Like teenage infatuation, it burned bright and fizzled quickly, with one party barely aware the love affair had begun. This week, the Conservatives appeared to mark the end of their outward courtship of organized labour.
For a while, it seemed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was serious about standing up for workers’ rights. He’d picked up the ball from former leader Erin O’Toole, reaching out to blue-collar workers, especially those in private-sector unions, hoping to mimic Ontario Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford’s early success.
He could easily demonstrate his support for all Canadians by announcing a ban on the cheap labour imports granted the shifty-eyed corporate class.
But he won’t.
