Synonymous with “Make America Great Again” is “America First,” which proved much more than a campaign-trail rallying cry ahead of President’s Donald Trump’s election. In Canada, there’s nary a doubt Tory leader Pierre Poilievre, who smells blood in the water, is trying to capture the same energy with his recent casual use of “Canada first.”

In fact, Poilievre made eight such references during a 20-minute news conference on Jan. 9. And while there’s merit in branding Canadians’ next visit to the polls the “carbon tax election,” Canada’s probable next prime minister is wise to remind voters just how much their quality of life has deteriorated.