Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux crosses floor to Liberals

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Alberta MP Matt Jeneroux has joined the Liberal caucus, making him the third Conservative MP to break with his party since November – a move that puts the Carney government on the cusp of a majority.

Though they now hold 169 seats in the House of Commons, the Liberals are expected to pick up two more when by-elections are called in two safe Liberal ridings.

To attain a majority government, they would still need a seat in addition to those two. They have a chance to secure one in a third by-election, set to be called in the Quebec riding of Terrebonne. But the Liberal candidate won there by just a single vote in last April’s elections. The Supreme Court recently annulled that result, making the by-election necessary.

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Another path to a majority could come about if Prime Minister Mark Carney recruits another MP from a rival party to join his caucus.

Mr. Jeneroux’s name first surfaced as a potential floor crosser last year. When the speculation that he was joining the Liberals was at its height, he announced that he was leaving politics altogether.

But on Wednesday, he reversed course, saying he had reflected on the gravity of the moment Canada is facing.

Sitting next to Mr. Carney in Edmonton – Mr. Jeneroux represents the riding of Edmonton Riverbend – he linked his decision to the Prime Minister’s recent speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

In the speech, Mr. Carney spoke of a rupture in global relations, and urged middle powers to build coalitions in order to survive in an era where great powers have turned into predators.

“And I think for me, that’s where a lot of the world changed. I think it opened a lot [of] eyes for Canadians, Albertans, Edmontonians,” Mr. Jeneroux said, adding that he felt it was “quite simply wrong to be sitting on the sidelines any more, so I reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office.”

Parliamentary standings

Seats held by parties in the House of Commons after the floor crossing to the Liberals from the Conservatives by MP Matt Jeneroux

Majority

Vacant: 3

Liberals: 169

Conservatives: 141

Bloc: 22

NDP: 7

Green: 1

john sopinski/the globe and mail, Source: House of Commons

Parliamentary standings

Seats held by parties in the House of Commons after the floor crossing to the Liberals from the Conservatives by MP Matt Jeneroux

Majority

Vacant: 3

Liberals: 169

Conservatives: 141

Bloc: 22

NDP: 7

Green: 1

john sopinski/the globe and mail, Source: House of Commons

Parliamentary standings

Seats held by parties in the House of Commons after the floor crossing to the Liberals from the Conservatives by MP Matt Jeneroux

Majority

Vacant: 3

Liberals: 169

Conservatives: 141

Bloc: 22

NDP: 7

Green: 1

john sopinski/the globe and mail, Source: House of Commons

Though Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had warm words for Mr. Jeneroux when the MP announced in November that he was stepping down, Mr. Poilievre took a different tone on Wednesday.

“Matt Jeneroux has betrayed the people of Edmonton Riverbend who voted for affordable food and homes, safe streets, and a strong resource sector,” Mr. Poilievre said in a statement.

“Conservatives will continue our fight for a Canada that’s affordable, safe, and self-reliant.”

He also attacked Mr. Carney.

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“Mark Carney is trying to seize a costly Liberal majority government that Canadians voted against in the last election through dirty backroom deals,” he said.

Although the Liberals have a strong minority, the party has been forced to negotiate with the Conservatives on the budget and other key legislation. The Official Opposition, however, is trailing in a number of polls and is not keen to force an election in the near term.

Mr. Jeneroux was first elected in 2015. He won his seat in the 2025 election with 50.2 per cent of the vote.

His decision gives the Liberals a third seat in Alberta at a time when Mr. Carney and the Alberta government are locked in negotiations on the next steps for their landmark energy accord and its promise of a new pipeline to the West Coast.

The Liberals won 169 seats in the House of Commons in the April election. Before Mr. Jeneroux, two other Conservatives joined their caucus, Nova Scotia’s Chris d’Entremont and Ontario’s Michael Ma.

But Liberals Chrystia Freeland and Bill Blair resigned their safe Liberal seats. With Terrebonne, that leaves three vacancies that must be filled with by-elections.

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The timing of the by-elections has not been announced. However, on Tuesday, Mr. Carney visited Terrebonne and met with the now-former Liberal MP who won by a single vote over the Bloc Québécois.

Though Mr. Jeneroux had said in November that he intended to resign his seat in the new year, he remained in contact with Liberals who continued to try to persuade him to cross the floor, three sources told The Globe and Mail.

Two of the sources said he firmed up the decision to join the Liberals in the past two weeks.

The Globe is not identifying the sources because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations.

Mr. Jeneroux did not attend the Conservative Party’s recent convention in Calgary, where delegates voted 87.4 per cent in favour of Mr. Poilievre remaining as leader.

At the time of his announcement late last year, Mr. Jeneroux had moved to tamp down speculation that he was being bullied by fellow Conservatives to remain on their side.

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He said his decision was motivated by a desire to spend more time with family, and that he wished Mr. Poilievre all the best.

But Mr. Jeneroux’s departure is another test for Mr. Poilievre’s leadership. On Tuesday, he was forced to distance himself from MP Jamil Jivani’s remarks on Canada-U.S. relations. Mr. Jivani told a right-wing U.S. news site recently that Canada was hurting itself “if we continue this anti-American hissy fit.”

Last week, one of his other MPs, Mike Dawson, sparked an internal fight by declaring that he didn’t want to accept the scheduled pay raise for MPs.

Former Conservative strategist Dan Robertson suggested a Liberal majority may benefit Mr. Poilievre.

Nothing the Tory Leader has tried has made a difference in Canadians’ impressions of the Prime Minister, Mr. Robertson said.

Mr. Poilievre needs time for U.S. President Donald Trump to fade from the foreground of Canadian politics, time for the glow around Mr. Carney to soften and time for the weight of more than a decade of Liberal governance to register again with voters, Mr. Robertson said.

“It would be silly for anyone to say that Jeneroux’s defection isn’t bad news in the short term for Poilievre and the CPC,” he said.

“But in the long term, it may be the best thing that could have happened.”

Mr. Carney announced Mr. Jeneroux’s move in a statement Wednesday morning, and shortly after met with him in person in Edmonton.

“Building a stronger, more resilient, and more independent country will require ambition, collaboration, and occasionally, sacrifice,” Mr. Carney said in the statement.

“I am grateful to Matt and his family that he will continue his service as a strong voice for Edmonton Riverbend in Parliament.”

Mr. Carney has also appointed him as a “special adviser on economic and security partnerships,” citing the MP’s past work on building ties with other global lawmakers.

A spokesperson for Mr. Carney said the adviser role is unpaid and in addition to his role as an MP.

“This government always takes the necessary steps to be compliant under the Conflict of Interest Act and all rules governing the House of Commons,” Audrey Champoux said in a statement.

Mr. Jeneroux did not respond to a request for an interview and neither he nor Mr. Carney took questions from reporters at their meeting.