Passengers on a WestJet flight returning to Calgary from the Conservative Party’s national meeting in Quebec City were treated to a brief campaign-style address by party leader Pierre Poilievre. Poilievre introduced himself and delivered a 45-second speech. Videos of the incident were shared on social media, sparking a mix of reactions, with some expressing support for Poilievre and others questioning the appropriateness of a party leader addressing passengers on a public flight, especially since the flight wasn’t exclusively for Conservative Party supporters.
WestJet clarified that the flight was added to their schedule to accommodate delegates attending the Conservative Party convention in Quebec City. While it was a commercial flight, passengers were not required to indicate whether they were attending the convention when booking their tickets. WestJet’s operational leadership had approved the use of the public address system for Poilievre’s speech.
Notably, Juno Award winner, television star, and author Jann Arden expressed her dissatisfaction with Poilievre’s address, stating that the PA system on a plane is meant for the flight crew and not as a political platform for social media.
Some social media users defended the speech, highlighting that the flight was specifically added by WestJet for convention attendees to return home, so it wasn’t a typical public flight. They argued that the speech might have given the impression that the flight was filled with ordinary travelers unrelated to the Conservative Party of Canada.
Political scientist Lori Williams from Mount Royal University suggested that strategically, the speech may not have significantly benefited the Conservatives. Delegates at the convention were likely already strong supporters, so no new votes were likely gained. Those who were not already supporters might have reacted negatively to the forced listening of a speech. WestJet also received some backlash for allowing a partisan speech on one of their flights.
Pierre Poilievre shared a video of his speech on his LinkedIn page. Despite some conflict on social media, there were no reported complaints from passengers who were actually on the flight.