Poilievre calls for deeper ties with U.K., Australia, New Zealand during London visit

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for Canada to deepen its trade and security ties with the U.K., Australia and New Zealand in the face of an increasingly unpredictable world.

In a speech in London on Tuesday, Poilievre called on the four allies to “build on the guarantee of security and freedom by bringing together the long-standing ties that united us in the past” through a new pact that would help guard against “shared threats like China, Russia and others.”

To do that, he pitched an agreement that would reduce trade barriers, increase labour mobility, boost trade and see the countries co-operate on defence procurement.

“If you’re capable of doing a heart surgery in London, England, surely you can do one in London, Ontario,” he said, citing an example of what such a pact would achieve.

He called for a critical minerals and energy agreement, nuclear co-operation and an LNG supply deal to ensure “all of your natural gas comes from Canada, not from Qatar, not from Russia, and not from any other unstable or hostile supplier.”

Poilievre said under his leadership, Canadian critical minerals would be stockpiled and made available to allies that have agreed to tariff-free trade.

“Canada must become stronger at home so that we have unbreakable leverage abroad,” he said, echoing the theme of the speech he gave in Toronto last week.

In that speech, Poilievre denounced U.S. President Donald Trump’s attacks on Canada while also insisting the country needs a stable long-term relationship with its largest partner.

The idea of a four-nation pact is championed by the group CANZUK International, which hosted Poilievre at a reception on Monday evening.

Poilievre was invited to give Tuesday’s Margaret Thatcher Lecture at the Centre for Policy Studies, a centre-right think tank co-founded by the former U.K. prime minister 52 years ago.

The centre’s director, Robert Colville, said in an introduction that Poilievre’s brand of conservatism “squares the circle between traditionalism and populism” and resonates with young people.

Andrew MacDougall, the director of Trafalgar Strategy in London and a former director of communications for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said that before last spring’s Canadian election, Poilievre was viewed as an example for British conservatives trying to rebuild after losing to Keir Starmer’s Labour party in 2024.

Poilievre’s surging poll numbers at the time represented hope for renewal through an appeal to working-class and younger voters and a message focused on the cost of living, he said.

While Poilievre pointed to those vote gains in his speech, MacDougall said the purpose of the overseas trip is to project to Canadians an image of a leader who understands foreign policy.

“(Poilievre), like Stephen Harper before him, is not known for any particular views on foreign policy or global affairs and certainly no experience on the world stage,” he said.

MacDougall said Poilievre needs “to be seen as someone with a point of view about the world that extends beyond the United States,” which he described as having gone rogue.

“It’s not the time for student politics and preachy slogans and simple solutions. You’ve got to be a bit more dexterous than that,” he said.

Poilievre is on his first official trip abroad as Opposition leader and has stops planned in the U.K. and Germany for later this week. The trip is being paid for by the Conservative party.

He met Tuesday with his counterpart, U.K. Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch, according to a post on his social media.

An article in The Times said he also planned to “see” Nigel Farage, leader of Reform U.K. and a key figure in the Brexit movement, and was reaching out to Labour members of Parliament.

Poilievre’s office and the Conservative party have not replied when asked for the names of individuals he is meeting with while in Europe.

He is set to travel to Berlin on Wednesday for a speech at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2026.

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press