It was Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s YouTube videos that caught the attention of Joshua Deslandes, a University of Toronto student studying economics and political science.
“It really inspired me to become a Conservative. I loved the message. I loved the whole brand. I really love the Conservative Party,” the 19-year-old said during the Conservative convention in Ottawa last week past
“I bought a membership and I’m getting involved, meeting MPs, talking to people and it’s been great fun.”
Deslandes is one of the newest members of the Conservative Party of Canada, a young person of color who says he was drawn to a positive message about the future.
Joshua Deslandes is one of the newest members of the Conservative Party of Canada. (Buntola Nou/CBC)
Poilievre became the new leader last week after winning two-thirds of the vote, a level of party support not even enjoyed by former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Tina Park, a professor of Canadian nationalism at the University of Toronto, said Poilievre’s appeal among younger voters is driven in part by his communication and social media strategies, and the fact that he is a relatively young face in Canadian politics.
“If you listen to his speeches, he’s very direct, very simple and very relatable to young people who are struggling with inflation, who can’t buy a house because things are too expensive for them,” Park said.
“Some of their messages are very extreme, to be honest, but in a way that satisfies a certain hunger among the Canadian public for change and an alternative vision that can carry them forward and help them plan for a new future.”
Tina Park, a professor of Canadian nationalism at the University of Toronto, said Poilievre’s success with younger fans is partly due to his communication and social media strategies. (Zoom)
Park said that as Canadians struggle with pandemic-induced inflation and global supply chain issues, many are being forced to cut back on spending.
“Because of the economic pressure they face, we always have a tendency as human beings to turn the other way when you think the current system isn’t working for you,” he said. “Especially younger people in their 30s who are looking to start a family and then move on to the next stage of their lives. [they] You find a new kind of vision in Mr. Poilievre.”
Park said that while the Conservative Party is seeing a diverse group of young people come together, it has always had a core group of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and Colored) members, especially recent immigrants.
Sufiyan Master, a 21-year-old from Montreal and a new member of the Conservative Party, said he hadn’t seen the party until recently.
“I’ve never thought about politics before … just because it’s a thought that’s felt so out of reach,” he said.
“As a Muslim child of an immigrant, we’ve always leaned towards the Liberal Party. It was something that felt like home, it felt like it represented our values. But I think as minorities, we have this misperception, a misunderstanding the different views that different parties can come to the table and offer.
“Right now it’s about thinking about the future of Canada and how it’s been handled over the last few years. It’s pretty clear that not a lot of people agree with what’s going on.”
Sufiyan Master, 21, says she now feels conservatives are doing a better job of addressing the issues she cares about. (Buntola Nou/CBC)
As more BIPOC people take roles with the party, this new diversity also helps attract others, said Aderoju Alao, director of communications for the Black Conservative Association.
“For Black, it looks like we finally have a chance on the table [to] make our voices heard,” she said.
Alao, who is based in Edmonton, said his group has seen more BIPOC and young people become interested in conservative parties across the country.
The Conservatives have also reached out to minority communities and recent immigrants with policies designed specifically for them, he said.
“It could be better, but they’re making that effort to make sure they reach as many diverse populations that exist in their regions,” Alao said.
“In the past, and I’m not saying this categorically, given the history of the Conservative Party, there’s been a public belief that the BIPOC community can’t be represented in the Conservatives. But we’re entering a new era.”
Aderoju Alao of the Association of Black Conservatives says conservatives have made more efforts to reach out to diverse and immigrant communities. (Zoom)
Jeff Yang, 31, said he’s seeing that happen. He once considered himself a liberal; she even campaigned for Justin Trudeau in her 20s.
More recently, Yang, who works in financial services in Toronto, has campaigned for Poilievre. He said he has noticed that many young people he talks to now are interested in the Conservatives.
“I saw this for Mr. Trudeau’s campaign when he first ran for prime minister. There was a lot of youth support for the Liberal MP candidates,” he said.
“It tells you that this party has a lot of support and grassroots and gives it a good chance of winning an election.
“If you look across the room, the stereotype is that it’s usually old white people who are conservative. But I’m seeing a lot of non-white people coming to support conservatives.”
LOOK | Why these young BIPOC say they’re attracted to conservatives:
Why are these young BIPOC attracted to conservatives
Three young people explain why they decided to become members of the Conservative Party at the recent convention in Ottawa.