Dimitri Soudas, a longtime Conservative strategist who served as Stephen Harper's communications director and later as executive director of the party, joins Straight Up with Marc Patrone to discuss the debate over Pierre Poilievre's leadership, public disputes among prominent Conservatives, and the party's path forward.
Soudas says the public clashes among Conservative figures, former staffers and insider voices have become a distraction from the party’s larger goal of returning to government. While he says debate and disagreement are part of any political movement, he argues personal disputes cannot be allowed to fracture the broader Conservative coalition.
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Discussing recent tensions surrounding the BC Conservative leadership race and the fallout involving Caroline Elliott and members of her campaign team, Soudas argues Conservatives need to focus on bringing more people into the movement rather than pushing supporters away. “Politics is about making additions, not about making subtractions,” he says.
Soudas also addresses the ongoing criticism and counter-criticism involving Pierre Poilievre and political strategist Kory Teneycke, arguing the party’s leader has a responsibility to rise above internal battles.
“One person, Kory Teneycke, is a party member, a Conservative... The other person is supposed to be the prime minister in waiting. Why is he wasting time on Kory Teneycke?” Soudas says.
While praising Poilievre as “probably the hardest working politician I have ever met,” Soudas argues the Conservative leader’s focus should be on showing Canadians he is ready to govern.
Soudas also outlines what he believes to be the path forward for Conservatives, urging the party to “ignore the noise,” focus on the job ahead, and become a government-in-waiting.
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