Poilievre Wins Major Endorsement from Top CEOs Amid Economic Crossroads

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre received a powerful boost in his bid for prime minister as more than 30 influential business leaders and former banking executives publicly endorsed him, calling his economic plan the best path forward for a struggling Canadian economy.
In a full-page open letter published Saturday across several national newspapers, the group — including Fairfax Financial CEO Prem Watsa, former Scotiabank CEO Brian Porter, Canaccord Genuity CEO Dan Daviau, and ex-RBC Capital Markets chief Anthony Fell — said Canada needs urgent, pro-growth reforms, and Poilievre is the candidate to deliver them.
“Productivity has stalled. Economic growth has slowed. Our GDP per capita is shrinking,” the letter states. “But this decline is not inevitable — and it’s not the Canada we know and love.”
The letter calls for sweeping reforms: cutting bureaucratic red tape, streamlining permit approvals, overhauling outdated regulations, and encouraging natural resource development by expanding mining, building pipelines, and investing in energy infrastructure. It also emphasizes the need for tighter government spending and lower taxes to enhance Canada’s global competitiveness.
Also among the signatories were real estate titan Edward Sonshine, Mattamy Homes CEO Peter Gilgan, and former Toronto Blue Jays president Paul Godfrey — marking one of the most unified endorsements Poilievre has received from the business elite.
The Conservative leader’s “Canada First Economic Action Plan,” unveiled earlier this week, includes a “two-for-one” law that would scrap two regulations for every new one introduced. It also proposes that every dollar spent on new administrative costs be offset by two dollars in cuts elsewhere — a dramatic shakeup aimed at igniting economic activity.
In contrast, Liberal candidate Mark Carney, leveraging his past leadership at the central banks of both Canada and the U.K., has pitched himself as a steady hand in a volatile global economy. His campaign promises include removing exemptions under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement to enhance interprovincial commerce, expanding infrastructure to support natural resource development, and launching workforce training programs.
While the Liberals declined to comment on the business letter, Conservative spokesperson Sam Lilly hailed it as validation of Poilievre’s pro-growth strategy. “Pierre Poilievre’s plan is being recognized as a roadmap to bring back powerful paycheques and a thriving economy,” Lilly said.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, meanwhile, criticized both Poilievre and Carney for catering to the wealthy. “It’s no surprise some business leaders are backing them — they’re offering tax breaks to the ultra-rich,” Singh said. “But working Canadians are falling behind. Wages aren’t rising, housing is unaffordable, and public services are stretched thin.”
With the federal election looming on April 28, the growing economic divide and competing visions for Canada’s future are coming sharply into focus — and Poilievre’s corporate backing could reshape the race.