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On Thursday, April 2, Pierre Poilievre held a press conference at a MacEwen gas station in Ottawa to address soaring gas prices. The podium displayed the slogan “Zero Gas Tax.”

In his remarks, Poilievre criticized the Mark Carney government for failing to deliver on promises related to housing, food affordability, and the rising cost of living. He also pointed to increasing fuel taxes as a key factor making life more difficult for everyday Canadians.

Members of the press were each given the opportunity to ask one question. I chose to raise an issue that has caused concern within the Iranian community—a community I have spent significant time covering, particularly in relation to ongoing developments in the Middle East.

On March 30, Shadow Minister for Immigration Michelle Rempel Garner posted on X: “Stop rubber stamping asylum claims from countries like Iran. Canadians deserve to be safe….” Poilievre later reposted this, adding: “Liberal immigration. From bad to worse.”

Liberal immigration.

From bad to worse. https://t.co/74fIMuG6A5

— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) March 31, 2026

While the intent appeared to be criticism of what Conservatives describe as weak Liberal immigration policies, including concerns about individuals connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps entering Canada, many Iranians felt the messaging lacked an important distinction between the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran. For some, the reaction was strong, with individuals expressing that it impacted their support for Poilievre.

Given that response, I asked Poilievre to clarify his position:

“There was a tweet put out by your shadow minister for immigration on Iran and asylum seekers, and I just wanted clarification on if you believe that Iranian people are net abusers of the asylum system or if you were being specific to people associated with the regime in Iran, the IRGC. Could you just clarify?”

He responded by emphasizing a clear distinction between the Iranian people and the regime, while reiterating concerns about security screening:

“The people of Iran are not the problem. Almost all of them are fleeing from this dictatorial and repressive regime. We are outraged, though, that IRGC terrorists have been able to get into our country because of the very poor screening that the Liberal government has applied.”

I just asked @PierrePoilievre for clarification on his Shadow Minister for Immigration’s tweet concerning the Iranian community in Canada. He said:

“The people of Iran are not the problem. Almost all of them are fleeing from this dictatorial and repressive regime. We are… pic.twitter.com/Yd61N9TtmJ

— Scarlett Grace (@ScarlettGrace92) April 2, 2026

He continued by describing concerns raised within Iranian-Canadian communities:

“Iranian-Canadians are telling me they go to the gym and they see thugs from the Iranian regime…They’re living in mansions that they paid for using money they stole from the Iranian people. They’re terrorizing people in Canada…”

Poilievre concluded by outlining what he believes should be the appropriate response:

“We want to make sure that regime thugs do not come in through the weak Liberal borders to harass Persians, Jews and other Canadians. We should find every regime thug who’s here as a visitor and we should deport them from Canada to protect our wonderful Persian, Jewish and our overall Canadian population.”

This clarification appeared to directly address concerns raised by members of the Iranian community, reinforcing a distinction between those fleeing the regime and those affiliated with it.