By Promod Puri

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre may not look like Donald Trump, but he sure acts like him. Just listen to the Conservative Party leader’s choice of words when he goes after Jagmeet Singh, Calling the NDP leader “sell-out” Singh is undignified and cheap.

“He’s a fake, a phony, and a fraud,” Poilievre declares. “How can anyone ever believe what this sell-out NDP leader says in the future?”

Classy, right? A dollar-store version of Trump.

But Poilievre doesn’t stop there. He stoops even lower, accusing Singh—a politician known for advocating for dental care and other essential services for the working class—of doing it all just “to secure his MP pension.” It’s a crass, cynical jab at someone trying to help the very people Poilievre claims to champion.

Buoyed by strong poll numbers, Poilievre struts around as if the prime minister’s crown is already perched on his head. He’s so confident, in fact, that he’s calling for the immediate dissolution of Parliament to trigger a federal election, convinced he’ll sweep his way to victory.

In this over-the-top, self-assured mode, Poilievre has tabled a no-confidence motion, hoping to rope in the NDP and Bloc Québécois for support. Both parties, seeing through his bluster, rejected the move outright. And that, predictably, sent Poilievre into a fit of frustration.

The Conservative leader’s behavior is undignified and unworthy of a leader in a democratic society. Even within his own party, there must be those cringing at his Trump-style tactics, wondering how long they can tolerate this act before it goes too far.

Promod Puri is a veteran journalist and author and founder of the first English language South Asian newspaper The LINK in Canada.