TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has gained another step toward majority control of Canada’s Parliament following the latest opposition member to switch allegiances.
New Democratic Party interim leader Don Davies expressed strong disappointment Tuesday evening over Member of Parliament Lori Idlout’s decision to join the Liberal ranks, according to his official statement.
The move brings the Liberals significantly closer to achieving majority status, which would enable them to advance legislation without requiring support from opposition parties.
Liberal Cabinet minister Sean Fraser posted a welcome message for Idlout on social media platforms.
This marks the fourth recent defection to Carney’s party, following three Conservative members who switched sides in previous months.
Following Idlout’s departure from the left-leaning New Democratic party, the Liberals now hold 170 seats in the House of Commons. A majority requires 172 Members of Parliament, which would grant them unilateral authority to enact any legislation.
Neither Carney’s spokesperson nor Idlout’s office provided immediate responses to requests for comment.
The prime minister has scheduled special elections in three constituencies that could deliver the majority if Liberals capture two of the three seats.
Carney announced March 8 that voting will take place April 13 across three districts: Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale in the Toronto region, both viewed as Liberal strongholds, plus Terrebonne near Montreal, where the outcome remains uncertain.
The three Conservative legislators who recently joined the Liberal caucus include Chris d’Entremont, Michael Ma and Matt Jeneroux.
Jeneroux cited Carney’s World Economic Forum address in Davos as influential in his decision. During that speech, Carney criticized economic pressure tactics used by major powers against smaller nations, earning widespread acclaim and overshadowing U.S. President Donald Trump at the international gathering.
Since taking over from Justin Trudeau as prime minister in 2025 and securing electoral victory, Carney has positioned the Liberals toward the political center.
“One year into his tenure as PM, Carney maintains strong domestic popularity and, particularly following his notable January 20 Davos address, has emerged as a more visible figure internationally,” observed Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.
“Mark Carney’s Liberals have successfully drawn both Conservative and NDP Members of Parliament into their ranks, demonstrating the current political success of the Prime Minister’s moderate positioning amid ongoing domestic concerns about economic issues and trade relationships, particularly regarding Canada-US relations,” Béland explained in an email.
