Who is Pierre Poilievre, the Canadian conservative aiming to end Liberal era?

At 20 years old, Pierre Poilievre already had a roap for Canada.

Canada's Conservative Party leader - now 45 - laid out a low-tax, small government vision for the country in an essay contest on what he would do as prime minister.

"A dollar left in the hands of consumers and investors is more productive than a dollar spent by a politician," he stated.

Poilievre is now one step closer to making his vision a reality, and even gave a nod to the essay in a recent interview with conservative psychologist and commentator Jordan Peterson.

For Canadians frustrated with a sluggish economy and a housing and affordability crisis, Poilievre has promised a return to "common sense politics", and offered an alternative to what he labelled as former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "authoritarian socialism".

He now finds himself facing a different political foe, new Liberal leader and Prime Minister Mark Carney.

While Poilievre's Conservatives have enjoyed a large lead over the struggling Trudeau Liberals in national surveys for months, for the Liberals has shot up following Trudeau's resignation.

Now the outcome of the general election is a significantly tighter race.

Still, Poilievre's message is resonating in parts of Canadian society, as his campaign continues to draw large crowds across the country.

Critics have painted him as a sort of Donald Trump "light" - a parallel that has become a liability amid Trump's trade war and musings about a "51st state".

Poilievre has sought to distance himself from the US president, positioning himself as a "tough guy" who can take on Trump, and has pointed to his modest upbringing as one of the differences.

Poilievre was born in Canada's western province of Alberta to a 16-year-old mother who put him up for adoption. He was taken in by two school teachers, who raised him in suburban Calgary.

"I have always believed that it is voluntary generosity among family and community that are the greatest social safety net that we can ever have," he told Maclean's Magazine in 2022, reflecting on his early life.

"That's kind of my starting point."

As a teenager, Poilievre showed an early interest in politics, and canvassed for local conservatives.

Poilievre was studying international relations at the University of Calgary when he met Stockwell Day, who served as a cabinet minister under former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

At the time, Day was seeking the leadership of the Canadian Alliance - a right-wing party with Alberta roots that became part of the modern-day Conservatives in a 2003 merger - and he tapped Poilievre to help with campus outreach.

"He impressed me from the start," Day told the BBC in an interview. "He seemed to be a level-headed guy, but full of energy and able to catch people's attention."

Day's leadership bid was successful, and he set out for Ottawa with Poilievre as his assistant. Some time after, Poilievre walked into his office on a cold winter night to ask his opinion about potentially running for office.

Poilievre went on to win a seat in Ottawa in 2004 at the age of 25, making him one of the youngest elected Conservatives at the time. He has held that seat since.

In Ottawa, Poilievre was given the nickname Skippy by peers and foes alike due to to his youthful enthusiasm and sharp tongue.

He built a reputation for being "highly combative and partisan", said Randy Besco, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto.

Behind the closed doors of Conservative caucus meetings, Poilievre showed his diplomatic side, Day said.

"Pierre was always good at saying, 'Okay, you know what? I hadn't thought of that,' or he would listen and say: 'Have you thought of this":[]}