It looks like last weekend’s Abacus Data numbers showing Pierre Poilievre taking a hit in public opinion were not a fluke. Days before his upcoming leadership review in Calgary, it appears as though perceptions of the Conservative leader really have slipped deeper into negative territory.
First, some context. In a poll fielded from January 9–14, 2026, Abacus measured Poilievre at 48% negative impressions — the highest level of unfavourability for Poilievre since he took the reins of the CPC in 2022 — up five points since Abacus’ previous poll back in December.
As for Poilievre’s positive impressions, they slipped from 39% to 35%. This adds up to a net appreciation of -13. By comparison, Mark Carney’s net rating stood at +13 in the same poll.
Despite Abacus’ tracking showing remarkable stability since last summer, it was a safe assumption that this sudden negative movement could have been a statistical blip. The only way to find out was more polling — ideally by the same pollster using the same methodology. And Abacus went right back into the field.
The newer numbers on Poilievre? Unmoved: 48% negative, 35% positive.
Two consecutive polls rarely produce outliers in the same direction. This may not be a blip after all.
