Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre speaks following the Fall Economic Statement being tabled in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 16, 2024.Blair Gable/Reuters

It’s hard to know how to identify Jordan Peterson based on the attention he commands. An academic? A culture warrior? A self-help guru?

In any case, he sat down for a long interview with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre that was released a few days ago, and the conversation unearthed some enlightening things about the man who is likely to become the next prime minister, almost in spite of the instincts of the man interviewing him.

First, despite a commanding and enduring lead in the polls, Mr. Poilievre’s schedule suggests he is not on cruise control. He described a hectic life “bifurcated” between Parliament Hill duties – meeting with his leadership team to plan the day’s approach to committees, Question Period and “the daily prosecution of the government” – and touring to rallies and events.

Mr. Poilievre had just asked his assistant how many appearances he had made over the previous year and the answer was 600. Many of the locations he took pains to mention were distinctly blue-collar – mines, factories, farms.

“You get a practical insight of how the country actually works. Like, who makes the widgets? How do those get made? How does our supply chain come together?” he said. “That practical insight, I think, is important if you want to lead a........

© The Globe and Mail