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As with with former party leaders, just because you’ve got a valid point doesn’t mean you should share it far and wide.

Conservatives have plenty of bright spots to build upon, recognizing that Pierre Poilievre’s “next challenge is to grow the tent.” That’s self-evident, perhaps, but it’ll be easier said than done with Prime Minister Mark Carney busy trying to reshape the Liberal Party.

Last week’s Conservative caucus meeting was the first opportunity for incoming and defeated MPs to compare notes on what they’d heard at the doorsteps. Quebec MP Bernard Généreux said a “different approach” was warranted “to do even better next time.”

The first chance for that different approach came with the appointment of the party’s interim Opposition leader. What better way to demonstrate the depth and diversity within the Conservative caucus than to showcase the appealing breadth of the team?

I had every expectation that Tory “heroine” Melissa Lantsman, Poilievre’s co-deputy leader, would get the nod. She had the best result of any Conservative candidate in Ontario, of the vote in Thornhill. Even Ford, who is dearly loved in his Etobicoke riding, didn’t break the 60 per cent threshold in the recent provincial race.

For the Conservative tent to grow, the party must win the trust of more women, both urban and suburban. Andrew Scheer has many fine qualities, but the Tories have already locked up the “white guy from Saskatchewan” vote. According to the Star’s reporting: “Veteran Conservatives say (Scheer) was a calculated choice, weighing the former leader’s resume against concerns that choosing a rising star within caucus could undermine Poilievre, even if a fresh face would indicate the party was serious about broadening its appeal.”

Surely one of the “lessons learned” from the recent campaign is that adding to the party’s appeal telegraphs a quiet confidence that doesn’t undercut Poilievre’s personal standing with voters or the media.

Poilievre will almost certainly be back in the House of Commons by the fall, but this window is a crucial opportunity for Conservatives to signal the roughly million voters that their leader says “will allow us to get over the finish line.”

With the House returning, Conservatives run the risk of taking their “Loyal Opposition” role too seriously once again. Like the NDP and Bloc Québécois, the Conservatives also hold the balance of power in Parliament. In the face of economic upheaval, voters will undoubtedly want to see the Tories be a constructive force as the Liberal government negotiates a new trade agreement with the Trump administration.

U.S. President Donald Trump is gunning for auto assembly plants in Brampton, Oakville, Oshawa and Windsor. Unfortunately, it’s too easy for the Big Three automakers to appease him and move production a few hundred kilometres south.

While Carney is busy entertaining the King and G7 leaders this spring, Poilievre can spend a few weeks touring the Ontario communities that will invariably suffer when the USMCA negotiations conclude.

There’s also the chance to reconnect with GTA voters, and Poilievre may be surprised at how much he enjoys spending time on Toronto’s breakfast TV shows, meeting with the Star’s editorial board and sharing views with Bay Street leaders — all influential intermediaries that can help him spread his message to those extra million voters. In the evening, community leaders can be exposed to his “softer side” in celebration of elite doctors, nurses and ballet stars at SickKids’ and the National Ballet of Canada’s fundraisers.

Poilievre needs to surprise people. Carney is very talented, and the status quo ain’t gonna cut it.