Pierre Poilievre prepares for leadership review as Conservatives gather in Calgary

Conservatives from across the country are gathering in Calgary this weekend for the party’s national convention.

For the first time in two decades, Conservative Party of Canada delegates will also vote on whether their leader should remain at the helm.

Pierre Poilievre’s leadership is up for a mandatory review because the Conservatives lost April’s election to the Liberals.

The last time such a vote was held was 2005, when Stephen Harper earned the support of 84 per cent of delegates despite his failure to topple the Liberals in the 2004 election.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Observers say Poilievre is all but guaranteed to win, and many are watching to see what he says to the party faithful in his speech on Friday.

Ian Brodie, a political science professor at the University of Calgary and former chief of staff to Harper, says that speech is a chance for Poilievre to set the tone for the strategy he will carry into the next election.

— More to come…