Chris d’Entremont is being celebrated by his new colleagues with cheers and open arms on Parliament Hill Wednesday morning, after crossing the floor from the Conservatives to the Liberals.
Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly welcomed d’Entremont, and thanked him for his decision, which brings Carney’s minority government one vote closer to a majority, now just two seats shy.
“I’m honoured to welcome him as the newest member of our government caucus,” Carney said, at an announcement at a public transit facility in Ottawa, the morning after his first ever federal budget was tabled in Parliament.
After shaking up the political dynamics and opting to turn his Acadie-Annapolis, N.S. riding red, d’Entremont was in attendance at the prime minister’s morning event, touting the new $51-billion “Build Communities Strong Fund.”
“Chris’ decision to join the government caucus at this crucial moment for our country is exceptionally valuable and important,” Carney said.
Facing questions from reporters about how involved he has been in attempts to lure opposition MPs to the Liberals — or whether more floor crossings could be coming — Carney demurred on specifics but said d’Entremont’s move should be a message to all MPs.
“Wherever they’re sitting in the House, this is a time where we need to act as a country, be as unified as possible, to act boldly, and to invest in the future of Canada,” Carney said. “That’s what this budget does.”
The prime minister also confirmed that he did speak with his newest MP “in advance of his decision, as was appropriate.”
“I think he wanted to test what we were going to do in the budget, and the scope of what’s required, and to see that there was the alignment,” he also said. “And you can see that there is that alignment.”
On Tuesday night, the Liberal Party confirmed the defection from Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, sending out a statement from d’Entremont in which he said the 2025 federal budget is what prompted him to realize “there is a better path forward” for his constituents and the country, and that the prime minister is the one “offering that path.”
d’Entremont’s resignation has sparked fierce reaction from some of his former Conservative colleagues, though speaking to reporters after Carney’s press conference, the self-described “red Tory” suggested other Conservative MPs may feel similarly to him.
“Over the last number of months, I wasn’t feeling that I was aligned with the ideals of what the leader of the Opposition had been talking about,” d’Entremont said.
He added that he then started talking to “many” of his Liberal “friends,” as he didn’t see a way to be part of solving the problems this country is facing from the opposition benches.
“I saw it by being a part of the government caucus,” he said. “I would suggest that there probably are those that are in the same boat, but I will let them tell their stories, if that happens.”
Rumours have swirled for weeks that opposition other MPs are considering joining the Liberal benches.
Attempting to quell any speculation that she could be one of them, Conservative MP Dominique Vien released a video Wednesday, reaffirming her commitment to the party and adding she has no intention of leaving.
Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux also shut down any chatter that he may be considering crossing the floor, with his office telling CTV News in an email: “Despite the rumours being circulated in Ottawa, MP Jeneroux is not crossing the floor and is remaining a member of the Conservative caucus.”
In an interview with CTV News on Wednesday, Abacus Data CEO David Coletto said Carney’s shift to the right on some issues — especially compared to his predecessor Justin Trudeau — could make it easier for Conservatives to go red.
Liberals welcome d’Entremont with hugs, applause
Entering his first caucus meeting as a Liberal Wednesday morning, d’Entremont received a big hug from fellow Nova Scotia MP Darren Fisher and resounding applause from his new colleagues.
Liberal caucus chair James Maloney told reporters on Parliament Hill Wednesday that d’Entremont is an “outstanding MP” and a “great guy.”
Asked whether he anticipates more opposition MPs could join the Liberal ranks in the coming days, Maloney said he “can’t answer that,” but that he’s not “actively recruiting.”
Industry Minister Melanie Joly, meanwhile, told reporters in French that the Liberals had been courting d’Entremont specifically for “a long time.”
When asked directly whether the Liberals are working to recruit more Conservative MPs, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand wouldn’t say, but added: “I’ll just say this, the more the merrier.”
She also joked she’s “part of the welcoming committee” for d’Entremont.
Conservatives attribute decision to ‘personal grievances’
A statement from the Conservative Party on Wednesday morning attributes d’Entremont’s defection to “personal grievances” about the House Speaker race in May.
At the time, d’Entremont and another Conservative Speaker hopeful withdrew their names from consideration at the last minute, believed to be motivated by the tight minority dynamics in the House, and the fact that naming a Liberal Speaker would ostensibly take another vote away from the governing party.
“In April, he supported our Conservative platform to help young Canadians who couldn’t find jobs and had to move back into their parents’ basements,” the statement reads. “Today, he decided he apparently wants to break those promises so he can vote in favour of the industrial carbon tax, driving up food costs, and the fuel standards the Liberals are imposing.”
“Mr. d’Entremont must explain to his constituents why he broke his promises to them,” the Conservative statement adds.
Conservative MP Michael Barrett said the move means d’Entremont “can’t be taken at his word,” while John Williamson categorized it as d’Entremont “turning his back” on the platform on which he ran and won the April election.
Further reaction to the first floor-crossing in more than four years has streamed in throughout the morning, with both the Conservative and Liberal caucuses meeting on Parliament Hill.
In question period Wednesday afternoon, however, d’Entrement’s defection went largely unaddressed. Aside from a few quips from other MPs, neither Carney nor Poilievre mentioned it directly.
With files from CTV News’ Spencer Van Dyk, Stephanie Ha and Mike Le Couteur
