Conservatives’ ‘rational’ demands for trade clarity will satisfy few, say pollsters

Angus Reid’s Shachi Kurl says the division in the Tory base regarding the U.S. leaves Leader Pierre Poilievre with little room to attack as Canadians back the government’s trade stance.

Pollsters say the split amongst the Conservative base and caucus over how to respond to the collapse in negotiations with the U.S. will force Leader Pierre Poilievre into a tight spot. This is a double-exposure image, where the camera superimposes one image over another to create one single image. The Hill Times photograph by Aidan Raynor

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BY STUART BENSON

September 2, 2026

As Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre calls for a united "Canada first" response to the escalating trade war with the United States, pollsters say the official opposition may be in a "no-win" situation, caught between a base that is significantly divided on how to respond ...

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