section_path: Leader of the Conservative Party (2022–present)/2025 federal election
section_name: 2025 federal election
paragraph_text: 2025 federal election
  
  On March 23, Carney visited Governor General Mary Simon and asked to dissolve parliament and call an election for April 28, ahead of the required election date in October. Poilievre entered the election trailing Carney's Liberal Party in most opinion polls. During the campaign, he promised that his government would reduce the lowest income tax bracket from 15% to 12.75% and invoke Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, also known as the notwithstanding clause, to overturn R v Bissonnette and restore judges' discretion to order parole ineligibility periods for multiple murders be served consecutively.
  
  In the election, Poilievre lost his seat of Carleton to Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy, one of the few times a major party leader in Canada has been defeated in his own riding. Poilievre received 39,585 votes for a vote share of around 46%, while Fanjoy received 43,900 votes for a vote share of around 51%. There were a record-equaling 91 candidates in Poilievre's Carleton riding in 2025, due to the Longest Ballot Committee encouraging adding candidates to promote independent election reforms.
  
  Shortly after the election, Conservative MP Damien Kurek, re-elected with over 80% of the vote in the Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot, one of the party's safest ridings, announced his intention to resign in order to allow Poilievre to run in the succeeding by-election. Carney stated that the by-election would be held as soon as possible. Kurek intends to run in the Battle River—Crowfoot riding in the next general election. Until Poilievre is officially back in the House, he is ineligible to continue as Leader of the Opposition. He continues to lead the Tories from outside Parliament; former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer has been appointed interim parliamentary leader, and hence Leader of the Opposition at least until the 2025 Battle River—Crowfoot federal by-election is held. By law, Kurek will not be able to resign his seat until 30 days after the publication of the election result in the Canada Gazette, which occurred on May 15, 2025. Additionally, while Carney promised to advise Simon to drop the writ for a by-election as quickly as possible, it cannot be dropped sooner than 11 days and no later than 180 days after the chief electoral officer is officially notified of a vacancy via a warrant issued by the Speaker. Under the Canada Elections Act, the minimum length of a campaign is 36 days between dropping the writ and election day. The earliest a by-election could be held is July 31, 2025.
  
  On March 23, Carney visited Governor General Mary Simon and asked to dissolve parliament and call an election for April 28, ahead of the required election date in October. Poilievre entered the election trailing Carney's Liberal Party in most opinion polls. During the campaign, he promised that his government would reduce the lowest income tax bracket from 15% to 12.75% and invoke Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, also known as the notwithstanding clause, to overturn R v Bissonnette and restore judges' discretion to order parole ineligibility periods for multiple murders be served consecutively.
  
  In the election, Poilievre lost his seat of Carleton to Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy, one of the few times a major party leader in Canada has been defeated in his own riding. Poilievre received 39,585 votes for a vote share of around 46%, while Fanjoy received 43,900 votes for a vote share of around 51%. There were a record-equaling 91 candidates in Poilievre's Carleton riding in 2025, due to the Longest Ballot Committee encouraging adding candidates to promote independent election reforms.
  
  Shortly after the election, Conservative MP Damien Kurek, re-elected with over 80% of the vote in the Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot, one of the party's safest ridings, announced his intention to resign in order to allow Poilievre to run in the succeeding by-election. Carney stated that the by-election would be held as soon as possible. Kurek intends to run in the Battle River—Crowfoot riding in the next general election. Until Poilievre is officially back in the House, he is ineligible to continue as Leader of the Opposition. He continues to lead the Tories from outside Parliament; former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer has been appointed interim parliamentary leader, and hence Leader of the Opposition at least until the 2025 Battle River—Crowfoot federal by-election is held. By law, Kurek will not be able to resign his seat until 30 days after the publication of the election result in the Canada Gazette, which occurred on May 15, 2025. Additionally, while Carney promised to advise Simon to drop the writ for a by-election as quickly as possible, it cannot be dropped sooner than 11 days and no later than 180 days after the chief electoral officer is officially notified of a vacancy via a warrant issued by the Speaker. Under the Canada Elections Act, the minimum length of a campaign is 36 days between dropping the writ and election day. The earliest a by-election could be held is July 31, 2025.