Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney moved closer to a parliamentary majority after a Conservative MP defected to the Liberals, strengthening his position as he prepares to respond to US tariff measures.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday edged closer to a parliamentary majority that could help him counter US tariffs when an opposition legislator defected to the ruling Liberals.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney moved a step closer to securing a parliamentary majority on Wednesday after a lawmaker from the opposition crossed the floor to join the governing Liberals — a shift that could strengthen his hand against US tariffs.
Since winning a minority government in last April’s election, the Liberals have depended on support from opposition parties to approve major legislation, including budget measures — a process that can often be protracted. Carney has argued that holding a majority would allow his government to respond more decisively to trade actions introduced by US President Donald Trump.
Carney announced that Matt Jeneroux, a member of the right-leaning Conservative Party representing a riding in Alberta, would now sit with the Liberals in the House of Commons.
Three seats short of majority
Following the defection, the centrist Liberals hold 169 of the 343 seats in Canada’s elected lower chamber, leaving them three seats away from majority control.
Three constituencies previously represented by Liberal lawmakers are currently vacant. Should the party secure victories in all three, Carney would command a majority in the House of Commons.
”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,” he said in a post on X.
Later on Wednesday, Carney is due to meet Jeneroux, who said in a statement that he wanted to help tackle ”unprecedented pressures” on Canadian prosperity and sovereignty.
A majority would open the way to Carney serving until April 2029. Canadian elections are held no later than every four years.
Carney must formally announce special elections to fill the vacant seats. Two are in Liberal strongholds and should be easy wins, but polls indicate the third, in a Montreal suburb, will be a much tighter race.
The defection is the third from the Conservatives to the Liberals in recent months and will put more pressure on leader Pierre Poilievre, who survived a leadership review last month after he blew a large lead and lost the April 2025 election.
”Mark Carney is trying to seize a costly Liberal majority government that Canadians voted against in the last election through dirty backroom deals,” Poilievre said in a post on X, accusing Jeneroux of betrayal.
With inputs from agencies
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