Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre91裸聊视频檚 path to power may be by prosecuting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau91裸聊视频檚 past eight years in government, but his road to victory is painted NDP orange.

Appealing to working-class voters in rural and northern ridings 91裸聊视频� like those held by New Democrats across British Columbia and Liberals in northern Ontario 91裸聊视频� is part of what Poilievre sees as a winning formula.

That offensive was on full display recently as he traversed NDP turf on Vancouver Island, rallying supporters in Nanaimo and snapping photos with mill workers in Port Alberni. He also stopped at a steel plant and port in B.C.91裸聊视频檚 Lower Mainland as part of his tour to rub shoulders with workers, images of which lit up his social media.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e seeing Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative party, on the floor of shops and factories,91裸聊视频� said Allie Blades, a strategist who worked on his 2022 leadership campaign in B.C.

Blades, who works for Mash Strategy, which produces the party91裸聊视频檚 slick digital videos, cited a recent speech to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade 91裸聊视频� an invitation it took Poilievre 18 months to accept.

It was his first appearance before a corporate crowd since becoming leader in 2022, not out of spite 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频漣t91裸聊视频檚 nothing to do with my view on business; I love business,91裸聊视频� he said 91裸聊视频� but because 91裸聊视频渦tterly useless91裸聊视频� corporate lobbyists in Ottawa are too focused on currying favour with elected officials.

Instead, the Conservative plan is a 91裸聊视频渂ottom-up, free enterprise agenda,91裸聊视频� he said, vowing to end the days of self-interested CEOs and politicians working together solely to advance their own self-interests.

91裸聊视频淲hen I91裸聊视频檓 prime minister, if you want any of your policy agenda pushed forward, you91裸聊视频檙e going to have to convince not just me, but the people of Canada that it is good for them.91裸聊视频�

Blades said it91裸聊视频檚 a populist approach that so far has served Poilievre well.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a switch that the Conservatives, I think, have done very rightly and strategically,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e seeing the floor versus the stage.91裸聊视频�

The shop floor, of course, is traditional New Democrat territory 91裸聊视频� home to a critical voting bloc the NDP is not about to surrender without a fight.

91裸聊视频淵ou91裸聊视频檝e never seen him on a picket line,91裸聊视频� said Anne McGrath, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh91裸聊视频檚 principal secretary and formerly the party91裸聊视频檚 national director.

91裸聊视频淵ou can go to shop floors and look at things on a shop floor, but when push comes to shove and workers need support from their political leaders, we91裸聊视频檝e never seen him there.91裸聊视频�

Poilievre has clearly struck a nerve by tapping into legitimate public anxiety around affordability, McGrath acknowledged, but his message is 91裸聊视频渟implistic.91裸聊视频� So too is the choice facing voters, she said.

91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檝e got the big, loud megaphone voice of the Conservatives and Pierre Poilievre, or they91裸聊视频檝e got the constructive, positive proposals and actions that they can expect from the NDP.91裸聊视频�

Selling that will take 91裸聊视频渁 lot of hard work and (a) clear message,91裸聊视频� not to mention outreach to voters, she added. The NDP has already begun to ratchet up its attacks on the Conservatives and flood traditionally friendly territory with mailers.

Their battle looks like an uphill one 91裸聊视频� not only is Poilievre91裸聊视频檚 message crisp and resonant, but the Conservatives are flush with cash, said Melanie Richer, a former communications director for Singh.

Poilievre91裸聊视频檚 populist approach has helped the Conservatives smash fundraising records 91裸聊视频� funds vital to the leader91裸聊视频檚 aggressive public schedule and outreach to new voters, like those who typically vote NDP.

So far, he91裸聊视频檚 held 16 rallies and other meet-and-greets this year, six of them in ridings held by the NDP, compared to eight Liberal ones. Throughout 2023, his first full year as leader, the ratio was 12 NDP, 19 Liberal.

Blades said she believes Poilievre91裸聊视频檚 success with typical NDP voters in places like B.C. is a result of 91裸聊视频渄own-to-earth messaging91裸聊视频� that Singh, she argues, 91裸聊视频渃ould never authentically achieve.91裸聊视频�

It is a province that is also deeply affected by the housing crisis as well as the opioid epidemic, both of which Poilievre blames squarely on two factors: the federal Liberal government and its B.C. NDP counterpart.

While critics pan his crusade against the consumer carbon price as an exercise in sloganeering and misinformation, supporters see it as an optimistic message, Blades said 91裸聊视频� even in B.C., where a provincial carbon price has been in place for years.

It also can91裸聊视频檛 hurt Conservative fortunes that the NDP is bleeding caucus members. Six MPs have already left or said they won91裸聊视频檛 run again, including three just last week 91裸聊视频� one of whom was Charlie Angus, a 20-year fixture for the party in northern Ontario.

It91裸聊视频檚 time for New Democrats to reflect on the party91裸聊视频檚 relationship with working-class voters, said Richer, many of whom have been drifting away from the party since the death of Jack Layton in 2011.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e just not connecting with them,91裸聊视频� she said.

Richer urged the party to be more vocal about the role it played in securing Liberal commitments on national pharmacare and dental care plans through its supply-and-confidence agreement with the government. So far, efforts to do just that have borne little fruit.

She pointed to Manitoba, where NDP Premier Wab Kinew secured a historic election win last year by confronting public anger 91裸聊视频渁nd gave people hope instead.91裸聊视频�

Poilievre91裸聊视频檚 office did not respond to a request for comment about whether a Conservative government would maintain a federal dental care plan. He91裸聊视频檚 also been non-committal on pharmacare.

91裸聊视频淚 do think that we need to start having a more aggressive, hopeful message,91裸聊视频� agreed Kathleen Monk, a campaign strategist and Layton91裸聊视频檚 former communications director.

91裸聊视频淭hings can get better 91裸聊视频� we have a vision to do so.91裸聊视频�

At the same time, she added, New Democrats have to convince Canadians not to believe Poilievre91裸聊视频檚 claims that he is 91裸聊视频渇ighting for little people.91裸聊视频�

Union leaders say the Conservative frontman borrows the language of the working class, but in fact poses a threat to organized labour, citing his frequent support for back-to-work legislation over 20 years in Parliament.

The party has been working hard to rehabilitate its image with unions, with its MPs backing a Liberal bill 91裸聊视频� spurred by the NDP 91裸聊视频� to ban replacement workers during lockouts and strikes in federally regulated workplaces.

Renze Nauta, a former Conservative staffer who is now program director for work and economics at Cardus, suggests politicians must also be aware that Canada91裸聊视频檚 working class has changed.

While unionized, blue-collar trade workers still make up a portion of the working class, he says there has been a decline in unionization rates.

Nauta said the working class has shifted to include more service jobs, including those done by women and new immigrants, and now includes people who work as Amazon delivery drivers or hairstylists.

Many in working-class jobs have a post-secondary education, he added.

91裸聊视频淭hese are the quintessential people who 91裸聊视频� as the politicians say, who did everything that they were supposed to, and still can91裸聊视频檛 get ahead.91裸聊视频�

The next federal election must take place on or before Oct. 20, 2025.