Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Alberta MP Matt Jeneroux is joining the Liberal caucus, the third Conservative MP to break with his party in a move that brings the Carney government on the cusp of a majority.
Speculation that Jeneroux was joining the Liberals first surfaced last year, prompting him to announce that instead, he had decided to leave politics altogether.
But Stephanie Levitz reports that today, Jeneroux reversed course, saying he had reflected on the gravity of the moment Canada is facing.
Sitting next to Mark Carney in Edmonton – Jeneroux represents Edmonton Riverbend – he linked his decision to the Prime Minister’s recent speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
In the speech, Carney spoke of a rupture to 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,” 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.”
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, and 169 seats in the House of Commons.
Though there are 343 seats overall, three are currently vacant.
Also, this week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has faced questions about MP Jamil Jivani, who told a right-wing U.S. news site that Canada is harming itself with an “anti-America hissy fit.”
In a scrum with reporters on Tuesday, Poilievre said Jivani does not speak for the party.
Poilievre was peppered with questions about Jivani’s recent trip to Washington, D.C., and his comments made to Breitbart News.
When asked if he agreed with Jivani’s characterization, Poilievre said “no.”
“Canadians are legitimately upset by the unjustifiable tariffs and the comments that the President has made,” Poilievre said.
Poilievre said that is also the message he gave to Jivani when he spoke to him about the trip and the comments, but didn’t directly answer when asked if he thinks Mr. Jivani is muddling the message Conservatives are trying to send.
“He speaks for himself, and I speak for the party,” Poilievre said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and MP Matt Jeneroux meet in Edmonton after Jeneroux crossed the floor to the Liberals on Wednesday.JASON FRANSON/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
New defence industrial strategy will jump-start investment: Numerous small and large companies praised the strategy, though many said its success will ultimately depend on its execution.
Ottawa seeks to attract grad students from abroad: The initiative aims to bring in more top researchers as figures published this week show a steep drop in the number of international students who have come to Canada over the past year.
Quebec’s advance-request MAID program offers a complicated example for other jurisdictions: Proponents argue Quebec’s approach offers valuable insights on how it could be expanded elsewhere, especially as the population ages and more people are diagnosed with dementia.
Toronto’s Ontario Line could open later than 2031 target: Michael Lindsay, the CEO of the provincial transit agency Metrolinx, says the province will not commit to an opening date for the new subway line currently under construction in Toronto.
B.C. to raise taxes, cut jobs as budget projects record deficit: The province’s NDP government introduced a budget this week with another record-high deficit, despite hiking personal income taxes, and pledged to face “serious fiscal pressures” gradually.
On our radar
Commons and Senate Break: The House of Commons is on a break this week with MPs returning on Feb. 23. The Senate is also on a break and does not sit again until next Tuesday.
Prime Ministers Day: Mark Carney’s schedule for the day included a stop in Edmonton to meet with MP Matt Jeneroux, who has joined the Liberal caucus. Carney then travelled to Richmond, B.C. to celebrate Lunar New Year with community members and later toured an affordable-housing project. In the evening, he was scheduled to attend a party fundraising event at a private residence in Vancouver.
Party Leaders: Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is in her B.C. riding, meeting with constituents and was scheduled to visit a secondary school to talk about her role as an MP. No schedules released for other party leaders.
Ministers on the Road: In Toronto, Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin made an infrastructure announcement with Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Also in Toronto, Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab made an announcement on immigration Express Entry categories during an address to the Canadian Club.
In Montreal, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly made an announcement on the defence industry at the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.
In Windsor, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu talked about the economy and government measures at an employment centre.
In Calgary, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon delivered a speech on issues including supply chains and supporting economic growth.
In Vancouver, Defence Minister David McGuinty spoke to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and also toured Seaspan Vancouver shipyards in North Vancouver to see progress on the Royal Canadian Navy’s joint support ships and the Canadian Coast Guard’s polar icebreaker.
In Victoria, Housing Minister Gregor Robertson was at a news conference with B.C. Housing Minister Christine Boyle, to announce a housing partnership.
Dominic LeBlanc, the minister for Canada-U.S. Trade, continued to lead a trade mission to Mexico. Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald is also on the trip.
Energy Minister Tim Hodgson is in Paris for a ministerial meeting of the International Energy Agency and is also scheduled to attend the Canadian Critical Minerals Forum.
Quote of the Day
“He just needs to be able to keep his own MPs in his own party. It’s his own problem.” - Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, during a Montreal news conference today, offers a suggestion to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Question period
Forty-six years ago today, Canadians went to the polls in an election that came about after a budget presented by the federal Progressive Conservative government was defeated in the Commons. What were the election results in terms of numbers of seats?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Jamil Jivani goes to Washington ... to advance Jamil Jivani’s interests
So Mr. Jivani should be front and centre in the Conservative caucus. He should have a shadow cabinet role. He should be part of the Prime Minister’s regular trade delegations to the U.S. But Mr. Jivani keeps being left out. Why?
— Robyn Urback, Columnist
The post-Poilievre leadership race has begun
Pierre Poilievre may have won the endorsement of the party rank-and-file at the Calgary convention, but the party establishment – MPs, party officials, the pros – know he’s toast. The Conservatives are nine or 10 points behind the Liberals in the polls. Mr. Poilievre is 20 points or more behind Mark Carney. And the reason is Mr. Trump.
— Andrew Coyne, Columnist
Canada’s new defence policy must do away with the old orthodoxies
A robust defence policy review must overcome the fallbacks of incrementalism and path dependency. These forces run counter to the Prime Minister’s call for an ambitious response to a moment of rupture.
— Bob Rae is a Matthews Fellow in Public Policy at Queen’s University, The Visitor at Massey College and a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School. Michael Murphy is the director of the Centre for International and Defence Policy at Queen’s University. Eugene Lang is acting director of the Queen’s University School of Policy Studies.
Go deeper
- Follow along for our stories on Canada-U.S. relations as news develops
- Get the latest insight and analysis from our political-opinion writers
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The answer to today’s question: The Liberals, under Pierre Elliott Trudeau, won 147 of 282 seats in the Commons. The Progressive Conservatives under Joe Clark won 103 seats. And the NDP, under Ed Broadbent, won 32 seats. Trudeau had quit his party’s leadership, but returned to lead the Liberals.