Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux Crosses To Carney's Liberals
Jeneroux’s defection gives the Liberals 169 seats, three short of the 172 needed for a majority; it is the third recent Conservative floor-crossing.
Overview
Alberta MP Matt Jeneroux crossed the floor from the Conservative caucus to join Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal caucus, Carney announced on social media.
The switch gives the Liberals 169 seats, putting them three short of the 172 needed for a majority and moving Carney's government closer to passing bills without opposition support.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre accused Carney of seeking a majority through "dirty backroom deals," while Carney named Jeneroux a special advisor on economic and security partnerships.
Jeneroux is the third Conservative MP to join the Liberals in recent months, and there are three vacant parliamentary seats and by-elections for three seats in the coming months.
By-elections for those seats, including two Toronto-area vacancies after the resignations of Chrystia Freeland and Bill Blair and a Montreal-area seat that was closely contested by one vote, could affect whether the Liberals secure a majority.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a political shift favoring Prime Minister Carney by emphasizing Conservative instability and Liberal momentum. Editorial choices—using 'defected' in headlines, leading with multiple floor‑crossings, and closing with praise of Carney at Davos—shape the narrative; source quotes (Poilievre’s accusations) are included but less contextualized.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Jeneroux cited Prime Minister Carney's speech at Davos as a catalyst for reflection on Canada's national unity crisis. He stated it felt 'disingenuous and quite simply, wrong' to remain on the sidelines, and after discussions with family about standing up for the country, he reached out to the Prime Minister's Office to join the Liberal caucus[2]. He also noted he had 'great admiration' for fellow MPs on both sides of the aisle[1].
With Jeneroux's defection, the Liberals now have 169 seats in the House of Commons, placing them three seats short of the 172 needed for a functional majority[1]. Three by-elections are set to be held in ridings previously held by the Liberals, and if the Liberals regain all three seats, they would reach 172 MPs, though they would remain reliant on the Speaker to break tie votes[1].
Floor-crossing is controversial but not unprecedented—more than 300 MPs have switched parties since Confederation in 1867[4]. This is the third Conservative MP to defect to the Liberals under Poilievre's leadership in recent months, after Chris d'Entremont and Michael Ma[1]. Poilievre accused Carney of 'trying to seize a costly Liberal majority government that Canadians voted against in the last election through dirty backroom deals' and claimed Jeneroux 'betrayed' the people of Edmonton Riverbend[1].
Prime Minister Carney announced that Jeneroux will serve as a special advisor on economic and security partnerships[3]. In this role, he will contribute to strengthening Canada's alliances and trade partnerships[3].
The Liberals lost seats through the resignations of MPs Chrystia Freeland and Bill Blair, and a recent Supreme Court ruling overturned the election results in the Quebec riding of Terrebonne, costing the government another seat[4].
History
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