Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during Question Period in the House of Commons on Tuesday.Patrick Doyle/Reuters

It’s always dangerous when a party leader has to reach three different audiences, each grading a different test. That’s what Pierre Poilievre faces Friday night.

At the Conservative convention in Calgary, Mr. Poilievre’s speech will come just before delegates vote on his leadership. That’s normally when a leader plays to the room, hitting the notes the base wants to hear.

Yet outside party rooms, the Conservative Leader has been adjusting his style and tone to look and sound less like a partisan opposition leader and more like a potential prime minister.

Polls keep showing Mark Carney clobbering him on the question of who Canadians prefer as prime minister. There is anxiety about global upheaval, and about U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war, and the economy.

Opinion: Can Pierre Poilievre’s conservatism win in our brave new world?

Mr. Poilievre needs to relaunch for the broader public, not just the base. When he delivers his big speech, will he strike Canadians as a leader able to meet the moment?

Of course, one speech won’t change everything. But it’s a bigger stage for him than any since last year’s election........

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