As Poilievre tours U.S., Conservative MP Jamil Jivani bemoans lack of 'alternative to the Liberals'

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, right, walks with Jamil Jivani, left, in 2024 as the newly-minted MP takes his place in the House of Commons. In a recent video, Jivani said people 'should be offering an alternative to the Liberals, instead going out there to appease people in positions of power.' (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)Social SharingConservative MP Jamil Jivani posted a video on social media bemoaning a lack of "an alternative to the Liberals" on Thursday, the same day that his party's leader, Pierre Poilievre, launched a U.S. tour to argue for tariff-free trade.

"You have people who should be offering an alternative to the Liberals, instead going out there to appease people in positions of power," Jivani said in a video posted on X.

The MP went on to say it's his job and the job of the Conservative Party to offer an alternative in Ottawa.

"The reality is there's a great alternative to be putting out there: a vision for Canada where we have a better relationship with the United States, where we avert economic crises, where we build pipelines and infrastructure and we strengthen our economy," he said.

Jivani also argued that the Liberal government is using ongoing tensions with the U.S. to avoid public scrutiny, accused the media of smearing voices critical of Liberal policies as "traitors" and blasted the government for seeking further partnership with China.

We have been here before.<br><br>Liberals again want you to believe that to be patriotic is to agree with them and their policies.<br><br>They were wrong then.<br><br>They are wrong now. <a href="https://t.co/Vb28loLSRe">pic.twitter.com/Vb28loLSRe</a>

Jivani didn't mention Poilievre specifically, but the timing of the post prompted former Conservative cabinet minister Jason Kenney to blast the outspoken MP.

In his own post on X, Kenney praised Poilievre for "effectively standing up for Canada and for free trade."

He also pointed out that others in the Conservative caucus are amplifying the leader's message and criticized Jivani for not doing the same.

"Instead, he tries to step on Pierre's tour-de-force trip by posting a self-indulgent video casting himself as a martyr, without a kind word to say about his leader's efforts, or a critical word to say about Trump's daily attacks on Canada," Kenney wrote.

Poilievre kicked off his two-day U.S. tour on Thursday, saying in an interview with CNBC that Canadians are "wounded" and "confused" over how Canada and its economy became a key target for the Trump administration.

In a separate interview with BNN Bloomberg on Friday, Poilievre said Canada is standing up for its sovereignty while arguing that building a stronger relationship can buffer both countries against strategic rivals like China.

"By trading more with Canada, we can bring down your cost of living, we can make sure you're supplied for — God forbid — a future conflict, and we can ensure the industrial base of our continent is restored," Poilievre said.

'Unhinged' for Canada to call dispute with U.S. a trade war, says Trump's tariff chief

CBC News has reached out to Poilievre's and Jivani's offices for comment.

Poilievre, who has now made multiple trips south of the border, has refused to criticize Prime Minister Mark Carney in the U.S.

But he has been vocal on the file, calling on the government to recall Parliament, release the details of the rejected trade deal and present a cost-analysis of Canada's counter-tariffs.

The Conservative leader has faced questions about Jivani's comments regarding the U.S. in the past.

A noted college friend of U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, Jivani has twice travelled to Washington, D.C. to meet with U.S. trade officials.

In an interview with right-wing U.S. media outlet Breitbart News during his first trip in February, Jivani said Canada is "shooting ourselves in the foot if we continue this anti-America hissy-fit."

The comment forced Poilievre to publicly disagree with his MP's characterization of the current tense relationship between the two countries.

"Canadians are legitimately upset by the unjustifiable tariffs and comments that the president has made," Poilievre told reporters at the time, adding that Jivani "speaks for himself [while] I speak for the party."

Days before the latest tariff negotiations fell apart, Vance praised Jivani during a speech at a fundraising event for having "good relationship" with the Trump administration and for being "a pretty effective advocate" for Canada.

In the same speech, Vance called Poilievre a "non-entity" in the trade talks.

Conservative MP Kyle Seeback criticizes fellow Conservative MP Jamil Jivani's comments on counter-tariffs in a social media post that he later deleted. (Kyle Seeback/X)When asked about Vance's comments on Jivani, Poilievre said Conservative MPs, and all Canadians, should use the contacts they have to argue for free trade with the U.S.

The day trade talks broke down last month, Jivani accused Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford of putting "their political self-interests ahead of Canadian workers."

The MP later told the National Post that responding to the U.S.'s latest levies on Canadian goods with dollar-for-dollar tariffs would be an "overreaction" — even though dollar-for-dollar counter tariffs were a part of the Conservatives' 2025 platform.

That comment seemed to ruffle at least one other Conservative's feathers. Ontario MP Kyle Seeback reposted the article on X while commenting that Jivani "speaks for no one but himself."

Darren Major is a senior writer for CBC's parliamentary bureau in Ottawa. He previously worked as a digital reporter for CBC Ottawa and a producer for CBC's Power & Politics. He holds a master's degree in journalism and a bachelor's degree in public affairs and policy management, both from Carleton University. He also holds a master's degree in arts from Queen's University. He can be reached at darren.major@cbc.ca.