#ICYMI Pierre Poilievre Believes He Has No Right to Lose The Next Election

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

This week from The Walrus:

Why Poilievre Is Always Looking for a Fight

The man who plans to become prime minister by making enemies

BY PAUL WELLS

A photo of Pierre Poilievre with a red circle of light spotlighting his face.

People close to Pierre Poilievre tell me he never stops thinking about the obligation to return the party to power. So if doing something will help him win the coming election, he’ll do it. And if not, he won’t. He refuses to meet ambassadors stationed in Ottawa because nobody votes for a party whose leader is nice to diplomats. He won’t meet most business leaders or Indigenous leaders for the same reason.

This explains what he won’t do—the chances he won’t take, the time he won’t waste talking to people who seem important but can’t move him closer to power. But how do we explain how he acts? Why is he so casually insulting to so many prominent Canadians? At times, it seems there’s nobody he won’t pick a fight with.

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Karina Gould fields questions from reporters.

Karina Gould Thinks She Can Beat Pierre Poilievre. Can She?

Why Canada’s next prime minister could be a millennial mom

BY WENDY KAUR

A photo of Ontario premier Doug Ford looking off camera.

Inside Doug Ford’s Plan to Starve Ontario’s Universities

What happens when a government stops believing in education?

BY DAVID LEADBEATER

A photo illustration of a white box that reads 'Empty Words.'

Sorry Not Sorry: The Art of Saying Nothing in Apology Statements

From corporate scandals to celebrity missteps, public contrition has lost all meaning

BY MICHELLE CYCA

A few books are on fire against a black backdrop.

Book Banning in Canada Is Quiet, Systemic, and More Effective than Ever

Our libraries are being purged in the name of protecting kids

BY IRA WELLS

An illustration of a teenager lying with her head down on the desk in the glow of a busy computer screen.

At 3 a.m., I Turned to AI for Comfort. That Was My First Mistake

The age of distraction has a cost: we’re forgetting how to be alone with ourselves

BY DANICA POPOVIC

An illustration featuring the silhouette of man in dark watercolours with a large brushstroke beneath him. The background is grey.

Not Working, Not Studying, Not Happy: Meet the NEETs

Why are so many young people struggling to finish education or find a job?

BY NATHAN ABRAHA

How well do you know our stories?
Test yourself with our Weekly Quiz

The term NEET, which can be traced back to the United Kingdom in the 1980s, describes a young person who is not involved in any kind of employment, education, or training. What are three major factors that would put an individual at the greatest risk of becoming a NEET?

Yes, I know the answer

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The growing trend of social isolation is one of the major challenges facing our world today. Studies show that the “loneliness epidemic” is causing significant harm to our physical and mental health, and contributing to the troubling rise of polarization.

Join us in Toronto or online for The Walrus Talks Reimagining Volunteerism, where speakers look at the power of volunteerism to build shared purpose, individual agency, and community cohesion.

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Discover the Final Chapter of The Hidden Holocaust Papers

Recorded live, the final episode features Timothy Taylor in conversation about family history, storytelling, and the making of the series. He is joined by Holocaust survivor Mariette Doduck, Ecuadorian‐Jewish filmmaker David Bercovici‐Artieda, and his sister Shelagh Genuis. Together, they explore the personal and historical significance of their stories and what they reveal about memory and legacy. Later, Timothy and showrunner Anthony Cantor offer behind‐the‐scenes insights into the creative process before opening the floor to audience questions.

Dive into the series

This week on What Happened Next, host Nathan Whitlock is joined by writer Anuja Varghese, whose debut book—the short-story collection Chrysalis—was published by House of Anansi Press in 2023. They talk about Hamilton, Ontario’s weirdly tight‐knit literary scene; about the manuscript for Chrysalis initially receiving a chilly reception from publishers; and about dealing with audiences and readers who struggle with some of the more graphic material in her book.

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Siddhesh Inamdar
Features Editor, The Walrus

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