Poilievre May Have Lost His Seat, But He Isn't Going Away

(Chris Young/Canadian Press)

I must admit I took immense pleasure in Pierre Poilievre losing the Ottawa area seat he has held for more than 20 years during the Canadian federal election earlier this week. 

Not only did the Conservative Party fail to oust the Liberals from office making Poilievre Canada's next Prime Minister, but he was defeated by Liberal Party candidate Bruce Fanjoy by nearly 3800 votes. 

While the Conservative Party gained both seats in the House of Commons and in the popular vote, Poilievre is at least for now on the outside looking in.

I take in this immense pleasure because Poilievre comes off as smug and holier than thou person who thinks he knows better than you about everything and is incapable of admitting that he's wrong.

Kinda sounds like President Trump.

It is why Canadians rejected Poilievre, and it is why the people of Carleton turned on him.

Some humble pie was in order.

However, I suspect this joy will be short-lived.

I suspect that some poor Tory MP in Alberta (Poilievre was born and raised in Calgary) will have to fall on his or her sword so that Poilievre can run in a by-election.

This is certainly not without precedent. When former Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas ran for office in Regina during the NDP's inaugural federal election in 1962, he was defeated. However, Erhart Regier, a NDP MP elected in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby gave up his seat and Douglas won it in a by-election. So, I would be shocked if Poilievre didn't follow this path.

But if Poilievre did follow this path, and somehow ended up losing the by-election as well, then his goose would be cooked. I mean if the leader of the Conservative Party can't win a seat in Alberta, then he certainly has no business being Prime Minister.

In any case, I will take some pleasure in Poilievre being unable to ask Prime Minister Carney questions in the House of Commons. But he won't be away for very long.