N.B. Conservatives say Poilievre must secure caucus support to remain leader

New Brunswick Conservatives who won their own seats are standing by their leader, Pierre Poilievre, after the party's defeat by the Liberals in the federal election Monday.

But they acknowledge that Poilievre has challenges ahead consolidating support if he wants to lead the party into the next election.

John Williamson, who won in Saint John–St. Croix with more than 50 per cent of the vote, says the party increased its nationwide seat count and popular support, but Poilievre lost his own seat and must win the support of his caucus to stay on as leader.

"[He] obviously has some thinking [to do] and some changes to make," Williamson said Tuesday. "It sounds like he intends to stay on, and that's why I think a caucus meeting will be important for him to find that support as quickly as possible."

Rob Moore, who was re-elected in Fundy Royal, also said Poilievre, who lost his Ottawa-area seat of Carleton, needs to talk to caucus about his future as leader. He deserves credit, however, for a hard-fought campaign and keeping the concerns of voters top-of-mind, Moore said.

"He's going to have to have those conversations with his family and with caucus on the best path forward for all of us," Moore said.

"He's worked tremendously hard to promote the party, to stand up for taxpayers, to fight against the carbon tax. I hope no one is under the illusion that the carbon tax would be gone if it wasn't for Pierre Poilievre."

Williamson and Moore said Poilievre and the Conservative Party were on the right side of many issues, and they believe  the Liberal Party changed positions on issues such as resource development and the carbon tax to win over voters.

"It's telling how [the Liberals] adopted Conservative policies," Moore said. 'It's telling that Conservatives did have their finger on the pulse of the issues that Canadians were talking about around the kitchen table and at Tim Hortons and at work.

"They were talking about the issues that we were promoting, and that's probably why the Liberals stole those positions going into the election.

Don Moore, a past president of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick and an assistant professor of management at Crandall University, said the "Trump-esque" rhetoric over the last couple of years cost the party moderate votes. 

He said there needs to be some kind of review of Poilievre's leadership given that he lost his own seat and failed to win a majority government.

"I'm not saying he has to resign, I'm saying that we need to try to figure out how to recapture that moderate vote, otherwise we're stuck at this 144 [seat count] for several elections," he said. "And that's not where we want to go. As a Conservative, I want to see a Conservative majority, but maybe we need to figure out how to become more 'progressive' Conservative."

Lisa Keenan, a former president of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick who also sought the party nomination in Saint John–Kennebecasis, said the party faces challenges but is still going to be eager for another election, with Poilievre as the leader.