During N.L. tour, Poilievre stresses 'common-sense' approach — but fails to address local issues

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was in St. John's on Friday to visit supporters in a historically Liberal riding, offering federal solutions for provincial problems with what he called a common-sense approach.

Speaking downtown on Friday morning, Poilievre said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's latest backpedalling shows he is in "panic mode" following the announcement of a three-year pause of the carbon tax on home heating oil.

He cited diminishing Liberal support across polls in Atlantic Canada, and said his party wouldn't "flip-flop" on cutting the tax altogether.

"What caused Justin Trudeau to freak out yesterday and hold a sudden press conference to announce that he was going to pause the carbon tax on home heating oil… is that he was plummeting in the polls, and Pierre Poilievre was holding massive rallies in Liberal-held ridings to axe the tax," Poilievre told reporters.

"Justin Trudeau's not worried about the cost of living, he's worried about the cost of votes."

Poilievre has made several visits to Newfoundland and Labrador during his campaign to become Canada's next prime minister, including stops in St. John's, Corner Brook and Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

The party only has one member of Parliament in the province, Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame MP Clifford Small.

The Avalon riding in the capital, where Poilievre held a rally, speaking to about 300 people on Friday, has voted Liberal since 2008. 

He took several shots at Trudeau, including one when he rewarded a crowd member with an apple after they referred to criminals as "Liberals."

Chris Forward told CBC News he attended the rally because he's concerned about the affordability of home heating and goods across the country — especially on the island of Newfoundland, where goods are delivered by truck.

"My parents are elderly, and they were hit with a huge carbon tax bill," Forward said. "Although it's being eliminated or paused for a couple years, I just want to make sure that it's gone just so seniors have a warm home this winter."

Other attendees, like Richard Nelson, said Poilievre will bring him to the polls for the first time. He came to see the Conservative leader, who he says is the right leader for the future.

"I never was political until the pandemic hit, and then I started watching our prime minister and I thought 'OK, something's wrong,'" Nelson said. "Now I've become political, and [Poilievre] seems like a real guy."

While much of his initial comments centred on the carbon tax, reporters also asked Poilievre about local issues like housing, climate change and wind energy — although he often offered federal solutions.