TORONTO (AP) 鈥� Another opposition Conservative lawmaker in has defected to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s governing Liberals.
Carney announced Wednesday that Alberta Member of Parliament Matt Jeneroux had crossed the floor to join the Liberal caucus. It’s the to join the Liberals in recent months.
That puts the Liberals closer to having a and being able to pass any bill without the support of an opposition party.
There are local elections for three seats in Parliament in the coming months that could provide the Liberals with a majority government.
Jeneroux referenced Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month as helping him decide to join the Liberals.
Carney by great powers against smaller countries and received widespread praise and attention for his remarks, upstaging U.S. President Donald Trump at the gathering.
鈥淨uite honestly it was the speech in Davos where you took everything head on,” Jeneroux said to Carney as they met in Edmonton, Alberta. 鈥淚 think it opened a lot of eyes.鈥�
The defection is another blow to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who lost the last national election in April and even his own seat in Parliament but has since rejoined the House of Commons.
Poilievre won a last month but continues to have problems controlling his lawmakers.
Poilievre said in a social media post that Carney is trying to seize a majority government through 鈥渄irty backroom deals鈥� and said Jeneroux betrayed the people of his district.
Jeneroux announced plans to resign in November, just months ago, when another Conservative member of Parliament left the Conservative caucus to join the Liberals. Poilievre said Jeneroux planned to step down in the spring.
Jeneroux’s statement on social media Wednesday said he changed his mind after talking with his family and that the moment demands 鈥渟teady leadership鈥� for the country.
鈥淭he third instance of floor-crossing by a Conservative MP in just a few months conveys the message that Poilievre does not fully control his caucus, a perception that is likely to undermine his leadership,鈥� said Daniel B茅land, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.
鈥淚f the Liberals can reach majority territory soon in a way or another, we might not have federal elections before October 2029.鈥�
Carney has moved the Liberals to the center since replacing as prime minister in 2025 and winning national elections.
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