never truly spoke to them on their platforms.
The Sound of Silence: Poilievre's Podcast Void