Pierre Poilievre is Canada’s Trump – and that should terrify us
By Lethbridge Herald on February 14, 2025.
Gerry Chidiac – TROY MEDIA
Martin Niemöller was a Lutheran pastor who initially supported the Nazi rise to power. As he watched what was happening around him, he began to openly oppose the regime. As a result, he spent years in Dachau and other concentration camps. After his liberation, he made numerous speeches about his experience and is best known for the following quote:
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
The message is clear: when a leader targets any group, it is dangerous for everyone. In a healthy society, we challenge ideas, but we do not attack people. When a movement singles out a particular group, we must take notice. We do not know who their next target will be—it may even be us.
This is evident in Donald Trump’s rhetoric. When he first took office as president in 2017, he targeted Muslims. Then he attacked protesters calling for racial equality. After returning to office in 2025, he immediately began attacking the human rights of transgender people and immigrants. He has even threatened the sovereignty of Canada.
The danger of Trump’s policies is clear. Not only is he doing great harm to good people, but he may also be contributing to the demise of his own country.
Niemöller’s words should serve as a warning to every society. In Canada, the once dignified Conservative Party has engaged in disturbing discourse since Pierre Poilievre took the reins. While Poilievre did what opposition politicians are supposed to do when he rightfully condemned Justin Trudeau’s misuse of the Emergencies Act during the COVID-19 pandemic, he has continually used meaningless terms like “woke agenda” to attack his opponents.
He has also given unquestioning support to the State of Israel during its assault on Gaza, refused to engage in dialogue on the issue and has threatened the free speech of those who question Israeli actions.
Poilievre’s response since Trump began threatening Canada has also been concerning. Instead of uniting with other Canadian leaders to defend the country, he has chosen to attack the most marginalized and vulnerable groups in our society.
In a recent CTV interview, he stated: “I’m not aware of any other genders than men and women. If there are any others you’d like me to consider, you’re welcome to tell me right now.” After the reporter did so, Poilievre doubled down on the Trump-like rhetoric and then changed the subject.
I love our Canadian democracy. What makes our country great is that we can respectfully challenge each other’s ideas and move our government forward in a way that makes society both kinder and more effective.
For most of my life, I have engaged with Conservative members of Parliament in open, respectful dialogue. It was possible to have amicable, even casual encounters—sometimes over a cup of coffee in a local restaurant. But since Poilievre took over the party, my few interactions have been tense.
Poilievre is simply the worst and most un-Canadian Conservative Party leader I have ever known.
He has gone after gender non-conforming Canadians, pro-Palestine protesters and many others. Who will be next on his “anti-woke” list?
Now more than ever, Canadians need to come together and stand up for one another. Poilievre has shown us exactly who he is—and he is not the leader who will unite us in this time of crisis.
Gerry Chidiac specializes in languages and genocide studies and works with at-risk students. He received an award from the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre for excellence in teaching about the Holocaust.The views, opinions and positions expressed by all Troy Media columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of Troy Media.
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The Marxist wokeism has destroyed and divided our country, which is what the those funding the post secondary institution professors to do. China and other foreign actors such as Qatar, fund these institutions and want to sway Canada’s young minds towards these Marxist woke ideas to destroy the country within, one of Hitlers tactics to weaken a country from within without military force.
Poilievre is far from being like Trump! Trump is a thug from New York, with mafia buddys he dealt with in his real estate trades and appears to be a full blown white supremist and from the lawsuits, rapist. He has surrounded himself with the white supremists. I would be very careful making false allegations during an election year.
The NDP/Liberals have destroyed country and divided it! So has the wokeist progressive ideas! They have allowed foreign influence to flourish in our post secondary institutions, allowing groups to take over the university grounds and city streets screaming genocide to the Jews, death to Israel, death to Canada and burn our Canadian flag and if you are supposed to stand against genocide and hate speech, where were you? Where were you?
No politician will be the perfect choice, but in such turbulent times, when our country is in shambles, the NDP/Liberal government have proven they are part of the problem. There is no comparison between Poilievre and Trump.
Agree re: Trump, but, this also brings back memories, for me, re: my now 90-something Alberta relatives who are still alive and the others now passed on, who still, hold/held the 1940s communism fears, and still believe that the NDP, for example, are communists. And those terrible children and grandchildren who went to university and were tainted with becoming educated and aware of ultra right wing neo-liberalism, fascism, authoritarians, dictators, etc.? As those of some of us of Dutch background have said,”Schandalig!”
The Poilievre Conservatives will not, get, my vote, and it appears, that folks now, are willing to hold their noses to vote for the Liberals now, that Trudeau will be gone. What, again, is not understood by many, is that we no longer have the Peter Lougheed style of progressive conservatism, neither in Alberta, nor, federally. It has changed. Now it’s ultra right wing fascist tendencies, authoritarianism, libertarianism….Extremes either way, right wing and left wing are problems. Who would best, and successfully, defend the middle of the road?
The word on the street is that Poilievre is toast and has put in his application to become the CEO of the Canada West Foundation, a separatist right wing organization that birthed Danielle Smith.
I guess lying is not something that your God is concerned with. Another NDP propaganda spewer who insults many of us who have served this country, just to have socialists like yourself destroy it! Another lets get everyone high supporter!
Do you know what socialism even is? Socialism hasn’t destroyed Canada. Those masquerading as Conservatives, but who are Reformers did that.
If a person has served overseas then I believe they would know socialism, not speaking for Ms, Sheran of course. I also now some of the Dutch Canadians, who also know very well how to spot communism, when they see it creeping in.
Canada is a social democracy and a socialist country, but the Marxist woke progressive theories pushed upon us certainly have proven to be just as must of a failure as the harm reduction policies. I think Ms. Sheran is spot on!
Correction:—Canada is a social democracy and a socialist country.
Should have been:—-Canada is a social democracy, not a socialist country.
Mr. Sheran isn’t spot on. What Marxist woke progressive theories are being pushed upon us? Those Dutch Canadians also seem to have a hard time differentiating between an actual Conservative, and ones who claim to be Conservatives, but aren’t. Canada never had a good Conservative government, since 1990.
I have uncles who served in WW2, and in Korea. One helped liberate France, Belgium and Holland. Also, I have known people from Scandanavian countries, and they know what socialism is. It isn’t a bad thing. Given what Holland has been through during WW2, these people wouldn’t be supporting the CPC, or the UCP. A past Conservative politician, who was from Poland, definitely doesn’t support the UCP, or the CPC, because he knows they aren’t Conservatives, and they are autocrats.
What a skewed and unadulterated bucket of bovine fecal material!
Well, one never knows. Poor Poilievre just cannot seem to get away from his ‘attack dog’ persona, and, he certainly is not, prime minister material. Also, he has been appearing to look unwell lately, or, maybe he’s just plain tired/exhausted.
lol. Excellent reliable source. You and “word on the street”. Foolish.
A most excellent word salad you constructed. There is a comparison between Pierre Poilievre and Donald Trump. Both are very bad.
What false allegations? Pierre Poilievre has said that he admires Elon Musk. Elon Musk is a friend and associate of Donald Trump. The CPC are already on their third leader, since 2015. Who were the CPC MPs having dinner with, within the last three years? A very questionable foreign politician. The CPC aren’t Conservatives at all. Canada isn’t destroyed. Only in Pierre Poilievre’s mind it is.
I have serious concerns when I read this, his statements and then read who the author is supposed to portray:
Gerry Chidiac specializes in languages and genocide studies and works with at-risk students. He received an award from the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre for excellence in teaching about the Holocaust.
He attempts to attack Poilievre by stating:
“He has also given unquestioning support to the State of Israel during its assault on Gaza, refused to engage in dialogue on the issue and has threatened the free speech of those who question Israeli actions”
“He has gone after gender non-conforming Canadians, pro-Palestine protesters and many others”
Your opinions stated appear to conflict with what the statement of who you are supposed to be. What exactly did were your genocide studies? I would give you a failing grade from your statements in this letter of opinion.
Facts for you:
Many people are unaware that Gaza served as the world’s largest terrorist
training base, teaching children to hate Jews from birth. They were taught to wear and use suicide vests, how to hate Jews, and how to use guns and team tactics during special camps/summer camps. Most of this occurred when the children were between the ages of 4 and 12. Their training advanced over time, along with military training all while the UNRWA textbooks taught them to detest and murder Jews in UNRWA classrooms.
Hitler’s Mein Kampt was discovered in one of the schools and in numerous locations where Hamas was active. Every school, hospital, and mosque was armed, and the majority of them had underground tunnels and other infrastructure constructed specifically for attacking Israel!
While some women and children acted as lookouts, others assisted their men in attacking Israeli soldiers by providing them with food and ammunition.
The residents of Gaza were already experiencing food shortages/hunger prior to the attack on Israel, while hundreds of kilometers of tunnels and underground facilities were constructed with billions of dollars given from the international community to provide food, housing, medical care, and other necessities for the people. Hamas was armed and those tunnels were constructed with some of the Canadian funds!
To kill defenseless, non-combatant men, women, and children, rape, and torture them in ways that only devils could, slashing wombs of women alive to rip out and kill their child and stick weapons inside body cavities, firing them, burn children alive, etc., and then bring some of those bodies and hostages to Gaza for “pay for slay” awards, treating them like hunted animals.
If hunters treated wild animals they were hunting in Alberta like this, they would be incarcerated and there would be loud outcries for justice for the wildlife. Yet, in Canada many of the progressives, including some union leaders and academics celebrated those atorcities against the Israelis, and applauded Hamas. When Israel retaliated to prevent their own extinction, which is in the Hamas handbook, the world ignored the atrocities against Israel and accused Israel of genocide, when they were going after the terrorists, not the Palestinian people!
For someone who purports to stand for justice against genocide, you failed by supporting pro-Palestinian protests which some of the funding comes for terrorist groups and from Qatar who funds Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and by doing so funds terrorism. Israel is indigenous to the region and never asked for the war and the United Nations failed in multiple ways, so your comments I find to be antisemitic, which is racist!
I just read the bio on this author and it all makes sense now. He says he is a German Arab and his comments all side with the plight of the Gazan’s. He calls the Israeli’s settlers, yet their history goes back thousands of years across the region. A reminder that in an effort for peace, Israel gave up Gaza years ago. The Palestinians were offered a two state solution several times, but refused, vowing to remove the Jews. The Mosque in Jerusalem was built on an area where not just one, but two Jewish Temples existed, long before there was a religion called Islam. Mohammad was never in Jerusalem.
My husband and I served in the Middle East and the Former Yugoslavia and witness true genocide. We also earned respect for the Israelis, who have Arabs and Christians in their Kinneset who govern. Apartheid was noticed when we entered the West Bank back then, even in Bethlehem, not in Jerusalem or Haifa. Your own bio online is filled with disinformaton.
The author is just another Gazan propaganda machine!
Canada plans on receiving 5,000 Gazans and about 1,000 are already here. Will they respect our country and citizens or bring strife?
What do you bring, Sheran?
We respect other law-abiding citizens, we pay taxes that support your AISH, we give to charities that help the homeless and addicts, we fight politically to keep our nation from reverting to the same state of war that we served in, = and we contribute to society rather than take from it.
We have witnessed the atrocities committed against the populace of some of those nations by tyrants, socialists, and communists and recognize it. Progressive ideologies have been thrust onto our society in recent years, causing divisiveness and hatred that Canada has never experienced before. We have never witnessed so much hostility, and the progressive, woke movement has contributed to this, in part because of the influence of foreign actors who have made significant financial investments in universities and educated professors!
SophieR/Biff, I see what you have to offer and what you bring!
My 12-year-old daughter had a high flow period episode and was unable to leave the park and ride bus depot restroom immediatetly, when a naked, high addict banged on her cubicle, wanting to enter and talking crazily. I will never forget the abuse I received for sharing the incident online. Basically, the remarks were, “Too bad, what about the addict?”
My husband had a very undiplomatic conversation with the local administration, and my kid was terrified.
We would resemble Vancouver DTES if we took the course that you and the NDP wish to force upon us. The NDP have destroyed our country by supporting the Liberals, but the NDP still support the Liberals. We moved out of Lethbridge to small community where are kids can grow up in a better community environment that was not impacted by the pro-drug NDP.
Trump is not the biggest threat!
Facsism is our biggest threat.
Politics of solidarity is the antidote.
What you describe in your diatribe gives me the jeebies with its hostility to the Other. Make no mistake, as the Letter writer is saying, this is the path to violence and strife (for everyone).
Hitler was a fascist and Hamas used Mein Kampf, Hitlers own book as a textbook to kill Jews. You wouldn’t know fascism if it surrouned you.
You are so unknowledgeable and it appears you are easily sold on the propaganda the terrorists are spewing. They have caused many of the peaceful Muslims living in Canada to fear, because many of those peaceful Muslims fled these radicals, who somehow now ended up in Canada!
https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/nationalpost/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/0405-2024-Israel-oct-7-anniversary-smaller.pdf?utm_source=website&utm_medium=storypost
I doubt that you would allow yourself to read some factual reports on the Hamas-Israeli war, but sometimes I try to have hope in humanity! The link above is an indepth report! Good ahead and read some truth for a change!
biff’s comment is a more accurate perspective than what you are offering through the theo-libertarian press. Fascism has many traits, but the ones we should be paying attention to are targeting powerless groups culminating in genocide, and large shifts in the exercise of unilateral control and financial power.
If you and your boys listened to your own viscious rhetoric about DEI/wokism, Marxism, the homeless, immigrants, science, etc., you would recognize your failure to protect democracy, and ultimately Canadian sovereignty.
You still have no idea as to what socialism even is.Pro drug NDP? Thanks for the good laugh. The UCP aren’t even a Conservative government at all, and former Conservative politicians in Alberta have said this. The CPC aren’t a Conservative government either. Nor is the Saskatchewan Party, or the PCs in Ontario.
You respect law abiding citizens? Would that include those involved with the Coutts border blockade, who wanted to overthrow the governments, harm the police, and cost us billions of dollars? The UCP were supporting those involved with the Coutts border blockade, while Pierre Poilievre was serving coffee and doughnuts to the Ottawa troublemakers, who also cost us billions of dollars. Canada isn’t destroyed. The CPC seem to have a hard time retaining their leaders.
i guess terrorism depends on which side one aligns with. for example, if one is blindly aligned with the usa, and its bs position that it stands for freedom, then you will see all those that oppose usa intrusions on their nation’s freedoms/customs/wealth/natural resources/land as “terrorists.” however, for those targeted by the usa backed multinational/oligarchy, the usa is the terrorist.
thus, for those of the middle east and, of course, palestine, the terrorists are the likes of the usa and the usa supported israeli hawks. for palestinians, the terrorism began when their land was stolen to create israel.
since then, israel has systematically stolen more and more of what little land had since remained in palestinian possession…while the so-called bastions of the free world have ever looked the other way.
if you were palestinian (god forbid, right?) you would know right wing israelis as terrorists of the worst kind, and as prejudiced, hater apartheidist crimes against humanity sickos that have had the unequivocal support of the usa.
in fact, netanyahoo has used the recent hostage situation as a means to lay waste to the remaining presence of palestinians, so as to make way for ever more land theft by right wing israeli haters.
i do not support that victimisation of innocent folk for any reason – and thus, i do not support what hamas did oct 2023. i also do not support what right wing israelites have done to innocent palestinians, for a very many decades, either.
isn’t it something, when a people long playing the victim card, and ever reminding the world of their history as victims, come to be the victimisers.
hate knows no bounds, nor shame.
They have lived in the territory for thousands of years, long before Islam existed, hence Israel did not steal it. Try actually doing some research instead of listenting to the Hamas proganda machine!
The UN formally proposed a two-state solution to the Palestinians in 1948 when the UN awarded the land to Israel, but they rejected it, declaring that they would exterminate the Jews and retake the land. This became the catchphrase of Hamas, “From the river to the sea.”
You and many of the NDP/Liberals are ignorant, as demonstrated by your comment, Biff. You overlook the fact that Israel owned Gaza but, in an attempt to promote peace, gave it to the Palestinians, who used it as the world’s greatest terrorist training ground. This was made possible in part by funding to UNRWA from US and Canadian taxpayers.
Before the October 7th attack on Israel, the Israelis had to deal with frequent rocket fire into their nation and attacks on defenseless, non-combatant men, women, and children. In any other nation, the response would have been immediate and catastrophic, but Israel attempted to maintain composure up to the massacre on October 7. Imagine a group of terrorists attacking, shooting, blowing up, raping, and kidnapping your daughter and other young people at a music festival.
That violates international law and is not humane!
You and many of your fellow NDP Liberals accept this, and your accusations of racism are demonstrated by your antisemitic remarks.
However, that aligns with other NDP Liberal unions, as a CUPE head in Ontario, along with other unions and academics, hailed the attack and cheered the slaughter of the Israelis.
Any person with an ounce of common sense can understand right from wrong! And yet you state “terrorism depends on which side one aligns with. for example, if one is blindly aligned with the usa, and its bs position that it stands for freedom, then you will see all those that oppose usa intrusions on their nation’s freedoms/customs/wealth/natural resources/land as “terrorists.” however, for those targeted by the usa backed multinational/oligarchy, the usa is the terrorist.
I find that appalling, but typical for and NDP Liberal who has supported the inhumane harm reduction policies that slowly kill addicts on the streets in a hellish manner. Nothing surprises me coming from your previous comments.
Perhaps you would enjoy Iran! It is much warmer there!
Terrorism has been described as: The use of violence or of the threat of violence in the pursuit of political objectives. Acts committed by non-state actors (or by undercover personnel serving on the behalf of their respective governments)
5×5 Sheran! Thank you and your husband for your service.
What Donald Trump is going to do to Gaza and to Ukraine, for that matter, is going to make things worse. Thanks again for the great word salad you made.
palestinians have also lived there since whatever we regard to be history and religion have been documented. mind you, the last ones there, not very long ago, are the palestinians. thus, it is stolen land, taken away from palestinians by the colonial powers and given to the state of israel.
most interesting is your heartfelt blessings for first peoples. and quite right – first nations the world over have surely had their land stolen and plundered.
does not your terrorism definition describe the usa perfectly and honestly? if you do not see it, then you sure are deviously selective about how you see truth.
as for your idea that whomever came first owns the land, it is rather difficult to determine “firstness” given how transitory things are and have been since god created the universe and planet earth just 6000 years ago, no? that said, might two-legged beasts have come upon land/habitats that were home first to winged and 4-legged creatures? in fact, do not the 2-legged fools still undermine homeland and habitat to all others?
now, i anticipate your response to that query is that humans get to do whatever they want, because your god supposedly says so – mind you, he never seems quoted to have said that we should be cruel and nasty and destructive…but somehow, good religious folk feel it is a fine way to behave, especially when it is about profit and power, right?
as for your idea that because islam comes after judaism, i get a better picture of your center: bigotry? mind you, there were people living in the land now called israel long before jews.
here is a glimpse: Who were the first people to live in Palestine?Archaeological evidence reveals that communities in this fertile region began cultivating crops and domesticating animals as early as 10,000 BCE.
Prehistoric inhabitants transitioned from nomadic lifestyles to more stable and organized societies and, over time, they developed essential tools and intricate pottery.
Around 3000 BCE, the Canaanites emerged as one of the first distinct groups to inhabit the Levant.
Known for their skilled craftsmanship and vibrant trade networks, they established city-states such as Jericho and Byblos, which flourished as hubs of economic and cultural exchange.
The Canaanites practiced polytheistic religion and worshiped a pantheon of gods, including Baal and El. https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/modern-history/history-of-the-palestinians/
that noted, it was palestinians that lived on the land now called israel when that land was stolen by the colonial powers. your reference that islam came after judaism has no merit at all with regard to determining land ownership there. the fact is that land had owners at the time it was stolen. and, those owners, by and large, were given nothing but a boot out of there.
it is also curious – bigotry? – that you point to 3000 years ago as conferring forever ownership on land…you will then, of course, concede that we should be giving back the land we live on that was taken from peoples that have lived here for at least 10,000 years.
One minute Skippy is serving coffee to anti-care insurrectionists in Ottawa, the next moment he is standing in front of a Canada-First poster. Gotta appreciate his integrity …
Can’t lose something he never had to begin with. He is like the premier of this province. They will say anything just for votes. Causing division is what they do.
Chidiac does not understand what creates radical right, its RADICAL LEFT
Conversely, what creates radical left is RADICAL RIGHT
So the argument is and always will be “whom came first”? Its not a chicken and egg question, the RADICAL LEFT did… woke created anti-woke!
Chidiac seems to think its far better to live under Radical Left becuase it obviously fits his Agenda….why not encourage discussion on pulling people back to the center………..oh I know why….you couldn’t be woke and a centrist!
Regardless which party comes into power in Canada, I think we should to a turn-about on Trump, and suggest to the Americans that the U.S. should join Canada. Should get a positive response.