Approximately 96% of the votes cast in the vote of confidence were in favor of retaining Mr. Bernier as chair of the PPC.

Voting began on November 12, ended on Friday and was open only to members with valid party membership as of September 20. In all, the PPC reported that 15,454 votes were cast, or roughly three-fifths of eligible voters.

Bernier released a statement saying he saw the results as a sign of unity within the party he founded three years ago, following his departure from the much-publicized Canadian Conservative Party.

He added that he now plans to use his new term as leader to prepare the party for the upcoming general elections, no matter when they are held.

Never two without three

The fall election was the second in which the PEC had participated since its founding, and the second in which it had failed to win a seat in the House of Commons.

After introducing a platform in 2019 aimed at significantly reducing immigration levels and withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, the party has strongly opposed restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine passports during the 2021 campaign.

The party received less than 2% of the popular vote in 2019, but doubled its nationwide vote share in the September 20 ballot, which could cost the Conservatives a few seats, and split the voter vote to the right of the political spectrum.

An analysis by University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombey suggested that there were 25 seats in which the combined Conservative and Monetary Policy Committee votes were higher than the winner’s result.