Podcast Summary: Rebel News Podcast

Episode Title: Don’t listen to the people who want to replace Pierre Poilievre — here’s why
Host: Ezra Levant (Rebel News)
Date: December 16, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

Ezra Levant defends Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre against growing calls—primarily from Liberal voices and mainstream media—for his removal as leader of the opposition. Levant argues these demands are manufactured and politically motivated, explaining recent political dynamics, polling data, and the media narrative. The latter half of the episode pivots to a special dispatch from Australia covering a recent terrorist attack in Bondi, linking the issue to broader themes of immigration, integration, and security in Western democracies.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Media Critique and Leadership Defense

• Ezra Levant opens with commentary on mainstream media (“regime media”) obsession with Conservative leader Poilievre’s leadership, claiming the scrutiny is excessive and lopsided compared to how Liberals are treated.

  • “In healthy democracies, the media typically critiques power. They critique the government. In Canada, the media critiques the opposition.” (A, 01:30)

• Levant contends that the push for Poilievre’s ouster is not organic but rather a Liberal tactic, arguing that if Poilievre were truly weak, Liberals would want him to stay.

  • “If Pierre Poliev was weak, if he was a bad leader, would the Liberals want to replace him? Or would they want very much to keep him?” (A, 01:50)

2. Analyzing the Michael Ma Defection & Liberal Tactics

• Discussing the recent floor-crossing of MP Michael Ma to the Liberal Party, Levant denounces the action as opportunistic and possibly influenced by external factors (alluding to links with the Chinese embassy).

  • “This guy Michael Ma is a disgrace. ... Literally the night before he quit, he went to a Christmas party that the Conservative Party held. He didn’t pay for his ticket bill … mere hours before he defected.” (A, 06:36)

• Levant reads from Poilievre’s response to CBC scrutiny regarding the controversy, suggesting that backroom Liberal deals—rather than Poilievre’s weakness—are at play.

  • “No, it’s a problem of Mark Carney’s leadership that after Canadians clearly rejected a costly Liberal majority … he is trying to manipulate his way through backroom deals.” (C, 04:04)

3. Polls, Data, and What Canadians Think

• Levant closely examines Abacus Research polling, highlighting:

  • Conservatives and Liberals are tied at 41% vote intention.
  • Only 35% of Canadians think the country is on the right track, compared to 51% who believe it’s on the wrong track.
  • Poilievre trails Carney in net favourability by just 15 points, significantly less than the media’s portrayal.
  • Cost of living is by far the top concern for Canadians, far outranking media obsessions like “Donald Trump.”
  • Poilievre is much better situated to capitalize on the top issues (especially immigration).

  “Both the Liberals and Conservatives remain locked in a tie. And Canadians continue to express ambivalence about the country's direction, mixed feelings about their leaders, and sharp divides by generation, region, and policy concern.” (A, 08:16)

  “The number one thing where Pierre Poliev is preferred by 59% of voters compared to Carney for just 18% is immigration. Carney's position is a fringe position. It's an extremist position.” (A, 16:08)

4. The Case for Poilievre: Don’t Replace, Double Down

• Levant dismisses the notion of replacing Poilievre, warning against following media and Liberal cues, and urges Conservatives to focus on bold, clear policies—particularly on immigration and remigration.
  • “Don't dump Poliev just because the Liberals don't like him. ... You can't replace someone with no one.” (A, 17:50)
  • “Polio should come back with a vengeance on immigration and link it to everything from crime to healthcare waiting lines to overspending to traffic. That's one policy the Liberals will never co opt.” (A, 18:25)

5. Special Report: Aftermath of Sydney Terror Attack

• Australian correspondent Avi Yemini (D) gives an on-the-ground report from the Jewish community in Bondi, after a deadly terror attack attributed to Islamic extremists.

  • Intimate, emotional reactions from locals and politicians (notably Pauline Hanson).
  • Criticism of Australian police response and the focus on gun control over addressing Islamist extremism.

  “There were police that were actually there through most of the attack, refused to shoot back … in … Australia, we have super strict gun laws. The people with the guns were too scared.” (D, 25:00)

  “This concerted effort in trying to make it about guns is obviously a way to avoid, you know, avoid the elephant in the room, radical Islam...” (D, 26:55)

• Includes responses and moments of solidarity from citizens and communal leaders:

  • “We are with you, we stand here with you.” (G & F, 28:40)
  • “We don’t want these people here. We don’t want divide in us. We don’t like it.” (G, 29:53)

6. Letters from Listeners: Immigration, Security, and Canadian Values

• Levant reads and responds to listener feedback focused on:

  • The futility of banning guns to prevent terror.
  • Immigration and remigration as solutions to threats and perceived democratic decline.
  • The necessity for political will to address national security and cultural issues.
  • References to international examples (Trump in the US, Farage in the UK).

  “Are we past the point of no return? I think it’s necessary to have re migration. I think Canada could be saved. Do we have the political will to do so?” (A, 31:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ezra Levant on media bias:
  “In Canada, the media critiques the opposition.” (01:30)

• On the motivation behind calls to replace Poilievre:
  “If Pierre Poliev was weak, would the Liberals want to replace him? Or would they want very much to keep him?” (01:50)

• Poilievre responding to CBC on MP defections:
  “No, it’s a problem of Mark Carney’s leadership... he is trying to manipulate his way through backroom deals to get that majority.” (04:04)

• Levant’s advice for Conservatives:
  “Don’t dump Poliev just because the Liberals don’t like him. ... You can’t replace someone with no one.” (17:50)

• Avi Yemini describing police inaction during the Bondi attack:
  “The people with the guns were too scared … they were hiding, they were cowering.” (25:00)

• Listener’s comment on radical Islam and security:
  “We need more background checks, not guns. Confiscation. … The problem is not the tool. It's the terrorist wielding it and how they got into the country.” (31:20)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Media & Internal Party Critique of Poilievre: [00:00] – [03:50]
• CBC Interview: Michael Ma Defection & Poilievre’s Response: [03:51] – [06:20]
• Levant on Michael Ma’s Motivations & Chinese Embassy Context: [06:20] – [07:48]
• Abacus Research: What Canadians Really Think (Polling Analysis): [07:48] – [16:36]
• Data Deep Dive: Favorability and Strategic Issues for Conservatives: [13:20] – [17:40]
• Why Poilievre Should Double Down on Immigration, Not Be Replaced: [17:40] – [18:50]
• Special Report: Avi Yemini in Bondi, Sydney post-Terror Attack: [18:21] – [30:16]
• Community Voices & Reactions in Australia: [28:03] – [30:16]
• Listener Letters & Canadian Security Debate: [30:35] – [32:20]

Overall Summary

The episode delivers a pointed defense of Pierre Poilievre’s leadership and critiques both mainstream media narratives and Liberal strategies to undermine him. It features data-driven polling analysis showing the Conservatives are competitive and warning against reactionary leadership changes. A recurring theme is that narratives around political division, electorate dissatisfaction, and national security are deeply intertwined with issues of immigration and governance. The program ends with an intense, on-the-ground look at the consequences of failed integration and security, as highlighted by the Bondi terrorist attack, using the event as a cautionary tale for Canada and the West.