Poilievre tweaks his tone and strategy as he faces must-win byelection, leadership review

Pierre Poilievre was feeling dejected and disappointed after the stinging federal election loss in April, sources close to the Conservative leader said, and he dialed back his public appearances for the better part of two months to reassess his strategy and regroup.

After that period of self-reflection, which was marked by private calls and visits with dozens of MPs, staff and supporters, Poilievre is re-emerging from a relatively dormant period — ramping up his federal byelection campaign, weighing in publicly on perceived Liberal missteps and speaking to the press.

"It's been hard on him," one Poilievre confidante, who spoke to CBC News on the condition they not be named so they could speak freely about internal matters, said of the election loss. "All of us, we've had to eat some humble pie."

Another Conservative source who worked closely with Poilievre on the campaign said the leader has seemed "deflated" since the loss and has been "lacking the chutzpah" he was known for in the lead-up to the national vote.

To expand the potential pool of voters and beat the Liberals next time, the leader and people around him now acknowledge that some things have to change, Conservative sources said.

Poilievre, long known as the ultimate attack dog politician after spending much of his career on the opposition benches, has been more subdued at his recent public outings, including at his press conference with reporters on Monday. The sloganeering, once a staple of his political messaging, has been parked — at least for now.

After avoiding national interviews with some traditional media outlets for much of his leadership, Poilievre spoke to CBC Radio's The House last week.

He critiqued Prime Minister Mark Carney's handling of the Canada-U.S. trade dispute — but also offered up some solutions, including a commitment to get more personally involved in American outreach if asked. Throughout the campaign, the Tory leader had said it wasn't his place to intervene.

Poilievre said he didn't blame Carney "entirely" for the lack of progress on a trade deal. "He's dealing with unfair treatment by the Americans," he told host Catherine Cullen.

One Conservative source close to Poilievre said the shift in tone — and temperament — is deliberate.

Poilievre himself acknowledged this week an election defeat is a chance to reassess, saying "every election comes with lessons."

He also suggested his leadership can't be tied just to what the Liberals are doing. "We need to present ourselves as a government-in-waiting," he said.

And he told Calgary Stampede-goers at his first major speech since the election earlier this month that he won't back down despite some of the challenges that lie ahead.

"We don't run away when things get hard. We dust ourselves off. We get back in the saddle and we gallop forward into the fight," Poilievre said.