TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s opposition Conservative Party elected a political opposition as its new leader on Saturday.

Pierre Poilievre is a populist agitator who opposes vaccination mandates and blames Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for global inflation.

The character won the party leadership in the first round, in which he defeated a moderate, centrist candidate with 68% of the votes cast by affiliates.

Poilievre, 43, is a career politician and served as a cabinet minister in former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government. He embraced Canadians who oppose vaccination mandates and supported the Liberty Truck Caravan that crippled Canada’s capital and blocked the US border.

“Tonight begins the journey to replace a tired government with a government that puts you first,” Poilievre said. “To fight inflation and put you in charge of your money and your life.”

Poilievre publicized the party base, drawing large crowds and recruiting thousands of new members.

Nelson Wiseman, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto, said a suitable comparison for Polevre might be Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, but without the anti-abortion politics.

“He’s a right-wing populist,” Wiseman explained. “Most Canadians are now recoiling from his populism, but he will tone down some of his positions and soften his language and image. Hopefully the next election will be for the interim leader, someone with a growing political background.

Wiseman pointed out that if his rhetoric holds up, he could fall in the polls. “It’s a big win for Poilievre, but Tory MPs are not a true reflection of the general population,” he said.

Poilievre, who led his campus Conservative club when he was a university student, has been an MP since he was 25.