Trudeau warns of 'populism' as CPC takes lead in polls

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau once again warned of populism, this time while hosting a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Montreal.

The prime minister's comments come as the Conservative Party take a slight lead in the polls over the governing Liberals, despite the CPC being in a leadership contest.

On Monday, Trudeau said "in a world where our institutions are being threatened, where we face complex challenges, populism and other simplistic solutions are simply not the answer.

"Liberal democratic values, strong institutions, these are the things that guarantee our freedom, individually and collectively... The world needs more progressive leaders and voices like yours. Canada needs a strong Germany, and Germany needs a strong Canada," he said to Scholz.

Trudeau's comments disparaging populism come as federal polling averages show that the CPC has taken a slight lead. Averages show that the CPC lead the Liberals by 1.7 percent, at 32.2 percent and 30.5 percent, respectively. The NDP have a 20.8 percent share of the vote, while the Bloc, Greens and PPC make up 15.3 percent of the vote, collectively.

A Nanos poll from August 5 shows the Conservatives with a 4 percent lead, edging out the Liberals at 33 percent to 29 percent, respectively. The NDP have a 23 percent share of the vote per the poll, while the Greens, Bloc, and PPC share 15 percent of the vote, collectively.

338 Canada's Federal Model also has the Conservatives ahead in projected seat count, with the CPC projected to gain 16 seats compared to the 2021 federal election. This would have the CPC ever-so-slighty ahead of the Liberals, at 135 seats to the Liberals 134.

Trudeau has spoken against populism in the past, warning against "excessive populism and overnationalism."

"So when Canadians and friends from around the world stand for Ukraine, we are standing for Ukraine, but we are also standing for ourselves," Trudeau said during his remarks. "For these values that have been undermined over the past years, with the rise of authoritarianism, with attacks on the social cohesion because of excessive populism and overnationalism" he said.

The CPC's leading candidate, Pierre Poilievre, has been widely described as a populist by both critics and supporters.