Legacy media pounces on Poilievre's office shakeup

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:04]Well, another member of the Conservative Party leader Pier Palv's office is is leaving. Chief of Staff Ian Todd is retiring. That follows the departure of Director of Communications Katie Marifffield. The Globe and Mail was quick to seize on the departures as a sign the party is retooling after the Liberals gain their majority through floor crossings. This quote from the Globe and Mail story. The defections and slumping poll numbers have lowered morale in caucus. Conservative MPs have taken to checking their local polling numbers weekly and gaming out amongst themselves how many of them will lose their seats next time. The questions of who might replace Mr. Polyv and Wen are quietly being raised within the ranks though no challenger has declared themselves. Our guest today is communications expert and political strategist George Anne Burke of Pathway Group. Welcome to the show Geanne.

[00:01:05]>> Thanks Mark.

[00:01:06]>> What do you make of that quote in the Globe and Mail story?

[00:01:10]>> Uh if wishes were fishes you know that's all their wishful thinking. Um, I don't I I listen, of course, people some people in the party are probably unhappy with the outcome of the election, with the outcome of the the I I don't know if I'd be unhappy.

[00:01:30]I'd be outraged at the way that um uh Carney engineered his majority.

[00:01:36]I don't know how anybody sees that legitimate. It may be legal, but it's not legitimate. and um uh you know, so I understand that there may be feelings about that, but I haven't heard anything about anyone saying, "Oh, I think I'm going to lose my seat or uh maybe we should see who we can have place replace Pierre," except the usual uh naysayers who aren't, by the way, in caucus. They're usually these whiners out in our party's ranks who are always whining about something. They're never happy about anything. So, I don't know who the Glob and Mail is talking to.

[00:02:07]They surely did not call me. I can assure you of that. Um, not that I would expect them to, but they wouldn't have gotten that answer for me. So, >> I mean, those whiners had the option of crossing the floor along with the other four. I mean, if they were that unhappy.

[00:02:22]>> Yeah.

[00:02:23]>> There they always had that option, I suppose.

[00:02:26]>> Yeah. And the fact is that I know um that there were people that were reached out to who said no, they're not interested. One of them being Kelly Derritter, who stated flat out that she told them no. Um, and there were a couple of others, uh, I guess, uh, a couple of others who said pretty clearly that they were approached and they were not interested. Uh, listen, I, um, I, I think the people that did leave had reasons for their unhappiness. I said that the guy from Nova Scotia was never a conservative anyway. I know people don't like to hear that, but, he wasn't. Um, Matt Generoo was a surprise to me. Um, I I don't know what was behind that at all. I don't understand it. I'm not close enough to him, but I kind of knew him a little bit through the Andrew Shear campaign. I just was it didn't seem in in character for him.

[00:03:16]Marilyn Gladu was a personal, as I told you before, a very personal kind of slap in the face to me and uh highly disappointing. Um, but I know what she's up what she's about on this. She wanted to get things for her writing and they promised her she would and I don't think she's going to run again the next time.

[00:03:34]Uh, I think she knows that she's toast anyway. So, she figures you'll get what you can now. She doesn't need the money.

[00:03:39]She doesn't need to stay in in u House Commons. She's quite comfortable. She had a great career in uh engineering.

[00:03:46]So, for her, whatever. And Michael Ma uh I'm not shocked at all about him. He he he's a guy who um was questionable from the very beginning about where his loyalties actually were lying. and uh he went over very comfortably, fit right in right away with Carney and went to Beijing with him and whatever else went on over there. Not not a good situation. The other people that were approached were not interested. That's because they're actual conservatives and actually care about the party. Pierre isn't going anywhere. Um yes, he is making changes in his office. Um, I think I told you yesterday, um, personally I was not unhappy with the change of Ian Todd. Um, I think it's time. He's been around a long, long time. Um, and held many roles. Um, and I think that the guy that replaced him, Steve O House, who is someone I have known also for many, many years, is a very different personality, is a very different style of leadership, and I think will be appropriate um, a good counterbalance to Pierre um, over the next while because one of the things that has to happen is that there has to be um, some work done just generally speaking with caucus, which has always been a weakness of our party. We aren't good handling our caucus. managing them, um, making them feel loved. It's and you have to, it's like any good leader has to treat their their staff with love and respect, otherwise they don't, they might, you know, work for them for a while, but eventually they're going to lose them. So, um, it's not that Pier doesn't care, but Pierre's a busy guy and can't do everything, so he needs somebody there who's going to pick up the slack, and Steve is a good guy for that. Um, and Steve also understands the nuts and bolts of campaigning and will build his team around finding people that can help him um now and at the time when there's an election so that we're prepared. One of the big um one of the big problems and this is not a problem spec specifically to Pierre. It's a problem since 2011.

[00:05:52]In 2011, the Conservative Party dismantled itself. I don't know why.

[00:05:56]Well, I do know why. Somebody actually said to me, "Oh, we're in government now. Government can do everything." I was like, "That's insane. Government can't do everything, first of all.

[00:06:06]Secondly, what happens when you're not in government anymore? You've dismantled the party and you have no structure. The party is forever. Government is comes and goes." Well, sure enough, in 2015, it went and they had no party structure and it never really recovered from that.

[00:06:19]So I think um one of the jobs that Steve has is to rebuild the party um and to create new structures in the party um and you know the OO is an extension of that to create new structures in the party that will complement what the OO is doing on policy and on government. Um you need a you need the the conservative party to reflect that in the activities that they're doing and you need people who know how to make that the crossover between the two. So, I think Steve's capable of that. He understands both sides. He's been um chief of staff to a premier. He's been uh a staffer to many people in on the on the Hill. Um he's been um a campaign manager extraordinaire across the country. He's got a lot of experience and skill and I think he'll be a good change.

[00:07:09]>> What about Beer himself, his presentation? Some people really like it. the hard-hitting aspect to um his approach and you know the fact that he has been a fighter. I mean I think he's galvanized a lot of support especially on the right from the right wing of the party but there are those who think he went maybe went too far or you know that he should be softer and more gentler kinder gentler leadership. Um, do you think that the image uh that he's going to be presenting to Canadians that that needs to change or does he does Pierre just need to be Pierre?

[00:07:48]>> Well, the worst thing you can do is try to be someone you're not. Um, everyone picks out a phony in about 4 seconds. I think the thing that actually helped him over the last few years is he was actually being more himself. Um he and he has I'll tell you this. I've known him for a very long time since he was just out of university and working for Stockwell Day carrying his briefing books around. He was a very different guy then than he is now. He was young uh you know loose and fancyfree. Now he's a married guy with two young kids, one kid who has a disability. He has family responsibilities. Um he has a mom who is not well. His dad is also not well. He has responsibilities for them. Um he, you know, he has his brother, he has, you know, his family that he's very devoted to. Um and he's got a big big job to do. So you have someone who's mellowed a little bit. Okay. But he still has very strong views on principle. Um I think that if he gave up those things or if he tried to cover them up or tried to soften them down, people would right away think he was a phony. Um, so he has to find a way to he has to use what is I think one of his greatest skills, which is the way he communicates to ordinary people. He's very good at that. He makes the the greatest videos and um does he did that interview with Joe Rogan I thought was fantastic. Uh because you got to see a side of Pierre that nobody ever sees. I honestly kind of knew a little bit about his love for the sporting world, but you know, I finally like like enough already, man. Like, I don't want to know anymore about this mixed martial arts and and you know, the fighting stuff.

[00:09:30]But he loves that stuff and obviously knows a lot about it. There isn't very much that he does that he doesn't learn a lot about. Um, I think it's it's interesting for people to watch it and see who he is as a person. Um, it is very important too that he gets out as much as he can. um and they know that.

[00:09:47]So that means that they've got to have a really solid hardworking opposition leaders office with fresh faces in it with some fresh ideas in it. Um with the party also having maybe some fresh faces and fresh ideas there too. Uh they they need to they need to get their game up.

[00:10:04]They've got time. They're still raising money like crazy. They're still the best fundraisers of all the parties in the country. Um and it's because conservatives are very loyal to the party. Uh so their problem isn't money.

[00:10:17]They need to use their resources wisely and start planning ahead for how the party is going to grow and be strong not just for the next election but you know create a uh an entity that will exist and be strong into the future.

[00:10:34]>> And what approach should they take as far as the government is concerned as far as the prime minister is concerned?

[00:10:40]He's come under attack from members of the media, which is what they do, but suggesting that he's too divisive, that he should be on team Canada along with Carney. In other words, you know, everybody just get together. You know, the the Doug Ford approach, you know, let's all just be on the side, all sing from the same page, you know, don't be an opposition leader, just be part of what we're doing here. You know, how how should he approach that? They must have missed that lesson in civics where the opposition leaders job is to oppose.

[00:11:14]Okay, it doesn't mean you oppose without thought. But I will tell you that Mark Carney's approach to governing is the polar opposite. It isn't like it's similar. It's the polar opposite of the way that Pierre believes in governing the country. And he has an a duty to point out the places where he puts the country in danger. And um I feel I mean just personally I watch what's going on and I'm horrified seeing the shift away from the US towards China. Um all based on some fake, you know, anti-US, you know, sentiment that got these guys elected. I mean, I don't know if it's fake. I think they used anti- US sentiment in the population to get themselves elected. Um not not not good, right? You know what I'm saying? So, I think that they actually have to um continue to oppose.

[00:12:11]He should do it always thoughtfully and with, you know, reasoned and backed up by fact. But he does. The media is never going to be his friend. That is just a fact. And if we expect them to start reporting and saying, "Look what a great job Pierre is doing opposing," they're never going to do it. They just won't do it. They would talk. If the Liberals were opposing, they would be they would be talking day and night about all the things that they were doing, right? They can't do that with conservatives. It's not in their DNA. So, Pierre's going to have to find alternative channels to get his message out. He knows that and he has to continue to oppose. That's his job when it is appropriate. Um, there may be things they do that he agrees with. He has said, "I don't think that's a bad idea. We should do that." But he isn't going to agree with something just to be part of quote unquote team Canada.

[00:13:01]But how do you navigate the relationship with the United States?

[00:13:06]You know, knowing full well the sentiment in Canada now where so many people think, well, everything is Trump's fault. And so, you know, you want to be practical in looking at our relationship with the United States is critical to our economy and the fact that we need a trade relationship with our biggest with our neighbor and a huge market just to the south of us. So, that has to be maintained. And yet you've got this anti-American sentiment running through a good chunk of Canadian society right now. And so if you try to um gain favor with the Americans in order to get a better deal, you're going to look like you're sucking up the Trump. You know, how do you walk that tight rope?

[00:13:50]>> So first of all, it's not Pierre's job to walk that tight rope. I think people are incorrect. He's not the guy that has to do the discussions with the US. It's the guy uh sitting at uh the PMO that has to do that. And he's being well, I don't know if you saw what happened last week, but he got the Canada got trounced off of a major security >> uh organization. And that's that's because >> the US no longer trusts Canada.

[00:14:19]>> Okay. Um there will be more to come. I believe I think that was only the first salvo. I have said to you before and I think you'll recall it. I said it way back in November of 2024 that I did not believe that USMCA is going to be renegotiated. I think there's going to be a Mexican bilateral and Canada's going to have to figure out what it's going to do if there's going to be a bilateral with Canada or not. And right now it doesn't seem Canada's inclined to want to do that. Um maybe empty shelves will help them change their minds. uh maybe a lack of of products and things that they get from the US every single day that they cannot possibly replace from China or other places in any reasonable amount of time. Maybe that will change their minds. I don't I don't know what it will take. Um but u it's not Pierre's job to do this negotiation.

[00:15:04]It is Pier's job to encourage them to be reasonable about this. Uh the US has been our longtime partner. I I've I've always said, and this is as an American, that I thought it was foolish for Canada to have 80% or 70% of its eggs in one basket.

[00:15:21]Not a smart idea. But now this behavior, which is not about that, it's about hating Trump and it's about getting a grip on power and keeping it and fooling the people into thinking that they're doing this for them. This is just this is the wrong time and the wrong way to do this. the way that Harper was doing it when he was in office and didn't have unfortunately enough time to finish it.

[00:15:45]He did get the trade uh balance a little bit better. It was down from 70% to around 60%. It takes time to negotiate these deals and to work it out. So, it's it's incremental. You can't just flip it over overnight. And I think um uh I think that Carney knows that and I don't think he cares.

[00:16:08]>> Yeah.

[00:16:08]>> I think he has a totally other agenda in mind. And >> yeah, >> people I you know I I don't like to say it a lot. People will say, "Oh, that's just her being a partisan conservative or she's crazy." But I don't think he has Canada in mind at all.

[00:16:23]>> Yeah. I mean, I think he figured the Mexicans would do an end run around, you know, they Canada and Mexico could do an end run around the United States somehow.

[00:16:33]>> Already said already said no. They said they're not making a deal with Canada.

[00:16:37]So, if he's thinking that, he didn't hear what Claudia Shinbomb said.

[00:16:42]>> Yeah.

[00:16:42]>> Literally said we're not doing that.

[00:16:45]>> She wants to deal with the US. She knows where her bread is buttered.

[00:16:48]>> Yeah. Because she's not stupid. And so they're going to cut a deal with the Americans because of course they need access to that 340 million person um market and Canada's going to be left left out looking, you know, on the outside looking in and figuring what they're going to do next. Georanne, thank you so much for coming on the show. We really appreciate it.

[00:17:09]>> My pleasure. Good to talk to you, Mark.

[00:17:11]>> Georganne Burke. Well, if you enjoyed the show, well, there's a lot more where that came from. And you can help support us by supporting independent journalism and becoming a premier member of Juno News. Please go to junwe.com/straightup.

[00:17:25]You can find the link below. It helps us do what we do. Thank you so much. We'll see you next time.