Poilievre secures endorsement from progressive MacKay, as opponents tell Canadians not to be fooled

As devoted delegates gather behind closed doors to deliberate over social conservative and anti-carbon tax policies, the Conservative party sought to project a more moderate public image on Friday, seeing long-time progressive Peter MacKay endorse Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

As devoted delegates gather behind closed doors to deliberate over social conservative and anti-carbon tax policies, the Conservative party sought to project a more moderate public image on Friday, seeing long-time progressive Peter MacKay endorse Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

In his 25-minute lunchtime address, the one-time leadership hopeful said to seize on the party's current momentum, Conservatives need to present a united front.

Speaking about the sense of "pride and purpose" he's feeling at this moment in Canadian politics, MacKay then offered this endorsement to raucous applause: "I believe Pierre Poilievre will be the next prime minister of Canada."

"Canada… it's time to turn the page," he said. "Like Poilievre, I am a proud Canadian Conservative, a pragmatic Conservative, and a compassionate Conservative."

MacKay infamously was one of former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer's most outspoken critics in the aftermath of the 2019 federal election, where Scheer's stance on abortion and same-sex marriage became issues that hung around him like a "stinking albatross."

The Harper-era cabinet minister ran and lost the 2020 leadership race to Erin O'Toole, but bowed out of running against Poilievre and is now calling on Canadians to get behind him.

Inviting MacKay onto the main stage—where he balanced out the red meat base-rallying messaging that dominated Thursday's opening— is a signal that the divisive times are behind the Conservatives, said long-time Stephen Harper and Rona Ambrose staffer turned Conservative strategist Jordan Paquet.