CALGARY—Conservative Party members have voted to keep Pierre Poilievre as leader, with 87.4 percent backing his continued leadership.

“For hope. For the affordable future every Canadian deserves. Thank you, Conservatives. Let’s get to work,” Poilievre said in a social media post following the announcement of the vote results on Jan. 30.

The leadership vote, held during the party’s convention in Calgary that runs from Jan. 29 to 31, was required under the Conservative Party’s constitution, which mandates that if the party fails to form government and the leader doesn’t resign after an election loss, members must vote on whether the leader should continue.

In his speech to the convention on Jan. 30 ahead of the announcement of the results, Poilievre emphasized the importance of unity and his party’s proposed policies to boost the economy and fight crime.

“It’s the solutions for the future that we offer the Canadian people that brings so much hope. Policies like an affordable government for an affordable life,” he said.

The Tory leader also said that he will remain committed to conservative values.

“One of the most important lessons I have gained from listening to you throughout this convention is that you told us to ignore the voices who keep telling us to abandon our conservative principles,” Poilievre said.

Getting emotional at one point in his speech when he made a reference to his autistic daughter, Poilievre said it’s important to maintain hope and not give up.

“Hope is the knowledge that your work will fulfill your purpose,” he said. “That thing that you call meaning could mean for you a home, a career, a family, a business, seeing your autistic daughter speak for the first time.”

He said Canada needs to become more self-sufficient, remove policies such as the industrial carbon tax that he said stand in the way of development, and listen to the grievances of those calling for separation in Alberta and Quebec in order to address their concerns and preserve national unity.

Poilievre criticized the government’s recent pursuit of a “strategic partnership” with Beijing, and said his party has made a “good faith” offer to the Liberal government to help remove the “unfair and unresolved U.S. tariffs” and help establish other markets abroad.

The last time the Conservative Party held a formal leadership review was in 2005, when Stephen Harper received 84 percent of the vote in favour of his leadership following the party’s election loss a year prior. He went on to become prime minister in 2006 and governed until 2015.

Former Conservative leaders Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole stepped down before a leadership review could be held.

‘He’s Got the Pulse of Canada’

Ron Friesen, president of the Conservative Party’s Electoral District Association of Winnipeg South, was one of the many delegates who voted in support of Poilievre.

“I think he portrays what people need and what they want to hear, but mostly he’s got the pulse of Canada, and his message is spot on,” Friesen told The Epoch Times.

“He’s totally right in his assessment of crime, affordability, groceries, and he’s got a good sense of humour,” added Friesen, who was wearing pins declaring his support for Poilievre.

Scott Newson, a delegate from Vancouver Island who supported Poilievre, said one of the Tory leader’s strengths is communicating his policies effectively.

“He does a very good job of teaching fundamental concepts to explain why what he’s pushing for is important, on issues such as inflation, money supply, cost of living, the strength of the Canadian dollar on the international stage, and issues like that,” he said.

Next Election

Conservative MPs who spoke to The Epoch Times said they will work to ensure Canadians hear the party’s policies aimed at boosting the country’s economy ahead of the next election.

“We know that there are people in every part of this country that are struggling to afford groceries and housing and who desperately want safe communities, and we have to make sure that we have a message that assures them we have a solution to the challenges that they’re facing,” Conservative MP Chris Warkentin, who represents the Grande Prairie riding in Alberta, said in an interview.

“What we saw in the past is that Liberals have lied to Canadians. They said that they had the solutions to this, that they would reverse the 10 years of destructive policies that have hurt communities in every part of this country,” added Warkentin, who serves as his party’s whip. “Well, they haven’t done that.”

Fellow Tory MP Matt Strauss, who represents Ontario’s Kitchener South-Hespeler, said the country needs swift action to drive greater prosperity, something he said his party is capable of delivering.

“We should have had the pipelines built a year ago. We should have new ports and airports and trains and nuclear reactors, all of these, built a year go,” Strauss said in an interview. “You can do big things in a very short period of time.”

The Liberals, for their part, say their government is focused on strengthening the economy and supporting Canadians.

“Mark Carney and our new Liberal government are relentlessly focused on delivering for Calgarians and all Canadians, by building our economy, protecting our communities and sovereignty, and empowering workers and businesses with more opportunities,” Liberal MP Corey Hogan, who represents the Calgary Confederation riding, said in a statement.