Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre害羞草研究所檚 path to power may be by prosecuting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 past eight years in government, but his road to victory is painted NDP orange.

Appealing to working-class voters in rural and northern ridings 害羞草研究所� like those held by New Democrats across British Columbia and Liberals in northern Ontario 害羞草研究所� is part of what Poilievre sees as a winning formula.

That offensive was on full display recently as he traversed NDP turf on Vancouver Island, rallying supporters in Nanaimo and snapping photos with mill workers in Port Alberni. He also stopped at a steel plant and port in B.C.害羞草研究所檚 Lower Mainland as part of his tour to rub shoulders with workers, images of which lit up his social media.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e seeing Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative party, on the floor of shops and factories,害羞草研究所� said Allie Blades, a strategist who worked on his 2022 leadership campaign in B.C.

Blades, who works for Mash Strategy, which produces the party害羞草研究所檚 slick digital videos, cited a recent speech to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade 害羞草研究所� an invitation it took Poilievre 18 months to accept.

It was his first appearance before a corporate crowd since becoming leader in 2022, not out of spite 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所漣t害羞草研究所檚 nothing to do with my view on business; I love business,害羞草研究所� he said 害羞草研究所� but because 害羞草研究所渦tterly useless害羞草研究所� corporate lobbyists in Ottawa are too focused on currying favour with elected officials.

Instead, the Conservative plan is a 害羞草研究所渂ottom-up, free enterprise agenda,害羞草研究所� he said, vowing to end the days of self-interested CEOs and politicians working together solely to advance their own self-interests.

害羞草研究所淲hen I害羞草研究所檓 prime minister, if you want any of your policy agenda pushed forward, you害羞草研究所檙e going to have to convince not just me, but the people of Canada that it is good for them.害羞草研究所�

Blades said it害羞草研究所檚 a populist approach that so far has served Poilievre well.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a switch that the Conservatives, I think, have done very rightly and strategically,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e seeing the floor versus the stage.害羞草研究所�

The shop floor, of course, is traditional New Democrat territory 害羞草研究所� home to a critical voting bloc the NDP is not about to surrender without a fight.

害羞草研究所淵ou害羞草研究所檝e never seen him on a picket line,害羞草研究所� said Anne McGrath, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh害羞草研究所檚 principal secretary and formerly the party害羞草研究所檚 national director.

害羞草研究所淵ou can go to shop floors and look at things on a shop floor, but when push comes to shove and workers need support from their political leaders, we害羞草研究所檝e never seen him there.害羞草研究所�

Poilievre has clearly struck a nerve by tapping into legitimate public anxiety around affordability, McGrath acknowledged, but his message is 害羞草研究所渟implistic.害羞草研究所� So too is the choice facing voters, she said.

害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檝e got the big, loud megaphone voice of the Conservatives and Pierre Poilievre, or they害羞草研究所檝e got the constructive, positive proposals and actions that they can expect from the NDP.害羞草研究所�

Selling that will take 害羞草研究所渁 lot of hard work and (a) clear message,害羞草研究所� not to mention outreach to voters, she added. The NDP has already begun to ratchet up its attacks on the Conservatives and flood traditionally friendly territory with mailers.

Their battle looks like an uphill one 害羞草研究所� not only is Poilievre害羞草研究所檚 message crisp and resonant, but the Conservatives are flush with cash, said Melanie Richer, a former communications director for Singh.

Poilievre害羞草研究所檚 populist approach has helped the Conservatives smash fundraising records 害羞草研究所� funds vital to the leader害羞草研究所檚 aggressive public schedule and outreach to new voters, like those who typically vote NDP.

So far, he害羞草研究所檚 held 16 rallies and other meet-and-greets this year, six of them in ridings held by the NDP, compared to eight Liberal ones. Throughout 2023, his first full year as leader, the ratio was 12 NDP, 19 Liberal.

Blades said she believes Poilievre害羞草研究所檚 success with typical NDP voters in places like B.C. is a result of 害羞草研究所渄own-to-earth messaging害羞草研究所� that Singh, she argues, 害羞草研究所渃ould never authentically achieve.害羞草研究所�

It is a province that is also deeply affected by the housing crisis as well as the opioid epidemic, both of which Poilievre blames squarely on two factors: the federal Liberal government and its B.C. NDP counterpart.

While critics pan his crusade against the consumer carbon price as an exercise in sloganeering and misinformation, supporters see it as an optimistic message, Blades said 害羞草研究所� even in B.C., where a provincial carbon price has been in place for years.

It also can害羞草研究所檛 hurt Conservative fortunes that the NDP is bleeding caucus members. Six MPs have already left or said they won害羞草研究所檛 run again, including three just last week 害羞草研究所� one of whom was Charlie Angus, a 20-year fixture for the party in northern Ontario.

It害羞草研究所檚 time for New Democrats to reflect on the party害羞草研究所檚 relationship with working-class voters, said Richer, many of whom have been drifting away from the party since the death of Jack Layton in 2011.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e just not connecting with them,害羞草研究所� she said.

Richer urged the party to be more vocal about the role it played in securing Liberal commitments on national pharmacare and dental care plans through its supply-and-confidence agreement with the government. So far, efforts to do just that have borne little fruit.

She pointed to Manitoba, where NDP Premier Wab Kinew secured a historic election win last year by confronting public anger 害羞草研究所渁nd gave people hope instead.害羞草研究所�

Poilievre害羞草研究所檚 office did not respond to a request for comment about whether a Conservative government would maintain a federal dental care plan. He害羞草研究所檚 also been non-committal on pharmacare.

害羞草研究所淚 do think that we need to start having a more aggressive, hopeful message,害羞草研究所� agreed Kathleen Monk, a campaign strategist and Layton害羞草研究所檚 former communications director.

害羞草研究所淭hings can get better 害羞草研究所� we have a vision to do so.害羞草研究所�

At the same time, she added, New Democrats have to convince Canadians not to believe Poilievre害羞草研究所檚 claims that he is 害羞草研究所渇ighting for little people.害羞草研究所�

Union leaders say the Conservative frontman borrows the language of the working class, but in fact poses a threat to organized labour, citing his frequent support for back-to-work legislation over 20 years in Parliament.

The party has been working hard to rehabilitate its image with unions, with its MPs backing a Liberal bill 害羞草研究所� spurred by the NDP 害羞草研究所� to ban replacement workers during lockouts and strikes in federally regulated workplaces.

Renze Nauta, a former Conservative staffer who is now program director for work and economics at Cardus, suggests politicians must also be aware that Canada害羞草研究所檚 working class has changed.

While unionized, blue-collar trade workers still make up a portion of the working class, he says there has been a decline in unionization rates.

Nauta said the working class has shifted to include more service jobs, including those done by women and new immigrants, and now includes people who work as Amazon delivery drivers or hairstylists.

Many in working-class jobs have a post-secondary education, he added.

害羞草研究所淭hese are the quintessential people who 害羞草研究所� as the politicians say, who did everything that they were supposed to, and still can害羞草研究所檛 get ahead.害羞草研究所�

The next federal election must take place on or before Oct. 20, 2025.