OTTAWA—Canada’s Conservative Party picked as its new leader a politician who backed the paralyzing protests earlier this year against pandemic restrictions and vaccine mandates, hoping his populist appeal with disaffected voters will be enough to unseat Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Pierre Poilievre was declared the winner Saturday, winning 68% from party members voting on the first ballot. Mr. Poilievre’s campaign said it signed up hundreds of thousands of new party members, drawn by his promises to reduce the role of the state in people’s lives and to roll back government spending and taxes that he says helped fuel inflation.
