Bonnie Critchley vs. Pierre Poilievre: Is His Safe Seat in Trouble?

Pierre Poilievre (and, to be fair, most Canadian political pundits) may assume the northern Alberta riding of Battle River–Crowfoot is his guaranteed safe seat in the House of Commons—but Bonnie Critchley says not so fast. This veteran-turned-Independent candidate is gaining momentum in a riding long considered a Conservative stronghold, and she’s hearing the same thing over and over: voters feel used and ignored. As Critchley puts it, there's growing resentment toward Poilievre and the political establishment that treats rural Alberta like a political pawn.In Episode 178, we look at why Poilievre's connection to his base may be fraying, what internal rifts inside the Conservative Party could mean for his leadership, and how this by-election may (or may not) send a shockwave through the national political landscape.Don’t forget to like, follow and subscribe across our channels! Thank you.This episode was recorded on: July 17, 2025Become a YouTube channel member or paid SubStack subscriber to hear Bill’s stories and life lessons from 50+ years as a broadcast journalist in his members-only series, MORAL OF THE STORY: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeUbzckOLocFzNeY1D72iCA/joinListen to The Bill Kelly Podcast everywhere: https://kite.link/the-bill-kelly-podcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBillKellyPodcast/featuredBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thisisbillkelly.bsky.socialFacebook: https://facebook.com/TheBillKellyPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisbillkelly/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisbillkelly/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebillkellypodcastSubStack: billkelly.substack.com/*Comment ‘likes’ on behalf of this channel are an acknowledgment of your comment, not necessarily an endorsement of its contents. Thanks for joining these critical discussions in critical times!CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction to the By-Election Dynamics02:50 The Role of Local Sentiment in Elections06:09 Pierre Poilievre’s Political Challenges09:00 Bonnie Critchley's Impact on the RaceFURTHER READINGAfter stepping down for Poilievre to run, MP Damien Kurek lands role at government relations, lobbying firmhttps://calgaryherald.com/news/damien-kurek-new-job-government-lobby-group-pierre-poilievreIndependent candidate says Poilievre's byelection win isn't guaranteedhttps://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6831319Federal byelection called for Aug. 18 in Alberta's Battle River–Crowfoot ridinghttps://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/byelection-called-battle-river-crowfoot-1.7573605HASHTAGS#News#Politics#BreakingNews#PoliticalNews#PoliticalCommentary#NewsToday#NewsUpdates#NewsCommentary#PoliticalCommentary#CanadaNews#TodayNews This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit billkelly.substack.com/subscribe