Despite calls for change, Poilievre's campaign manager keeps an advisory role, firm on party payroll

OTTAWA — As Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre faces calls to make changes following his April election loss, the manager who ran that campaign remains an advisor, but is taking a less visible role, at least for now. Jenni Byrne’s future with the party has been a source of discussion among MPs and other Conservative supporters, frustrated by the party’s loss to Prime Minister Mark Carney and decisions made by the campaign in a race that became defined by which leader Canadians trusted to go toe-to-toe with U.S. President Donald Trump. Parting ways with Byrne, a longtime Conservative organizer who ran the party’s 2025 campaign, is something that has been conveyed to Poilievre, according to several sources who spoke to National Post. So far, Poilievre has shown no sign of being willing to do so, telling reporters before his first post-campaign caucus meeting back in April that, “e xcluding is never the way to broaden a team,” even as some MPs and insiders pointed fingers at Byrne for operational and internal decisions they felt were mistakes. He conveyed the same sentiment to the caucus.  Since the election, confusion has swirled as to whether Byrne, who worked as a top advisor to Poilievre since his 2022 leadership campaign, would remain in her role. She was not present around Parliament Hill before the House of Commons broke for summer and was absent from certain internal calls and meetings, including a recent national council meeting when members discussed the upcoming leadership review, which is set to take place in Calgary in January. A Conservative source, who spoke on a not-for-attribution basis because they were not authorized to discuss these matters publicly, said the lack of clarity around Byrne’s role in the party has been creating tensions amongst caucus members, party members — and even big party donors who are wondering if their generous donations are being used to pay for Byrne’s services. However, the Conservative party confirmed on Tuesday that Byrne has not gone anywhere. “Jenni Byrne is still an advisor to the Conservative Party of Canada and Pierre Poilievre,” Sarah Fischer said in a brief statement, adding that she remains the leader’s proxy at national council meetings.  A spokesperson for Byrne’s lobbying firm, Jenni Byrne + Associates, also confirmed that it remains a contractor for the party.  “The arrangement with the Conservative Party of Canada was always through JB+A — never personally with Jenni. This was the case before the election and continues to be the case post-election,” said the spokesperson, who declined to provide their name because they do not usually comment about their clients.  Byrne did not respond to a request for comment on why the contract she has with the party is with her firm and not directly with her.  Two sources close to Byrne’s thinking said she is still working in an advisory capacity with the party and with Poilievre but has been spending more time in Toronto and dedicating more hours to her lobbying firm ever since the Conservatives lost the election. “There’s nothing to announce because nothing’s really changed,” said one of them, who added there is currently “no bad blood” with either Poilievre or his wife Anaida, who campaigned with her husband daily and has taken an active role within the party.  Sources told National Post that Byrne is spending time on more focused issues, such as Poilievre’s upcoming byelection in the rural Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, set for Aug.18, as well as his upcoming leadership review. That review will be a crucial test for Poilievre, who will be the first Conservative leader to undergo such a review, given that his two predecessors either stepped down or were ousted by caucus before having the opportunity to do so. One Conservative MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called for Byrne to be removed, pointing to widespread dissatisfaction over how the party handled the nomination of its candidates, with dozens disqualified from running and others appointed last-minute in ridings across Ontario. The MP said there is an expectation that Poilievre demonstrates that he has changed, particularly when it comes to his tone and approach. While no formal election review has been triggered, Poilievre has been making calls, including to conservative and right-wing influencers, and speaking with candidates and MPs about what they want done, according to sources. Among the concerns expressed about the campaign have been the lack of visibility of candidates who ran for the party.  Some Conservative insiders have noted that since the race, efforts have not gone unnoticed to give some of the newest Conservative MPs speaking time in the House of Commons. Poilievre himself also recently gave his first English interview to CBC , the public broadcaster he has vowed to cut public funding. At least two sources also expressed caution about parting ways with Byrne, given her skills as an organizer and the larger issue that Poilievre has, which is to demonstrate change and present himself as an alternative to Carney. Public opinion polls suggest Carney is enjoying a high level of support among Canadians and advancing Conservative-friendly ideas, such as getting major infrastructure projects built, such as pipelines. On Monday, National Post asked Poilievre if he was considering any changes to his team or his approach since the election. He said “every election comes with lessons” and proceeded to explain how he needs to reach even more Canadians with his message. “Our mission is to give people back control of their lives, to make this a country where anyone who works hard gets a good life and that homes are affordable, streets are safe, immigration works for Canada first. Those are going to be the things we focus on,” he said. “At the same time, we have to ask how we can reach more people with that message. We ended up getting a tremendous result… but 41 per cent might not be enough in the future. So, we have to ask how we can expand even beyond that number,” he said. Poilievre added: “We also need to present ourselves as a government in waiting so that when the time comes, Canadians can feel confident in choosing us to lead the country forward.” National Post staylor@postmedia.com calevesque@postmedia.com

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