Canada’s Conservative Party leader, Pierre Poilievre, made headlines on Tuesday after being ejected from the House of Commons for calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a “wacko”. The heated exchange took place during the daily question period, where opposition parties have the opportunity to scrutinize the government.
The animosity between the two leaders was on full display, providing a glimpse into the potentially tumultuous nature of the upcoming election campaign. Poilievre accused Trudeau of having “extremist” policies and criticized him for failing to address drug overdoses.
Speaker Greg Fergus intervened when Trudeau accused Poilievre of visiting a protest camp with “white nationalist groups”, asking him to rephrase his statement for compliance with parliamentary rules on decorum. Despite being urged four times to retract his statement, Poilievre stood by his words, leading to his ejection from the House.
Following the incident, Poilievre took to social media to reiterate his criticism of Trudeau’s policies, calling them “wacko” and harmful to the Canadian people. Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon condemned the behavior, labeling it as a disrespect for the institutions and the speaker.
With the next election not expected until late October 2025, polls suggest that the Conservatives, led by Poilievre, are likely to secure a significant majority over the center-left Liberals. The ongoing clash between the two leaders sets the stage for a contentious and closely watched election campaign in Canada.