Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney moved a step closer to securing parliamentary control Wednesday after a Conservative Party member switched sides to join his Liberal government.
Matt Jeneroux, who represents an Alberta district for the Conservative opposition, announced his decision to join the Liberal caucus in the House of Commons. The defection brings Carney’s centrist Liberal Party to 169 seats in the 343-member chamber, leaving them just three seats away from majority control.
Since winning a minority government in last April’s election, the Liberals have required opposition backing to advance major legislation including budget measures. Carney has argued that achieving a majority would allow his government to respond more swiftly to trade policies from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
“The world has changed, and Canada must change with it. This is a time to come together — and together, we will build a stronger future,” Carney wrote on social media platform X.
Jeneroux is scheduled to meet with Carney later Wednesday. In his statement announcing the switch, the Alberta representative cited his desire to address “unprecedented pressures” facing Canada’s economic stability and independence.
Three Liberal-held seats currently remain empty, and if Carney’s party captures all of them in upcoming special elections, he would secure the majority needed to govern until April 2029. While two of these vacant positions are in traditional Liberal strongholds, polling suggests the third seat in a Montreal-area district will present a more competitive contest.
This marks the third time in recent months that a Conservative member has crossed the floor to join the Liberals, intensifying scrutiny on Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Poilievre narrowly survived a leadership challenge last month following his party’s election defeat despite holding substantial polling advantages.
Poilievre responded harshly to the defection, posting on X that “Mark Carney is trying to seize a costly Liberal majority government that Canadians voted against in the last election through dirty backroom deals.” He accused Jeneroux of betraying his constituents.
Carney must still officially call the special elections to fill the remaining vacant seats before he can claim majority status in Parliament.
