Ex-Red Deer MLA debunks claims he’s running for prime minister

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He famously ran for leader of the newly formed Canadian Alliance Party that year, won, then entered the House of Commons through a by-election in B.C.’s Okanagan.

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Then-PM Jean Chrétien called a snap election a few weeks later, and Day’s party came up short.

Day stepped aside from the party leadership in 2001, making way for Stephen Harper. He remained an MP until retiring after the 2011 federal election.

He’s since been involved in many endeavours, such as the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and is principal at Stockwell Day Connex, a government relations and strategic consulting firm. He also has a daily podcast.

But no, he isn’t taking another kick at the can.

On Tuesday, however, Day posted a pair of videos to his social media — in one of them, he touches on immigration and Islam, while the other is on a recent speech made by Mark Carney in which the prime minister likens “Muslim values” to “Canadian values.”

This is an INVASION, not Immigration. A message from Canada’s Stockwell Day. pic.twitter.com/yTdKPwbYmw

— (((Stockwell Day))) (@Stockwell_Day) August 3, 2026

A video from Stockwell Day on Aug. 4, 2026 was reposted by the user seen here (name redacted for privacy), with a caption suggesting that Day, in the video, announces his intention to run for prime minister. He does not, in fact, say that.

In neither video, the other one seen below, does Day state he wants to be the leader of Canada.

“We’ve gotten a few calls about that, maybe just because I’ve been doing some stuff; but no, I’m a big supporter of Pierre [Poilievre],” he shared.

“Pierre used to work for me, and now I consider myself working for him.”

Poilievre, now leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and MP for Battle River-Crowfoot, was a university student when Day formed the Canadian Alliance 26 years ago.

“He did a lot of our campus outreach, and he did it very successfully. His hard work on campuses bringing students on-side was key to me being able to win the Canadian Alliance leadership at that point.”

Poilievre then served Day as an assistant in Ottawa.

“I tell people politics is like the mafia, because you never really get out. So I’m still involved, but I do training and campaign strategy,” said Day.

As for the videos Day posted Tuesday, which trended on X (formerly Twitter), one shows him asking Prime Minister Carney to be more specific about something he said in a recent speech.

That speech was made at a celebration of the holiday Eid-al-Adha in Ottawa in June.

At one point in the speech, Carney says:

“All of us must come together around the values of Eid — the values of community, of generosity, and yes, of sacrifice. These are Muslim values, these are Canadian values.”

In Day’s video, a clip of Carney’s speech begins with him saying, “These are Muslim values…”

Are MUSLIM VALUES really Canadian values? Prime Minister Carney, are all Muslim values Canadian values? pic.twitter.com/1StK3JUJ6d

— (((Stockwell Day))) (@Stockwell_Day) August 4, 2026

Day asks in the video for Carney to be more specific, then lists several perceptions about Muslim culture and Islam, including inequality between men and women.

rdnewNOW pointed out to Day that it appears Carney answers his question in his prior sentence, noting community, generosity, and sacrifice as the values to which he was alluding.

But Day pointed out that moments later, Carney began to speak about the events that have taken place in Gaza.

“I know that for many, myself included, these celebrations also bring sadness evoked by the intolerable suffering around the world, including in Gaza,” remarked Carney. “And the sadness I feel because of the hatred, fueled by ignorance, that is still a lived reality for far too many Muslim-Canadians.”

Day then noted what occurred on Oct. 7, 2023, when the actions of Hamas triggered the latest round of a longstanding conflict between Israel and Palestine.

“That’s what I think he needs to clarify.”

Asked about the killing that has happened in Gaza since that day, Day said, “Well, there was a reaction, quite understandably. Just as if people from Seattle stormed the border in Vancouver, there’d be a reaction.”

rdnewsNOW requested a comment from the Prime Minister’s Office, but it declined.