Pierre Poilievre to deliver first speech as leader to Conservative convention

Conservatives gathered for the federal party's national policy convention in Quebec City today will hear not only from their leader later, but from a man who at one time wanted that job himself.

Conservatives gathered for the federal party's national policy convention in Quebec City today will hear not only from their leader later, but from a man who at one time wanted that job himself.

The must-see event of the day for the more than 2,000 Conservatives who travelled to Quebec City will be tonight's speech by leader Pierre Poilievre.

The convention comes almost one year exactly since he scored a resounding first-ballot victory in the leadership race and it is the first time he will address a policy convention as the party's head.

Poilievre will take the stage as recent polls show the Conservatives with a considerable lead over the governing Liberals, lifting the spirits of party members clamouring for a return to power after being shut out for nearly eight years.

Before Poilievre, the delegates will hear from former cabinet minister Peter MacKay.

MacKay skipped the virtual policy convention in 2021 following his defeat in the 2020 leadership race and his appearance here is viewed by some as a kind of homecoming.

The party for this convention is billing him as one of its co-founders, referencing his role in the merger of the former Progressive Conservative party, which he led, with the Canadian Alliance.