The former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada has a message for any other party members who are considering crossing the floor, after MP Matt Jeneroux announced he would join the Liberal caucus: “Get it over with. Don’t draw this out.”
Former Conservative cabinet minister Lisa Raitt told CTV Your Morning on Thursday that the party is rife with rumours about more MPs switching sides, and if that’s true, she suggests they go ahead and do it so the party can get back to “what they do best, which is right now, fight for Canadians.”
“All of this is distraction, and it’s not helping the average taxpayer,” Raitt said.
Raitt called the recent floor-crossings a “bit of a parlour game,” adding that these “backroom politics” aren’t helpful.
READ MORE: Another Conservative crosses the floor. Here’s what that means
IN PICTURES: Canadian politicians who crossed the floor or left their party
“If you are thinking about it, don’t try it out anymore. Just get it done, pull the Band-Aid off,” Raitt said.
“If there’s somebody out there teasing the fact that they’re thinking of going and telling people other than their party leadership that they’re thinking of going … then just put us all out of our misery of all wondering and just move on.”
‘Joining my government or joining the government’
Jeneroux is the third Conservative MP to defect to the Liberal caucus in the last three months, calling into question Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s leadership.
“I will be working with Prime Minister Mark Carney as a part of his new government to help build our country’s strength as we face the challenges ahead,” Jeneroux’s statement on Wednesday said.
Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont crossed the floor in November, and Markham-Unionville MP Michael Ma left Conservative ranks in December.
READ MORE: More than 300 MPs have crossed the floor in Parliament since Confederation
Raitt took at dig at Jeneroux’s motivations, saying she found the language coming out of the floor-crossers “interesting” since they avoid using the word “Liberal.”
“It’s always about joining my government or joining the government,” she said, adding that at the end of the day it’s Jeneroux’s constituents who are going to hold him accountable during the next election, wondering if they should be voting for the Liberals.
However, the news of Jeneroux’s floor-crossing came as a shock to her, Raitt added.
‘Best day in Opposition still isn’t as good as your worst day in government’
Poilievre accused Carney of trying to win a majority government through “dirty background deals,” following the announcement of Jeneroux’s floor-crossing.
“Matt Jeneroux has betrayed the people of Edmonton Riverbend who voted for affordable food and homes, safe streets, and a strong resource sector,” Poilievre wrote in a response, saying Jeneroux had “betrayed” his constituents.
READ MORE: Poilievre says Jeneroux ‘betrayed’ his constituents
When asked about what the floor-crossings say about Poilievre and the party’s trust in him, Raitt said the defecting party members weren’t crossing based on his leadership or “on principle.”
“They’re not saying they’re joining the Liberal Party of Canada. They’re saying they’re joining the government ...,” she said. “They’re crossing into a government for the perks that go with government. The phrase that is very well known in Ottawa is that ‘your best day in Opposition still isn’t as good as your worst day in government.’”
‘Don’t react the wrong way’
James Moore, a former federal cabinet minister under prime minister Stephen Harper, told CTV Power Play host Vassy Kapelos on Wednesday that there is still a chance that things could get worse for Poilievre’s party.
“I think it would be a mistake for the Conservative party to do, at least what it seems like they’re doing on social media, which is going all in and attacking Matt Jeneroux personally,” Moore said.
He added that “attacking and demonizing” d’Entremont could not stop Ma from crossing the floor, and similarly, behaving in the same manner with Ma did not stop Jeneroux from defecting.
“I think overreacting and looking panicky about one member of Parliament, who obviously lost confidence in Pierre quite some time ago, would be a strategic mistake,” Moore said. “Focus on the country, focus on yourselves and move forward, lest you bait others to want to cross the floor as well. Don’t react the wrong way.”
Moore went on to say that Poilievre should follow Harper’s example and “demand” caucus discipline by assigning roles to MPs to uphold a united party front.
“Audition properly for the role by being proper executives in Opposition, such that Canadians can see you in that role one day, perhaps in government,” Moore said, adding that Poilievre currently holds a stronger mandate to lead his party than Harper did after his leadership review.
“What’s the point in having an 87 per cent mandate if you don’t throw your weight around a bit?” he said.
‘Be careful what you say’
When asked about the tension around Conservative MP Jamil Jivani’s recent trip to the United States and his comments about Canada hurting its relationship with the U.S. by throwing an “anti-American hissy fit,” Raitt said she’s ready to accept the trip at “face value, not representing the Conservative Party of Canada.”
READ MORE: Poilievre clarifies his position as Jivani visits Washington
“Jamil has said that he’s gone down to Washington to use a personal relationship that he has in order to speak on behalf of his constituents in Oshawa,” she said, referring to Jivani’s longstanding relationship with U.S. Vice-President JD Vance.
“MPs are allowed to advocate for whatever they want to do.”
However, Raitt added that the words used must be carefully chosen, because there is a spotlight on Canada-U.S. relations.
“Be careful what you say down there,” Raitt said. “Be careful what you say here and be careful what you say in press releases or in any kind of interviews, because they reflect on the Conservative party.”
Moore suggested that it’s time Poilievre confront Jivani a “little more forcefully” if he “gets out of line again.”
With files from CTV News’ Spencer Van Dyk and Luca Caruso-Moro
