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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

ARJUN SINGH: CPC convention was a revealing and memorable glimpse into the country’s Conservative movement


After three days as a non-member observer at the 2026 Conservative Party of Canada convention in Calgary, I feel I came away with a pretty clear sense of the party’s priorities: affordability, public safety, smaller government, pride in Canada’s post 1867 history, resource development, free speech, and a strong national defence. The message was all about rewarding hard work and merit rather than identity politics, and championing workers and youth. Many attendees openly rejected ideas around social justice, climate action, or diversity and inclusion.

This summary of my experiences is my own and I have likely missed out pieces people may want to hear about. Happy to answer any questions here. Also, I know others who attended the convention might have a different set of takeaways and thoughts. I will try to get captions on most of the photos here soon.

Thanks to my MP Frank Caputo and my good friend from electoral reform campaigns in BC, Bruce Hallsor, for being generous with their time and introductions. It was good to run into quite a few old friends at the convention and also good to make some new friends. 

As an observer, I paid the full $1,750 fee and was able to access almost every session, from policy debates to the keynote by Pierre Poilievre, whose leadership was strongly promoted throughout the convention. 

There were at least different 3 different types of I Support Pierre buttons on offer, a continuous stream of testimonials from various Conservative leaders, and Poilievre's blockbuster keynote was scheduled just before his leadership vote. 

Yet despite this enthusiasm at the convention, the three conservative friends I met outside the convention confided they had reservations about his leadership. 

It will be interesting to watch polling and media reports in the next weeks to see if the convention enthusiasm has an impact on support for the Conservatives.

The policy sessions were fascinating—both unifying and divisive. Delegates were solidly aligned on public safety, immigration, and opposition to DEI programs but split over complex issues like abortion, medical assistance in dying, and gender-affirming care. Underlying many debates was a tension between staying true to core Conservative values and appealing to the broader Canadian electorate.

The atmosphere was friendly and energetic, with many young people and social media influencers in attendance. 

While I disagreed with some perspectives— notably examples include climate action and DEI— I agreed with much of the Conservative approaches to public safety for example. 

I appreciated the openness of many conversations. Meeting fellow Canadians passionate about our country was the highlight. Watching the media at work on the convention floor added a layer of excitement for me as a journalism lover. 

This was a revealing and memorable glimpse into the country’s Conservative movement and the dynamics shaping its next election push.

Around 40% of the voting Canadian public support the Conservative Party. A very sizable number. As a fellow Canadian, it was an honour to learn more about the party and its ardent supporters. 

I am hoping to attend as an observer the NDP leadership convention in March or the Liberal convention in April.


Arjun Singh was born and raised in Kamloops. His political experience includes 14 years on Kamloops city council, and 8 years on the TNRD board.  He is also a Past President of the Union of BC Municipalities.  
Singh also ran for Mayor of Kamloops in the 2022 municipal election.

Singh is the Interim Executive Director for the Kamloops Chronicle, a local news publication operated by the Kamloops Local News Society, launched in late 2024 to provide local news coverage



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